Sheepdogs

A Novel

By: Elliot Ackerman

Narrated by: Chris Andrew Ciulla

“You know Slow Horses—now meet the Sheepdogs.” —The Sunday Times (London)

Two Misfits. One Mission. Zero Back-Up. • When a high-stakes heist goes wrong, an ex-CIA operative and a special operations pilot find themselves in the middle of a game of espionage and survival as they navigate a treacherous web of deception and shifting loyalties in a globe-spanning, action-packed thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of 2034.

"Move Sheepdogs to the top of your list!”—Jack Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“A thriller and comedy in one, it’s a wild ride.”—Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Skwerl and Cheese are down on their luck. Skwerl, who is resourceful like a squirrel (Marines win battles, not spelling bees), used to work for Ground Branch, the CIA’s elite paramilitary wing. He was fired after a raid went bad in Afghanistan. Big Cheese Aziz, a legendary pilot—his country’s Maverick—is equally hard up. The fall of Kabul has left him grounded, working the nightshift at a gas station.

Skwerl recruits Cheese into an anonymous network of so-called sheepdogs, a band of Robin Hoods who operate in the shadowy space between the sheep and the wolves, protecting prey from predator and earning a buck along the way.

Their mission: repossess a private jet stranded on a remote African airfield. Their fee: a commission on the jet’s $5 million value. But nothing about this job is adding up. Their contact has gone missing. Their handler is as mysterious as the real source of the money. And when the women in their lives get involved—one pregnant wife and one dominatrix—the stakes skyrocket.

Globe-trotting and page-turning, full of heart and humor, Sheepdogs is an adventure through the under-belly of modern war and intelligence

The plot twist

I thought this was gonna be a different type of SOG story, but it wasn’t, with the plot twists and depth of character building I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I look forward to the next Sheepdog spin!

Very Entertaining!

Totally different from Ackerman’s previous books, all of which were excellent but serious. This book is fast paced and funny, full of crazy characters and plot twists. It is in someways like a little more light hearted Randy Wayne White novel. It’s an excellent basis for a series. He certainly left the door open for it