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Briggs Tanner #1
The End of Enemies
When he becomes an eyewitness to a brutal assassination, veteran covert agent Briggs Tanner is determined to uncover the mystery of the killing, following a deadly international trail of espionage that takes him from the depths of the Pacific Ocean to the back alleys of Beirut to uncover a secret hidden since World War II. Original.
608 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2001
130 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Grant Blackwood
48 books346 followersThe New York Times bestselling author of the Briggs Tanner series, (END OF ENEMIES, WALL OF NIGHT, and ECHO OF WAR) Grant Blackwood is also the co-author of the Fargo Adventure Series (SPARTAN GOLD, LOST EMPIRE, and THE KINGDOM) with Clive Cussler, as well as the co-author of the #1 NYT bestseller, DEAD OR ALIVE, with Tom Clancy, and the upcoming thriller, THE KILL SWITCH, with James Rollins.
A U. S. Navy veteran, Grant spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer.
Grant lives in Colorado, where he is working his own standalone series starring a new hero.
A U. S. Navy veteran, Grant spent three years aboard a guided missile frigate as an Operations Specialist and a Pilot Rescue Swimmer.
Grant lives in Colorado, where he is working his own standalone series starring a new hero.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 22, 2014
An action-packed war novel with Briggs Tanner as the protagonist and hero. An international political drama for the drama seekers.
A few quotes from the book:"As a child, the surest way to get Briggs to take on a challenge was to tell him it was either impossible or the answer was a mystery."
As an agent of one of America's numerous government agencies, Briggs stumbled upon a man getting murdered in his presence. By probing the murder, he comes across an international crisis , instigated by a World War II secret, waiting to happen, with various countries involved, including Japan. The epicenter of the planned Doom's Day is Lebanon.
"For decades Lebanon had been the world’s chosen surrogate battlefield. Superpowers played their spy games, tested their weapons, exercised their tactics and strategies, and Lebanon paid in blood and ruination."
"We’ve a better grasp of how funds are transferred from sponsor governments to the command structures of terrorist groups. Money is the key. We can’t dampen a terrorist’s fervor; we can’t cut off their source of training; and we can’t hope diplomatic measures will curtail covert support of these groups. "
The many typos hindered the story, but for readers interested in this kind of book, it is still a familiar and hopefully satisfying experience. It answers to the need for high-speed action, typical of modern war fare movies. It can become a good movie for war junkies indeed.
An easy read, text flowing smoothly along, characters well developed and the story line strong. It won't disappoint.
This Briggs Tanner novel was provided by Diversion Books via NetGalley.
A few quotes from the book:"As a child, the surest way to get Briggs to take on a challenge was to tell him it was either impossible or the answer was a mystery."
As an agent of one of America's numerous government agencies, Briggs stumbled upon a man getting murdered in his presence. By probing the murder, he comes across an international crisis , instigated by a World War II secret, waiting to happen, with various countries involved, including Japan. The epicenter of the planned Doom's Day is Lebanon.
"For decades Lebanon had been the world’s chosen surrogate battlefield. Superpowers played their spy games, tested their weapons, exercised their tactics and strategies, and Lebanon paid in blood and ruination."
"We’ve a better grasp of how funds are transferred from sponsor governments to the command structures of terrorist groups. Money is the key. We can’t dampen a terrorist’s fervor; we can’t cut off their source of training; and we can’t hope diplomatic measures will curtail covert support of these groups. "
The many typos hindered the story, but for readers interested in this kind of book, it is still a familiar and hopefully satisfying experience. It answers to the need for high-speed action, typical of modern war fare movies. It can become a good movie for war junkies indeed.
An easy read, text flowing smoothly along, characters well developed and the story line strong. It won't disappoint.
This Briggs Tanner novel was provided by Diversion Books via NetGalley.
January 7, 2019
They had six hours to complete their missions, but Briggs Tanner will run into not one, but two people. One is being threatened and the other will end up dead at his feet. When he saw the key laying beside the body, he discretely picked it up.
Tanner keeps his cool under fire and he will need it as he travels the world to solve the mystery.
Everyone spies on everyone else, doesn’t matter whether they are allies or enemies, never knowing who to trust and who may be compromised.
“The enemy of my enemy is my ally.”
We have a lot of characters all around the world and the story draws them all together to uncover the secret before the terrorists do.
What is their motive? What do they hope to achieve?
I love the adventure of the chase to see who gets to the finish line first. I love when the characters have to go undercover, performing covert operations that make the suspense rise as the pace picks up.
Grant Blackwood is a cross between Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, which is all good for me!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of End of Enemies by Grant Blackwood.
See more at fundinmental
Tanner keeps his cool under fire and he will need it as he travels the world to solve the mystery.
Everyone spies on everyone else, doesn’t matter whether they are allies or enemies, never knowing who to trust and who may be compromised.
“The enemy of my enemy is my ally.”
We have a lot of characters all around the world and the story draws them all together to uncover the secret before the terrorists do.
What is their motive? What do they hope to achieve?
I love the adventure of the chase to see who gets to the finish line first. I love when the characters have to go undercover, performing covert operations that make the suspense rise as the pace picks up.
Grant Blackwood is a cross between Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy, which is all good for me!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of End of Enemies by Grant Blackwood.
See more at fundinmental
January 28, 2020
the myriad typographical errors kept me on my toes;
everything from misspellings and missing punctuation and quotation marks, to subject-verb agreement
a few funny ones:
p203: in the center of the forehead was a perfectly round hole. gently, tanner turned the skull until he found a matching hole at the back, this one larger and more jagged. out of it dropped a lump of metal. he picked it up. it was badly corroded and partially squashed but unmistakably a bullet.
p230: they climbed the udder to the next deck.
everything from misspellings and missing punctuation and quotation marks, to subject-verb agreement
a few funny ones:
p203: in the center of the forehead was a perfectly round hole. gently, tanner turned the skull until he found a matching hole at the back, this one larger and more jagged. out of it dropped a lump of metal. he picked it up. it was badly corroded and partially squashed but unmistakably a bullet.
p230: they climbed the udder to the next deck.
June 2, 2014
Interesting plot, but editing was lacking
Good action and character development. There were numerous typos and punctuation errors that makes the reader slow down and reread as to not miss what just happened.
Good action and character development. There were numerous typos and punctuation errors that makes the reader slow down and reread as to not miss what just happened.
June 7, 2014
A good thriller! Bogged down in middle or it would have been 5 stars. I will definitely read his 2 books.
December 30, 2024
I gave this four stars rather against my instincts; for whilst it is a thoroughly enjoyable, well written and apparently well researched book, it is absolutely peppered with typos, hundreds of them, throughout. I have never read a book, in print or Kindle, that is so awful in this respect. Had it not been quite so engaging I would have given up on it long ago.
How can that be in this age? Missing punctuation at least, whilst names may be misspelled repeatedly throughout (Hostedtler/Hosteller?). And passage through the book was frequently paused whilst working out what the word should have been instead of what was clearly used incorrectly. Many of the errors could only have been made in the manuscript but was it not reviewed by countless editors and proof readers?
As for the book itself - excellent, enjoyable. But spoiled by the appalling errors throughout.
How can that be in this age? Missing punctuation at least, whilst names may be misspelled repeatedly throughout (Hostedtler/Hosteller?). And passage through the book was frequently paused whilst working out what the word should have been instead of what was clearly used incorrectly. Many of the errors could only have been made in the manuscript but was it not reviewed by countless editors and proof readers?
As for the book itself - excellent, enjoyable. But spoiled by the appalling errors throughout.
August 13, 2017
'End of Enemies' was full of thrilling scenarios, action, close calls and deceit. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that it needs editing. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't read it, it was just a tad much for this size novel. I did love the characters. There was an array of good guys vs bad guys. Tanner is a man of honor and integrity. His dedication to getting the job done at any cost was intriguing. There were quite a few characters I despised, which is always good for an interesting plot. I enjoyed the over all story line and the way it played out. I look forward to reading more of 'A Briggs Tanner Series'.
October 1, 2019
A great action read
This was a great read on the intelligence community. Not only how that nightly truly work but also how nations can work together. While showing how politics can interfere. The action built well through the whole book. I read some every night any time between two and four in the morning. It was enough to keep reading for and extra Hal hour or more. Will definitely be looking to down load my next Grant Blackwood book.
This was a great read on the intelligence community. Not only how that nightly truly work but also how nations can work together. While showing how politics can interfere. The action built well through the whole book. I read some every night any time between two and four in the morning. It was enough to keep reading for and extra Hal hour or more. Will definitely be looking to down load my next Grant Blackwood book.
April 11, 2022
End of Enemies: A Briggs Tanner Novel (Briggs Tanner Book 1)
Heart stopping action packed from beginning to end! Realistic characters and scenario; A total page turner. Looking forward to the next book in this series. Highly recommend!!
Heart stopping action packed from beginning to end! Realistic characters and scenario; A total page turner. Looking forward to the next book in this series. Highly recommend!!
December 11, 2024
A very complex story that was well written. It was an iBook with a few errors, but not fatal. Blackwood could probably have peeled back a couple of layers and still had an enjoyable book, just not as long.
September 4, 2025
Unfortunately the language got so bad I only mad it 35% of the book. I was enjoying the story and characters and would love to know what happened but just couldn’t stomach the number of f words that were being used.
August 24, 2019
A complex thriller/spy novel. Good characters; tightly woven plot; great premise. Only irritating aspect was all the typos on my e-version.
March 12, 2024
great story
Really enjoyed the story, flow and finish. Great characters. One drawback was the many spelling mistakes- need better proof reading.
Really enjoyed the story, flow and finish. Great characters. One drawback was the many spelling mistakes- need better proof reading.
November 24, 2024
Read while on cruise - not the best book ...
August 8, 2016
Fans of stories with elements of suspense, action, and thrilling cliffhangers will enjoy this series. Briggs Tanner is a former Navy SEAL, now working as a covert agent. While he is on vacation in Japan a man is killed right next to him. Tanner may be on vacation, but his instincts aren't, and they tell him it isn't a simple crime. The more he digs, the more complicated it becomes. And others from his agency as well as the CIA, the Mossad, and Russia's FIS are finding disturbing oddities around the world. What could a Japanese industrialist, extremists in Beirut, a World War II sub, an Israeli cruise ship, a blackmail scheme in D.C., and war games in Syria and Iran all have in common? If they don't figure it out, there could be catastrophic results.
Briggs is a likable character. He has the flexibility to be tough when it's needed, but can also be open enough to form lasting friendships, fall in love, and be pen pals with a Peruvian teen. The political agendas and in-fighting during the scenes in Washington seem true to life, while the covert actions and surveillance operations could be right out of a James Bond film. Readers who enjoy books like the Tom Clancy novels will feel right at home with Briggs and his comrades.
One word of explanation - this book was first released in 2001 and the technology that is used reflects that time. For instance, characters are still using 3.5" floppies in their computers, and must rely on analysts to do database searches rather then just pulling up Google and doing a search on their phones. There is also quite a bit of using pay phones to make calls harder to trace, rather than using burner phones as is common today. All of this fits in with the setting of the book, but readers will have to remind themselves that they are in effect reading historical fiction due to the rapid pace of technology innovation.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Briggs is a likable character. He has the flexibility to be tough when it's needed, but can also be open enough to form lasting friendships, fall in love, and be pen pals with a Peruvian teen. The political agendas and in-fighting during the scenes in Washington seem true to life, while the covert actions and surveillance operations could be right out of a James Bond film. Readers who enjoy books like the Tom Clancy novels will feel right at home with Briggs and his comrades.
One word of explanation - this book was first released in 2001 and the technology that is used reflects that time. For instance, characters are still using 3.5" floppies in their computers, and must rely on analysts to do database searches rather then just pulling up Google and doing a search on their phones. There is also quite a bit of using pay phones to make calls harder to trace, rather than using burner phones as is common today. All of this fits in with the setting of the book, but readers will have to remind themselves that they are in effect reading historical fiction due to the rapid pace of technology innovation.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
June 17, 2014
“End of enemies” was published in 2014 and is the first in the “Briggs Tanner” series by author Grant Blackwood (http://grantblackwood.com). Mr. Blackwood is the author or co-author of eight novels.
I obtained this novel for free through https://www.netgalley.com for review. This is a thriller and is told 3rd person with the primary characters being Briggs Tanner and his partner Ian “Bear” Cahil, though there are many others.
The real story begins with a submarine just off the coast of Japan in the last days of World War II. Then we skip ahead to present day where Briggs is on vacation in Japan. There he witnesses a murder. That starts an unofficial, then more official investigation. In Washington, D.C. the intelligence community is concerned about an agent that has disappeared in Beirut, Lebanon. Why was he suddenly taken and what does it mean?
Briggs is a former US Navy SEAL, and now works for an off-the-books US intelligence agency. What seemed at first like a random killing turns into an international crises which spans the globe. There is action, danger and intrigue as the story rapidly unfolds to involved a Japanese billionaire, the middle east, and a threat to world peace.
This is the first novel by Mr. Blackwood that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed the 12 hours spend reading it. I look forward to reading others by Mr. Blackwood. It reminds be of Clive Cussler stories, which isn’t a surprise since Mr. Blackwood has co-authored three novels with Clive Cussler. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Other book reviews I have written can be found at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I obtained this novel for free through https://www.netgalley.com for review. This is a thriller and is told 3rd person with the primary characters being Briggs Tanner and his partner Ian “Bear” Cahil, though there are many others.
The real story begins with a submarine just off the coast of Japan in the last days of World War II. Then we skip ahead to present day where Briggs is on vacation in Japan. There he witnesses a murder. That starts an unofficial, then more official investigation. In Washington, D.C. the intelligence community is concerned about an agent that has disappeared in Beirut, Lebanon. Why was he suddenly taken and what does it mean?
Briggs is a former US Navy SEAL, and now works for an off-the-books US intelligence agency. What seemed at first like a random killing turns into an international crises which spans the globe. There is action, danger and intrigue as the story rapidly unfolds to involved a Japanese billionaire, the middle east, and a threat to world peace.
This is the first novel by Mr. Blackwood that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed the 12 hours spend reading it. I look forward to reading others by Mr. Blackwood. It reminds be of Clive Cussler stories, which isn’t a surprise since Mr. Blackwood has co-authored three novels with Clive Cussler. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Other book reviews I have written can be found at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
March 1, 2015
A fairly ambitious spy thriller with a 'save the world from complete annihilation' plot. It starts out quite well with a great opening chapter, which suggests quite a ride.
Instead it suffers slightly from overzealous plotting. Not that the premise wasn't interesting, the story was just a little improbable at times.
Everything just falls into Tanner's lap. No matter how difficult the situation or how extreme the circumstance. I don't mind when the pieces of the puzzle all slide into place in a story. I do find it a different reading experience when it seems as if someone has bitten off bits of the jigsaw puzzle pieces to make it fit right.
The fact Tagaki knew where to find the submarine wasn't explained sufficiently for my liking. Taking into consideration that it had remained a secret for many decades, and for some reason the Americans didn't think it was important enough to look for, and yet all of a sudden someone just happens to tell Tagaki.
I do think the spunky adventurous and secretive military narrative will appeal to quite a few readers though.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
Instead it suffers slightly from overzealous plotting. Not that the premise wasn't interesting, the story was just a little improbable at times.
Everything just falls into Tanner's lap. No matter how difficult the situation or how extreme the circumstance. I don't mind when the pieces of the puzzle all slide into place in a story. I do find it a different reading experience when it seems as if someone has bitten off bits of the jigsaw puzzle pieces to make it fit right.
The fact Tagaki knew where to find the submarine wasn't explained sufficiently for my liking. Taking into consideration that it had remained a secret for many decades, and for some reason the Americans didn't think it was important enough to look for, and yet all of a sudden someone just happens to tell Tagaki.
I do think the spunky adventurous and secretive military narrative will appeal to quite a few readers though.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
July 26, 2016
In END OF ENEMIES Briggs Tanner in on vacation in Japan doing a little scuba diving, enjoying the sights, when he becomes an eyewitness to a murder on the night he meets his love interest. Curiosity gets the better of him and suddenly he is suspicious of his new lady friend as he finds himself involved in an international action thriller.
At times I found the story a little long winded as if I were reading a school report. At other times I found myself drawn into the story and oblivious to everything around me. To me the plot itself is well developed and when you get to the end everything comes together to make sense. One of the best things about this story is how the author has managed to make the reader understand and even sympathize at times with those characters committing crimes. He shows us change is possible in those we least expect it from and that it is never too late to make those changes.
At times I found the story a little long winded as if I were reading a school report. At other times I found myself drawn into the story and oblivious to everything around me. To me the plot itself is well developed and when you get to the end everything comes together to make sense. One of the best things about this story is how the author has managed to make the reader understand and even sympathize at times with those characters committing crimes. He shows us change is possible in those we least expect it from and that it is never too late to make those changes.
June 30, 2014
End of Enemies
Written in the style of Clusser or Clancy this action-packed novel features Briggs Tanner as the hero, solving an international drama that threatens the peace of the world.
When a man is murdered in front of Briggs, he finds himself in the middle of an international crises, that ties terrorists from multiple countries. As he digs deeper, the plot thickens, drawing in multiple characters.
What is essentially a good story is let down by some inconsistent facts and a few typos. Both of which could have been fixed with a good editor.
That aside, the story line moves along at a good pace, building to the inevitable action packed climax. It is an easy read, and many of the characters are well developed, although a few of the bad guys roll over far too easily.
An easy to read, modern day, American war novel.
Written in the style of Clusser or Clancy this action-packed novel features Briggs Tanner as the hero, solving an international drama that threatens the peace of the world.
When a man is murdered in front of Briggs, he finds himself in the middle of an international crises, that ties terrorists from multiple countries. As he digs deeper, the plot thickens, drawing in multiple characters.
What is essentially a good story is let down by some inconsistent facts and a few typos. Both of which could have been fixed with a good editor.
That aside, the story line moves along at a good pace, building to the inevitable action packed climax. It is an easy read, and many of the characters are well developed, although a few of the bad guys roll over far too easily.
An easy to read, modern day, American war novel.
February 9, 2017
Good read
The story starts out slow but stick with the book as the last 3 quarters of the book have excellent action and suspense with a surprise ending.
The story starts out slow but stick with the book as the last 3 quarters of the book have excellent action and suspense with a surprise ending.
November 9, 2014
Yesterday I was finally able to dedicate more than 20 minutes at a time to read and I finally got a chance to finish this book! To start off, I do want to stress that I did enjoy this book…it was a good espionage read and tackled quite a bit of history, land and characters as the plot developed. To read my full review, visit my blog: http://jensequel.blogspot.com/2014/11...
July 2, 2014
This is a great book! It is full of action, adventure and romance. The style is reminiscent of Clive Cussler. The lead character is a strong, yet 'normal' man with a military background who gets drawn into an international incident. I would recommend this read to those that are fans of Clive Cussler's books, and am heading to amazon to buy the next two in the series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review from NetGalley.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review from NetGalley.
March 21, 2015
The 1st of the Briggs Tanner series...really typical spec-ops thrillers involving a WWII mysterious submarine, the Byzantine politics of another Lebanese civil war and a Japanese corporate giant...lots of twists & turns with some interesting characterizations...Kind of a Clancy meets Cussler bit of an action thriller...so that makes it pretty enjoyable.
September 6, 2014
The last two hundred pages are amazing. Action, tension, geopolitcal stakes in the Mid East. The first 200 pages are really good. Solid characters, lots of politics, good action, interesting plot. The middle 200 pages needed a good editor to cut 130 pages out.
I will read the next Tanner Briggs novel, hoping for a fantastic 450 page book.
I will read the next Tanner Briggs novel, hoping for a fantastic 450 page book.
April 20, 2019
Briggs Tanner is a government agent. After witnessing a murder, his investigation leads to Beirut and confrontation with an old family friend. I generally don't like military novels, but the plot kept me interested. I rate this a 4.3
October 15, 2014
End of Enemies by Grant Blackwood is a thriller that makes me think of Tom Clancy books. Written well and thoroughly detailed, End of Enemies is a great book for military espionage lovers. Thanks to Diversion Books and NetGalley for the arc!
January 6, 2015
This is a suspenseful and fast moving story. It's the first book in the Briggs Tanner series and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Readers of James Rollins, Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler with love this character.
January 4, 2019
Liked the Tom Clancy book that Grant did as well as the CLive Cusslor book he ghost wrote. This is the first in the Tanner series and I have to say a good start a series. Cant wait to trythe next ones.
July 3, 2015
Excellent story
Well written story about politics, other world leaders, and hidden agendas. Well liked characters who defy the odds of death, protecting our people and others who live in peace and democracy. Interesting story.
Well written story about politics, other world leaders, and hidden agendas. Well liked characters who defy the odds of death, protecting our people and others who live in peace and democracy. Interesting story.
January 15, 2017
Lots of typos and typo many sub plots
Lots and lots of typos. The author tried to pull a Tom Clancy by having many sub plots, but in my opinion, did not get it exactly right.
But with all that said, it was a fun book and I plan on reading book two.
Lots and lots of typos. The author tried to pull a Tom Clancy by having many sub plots, but in my opinion, did not get it exactly right.
But with all that said, it was a fun book and I plan on reading book two.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews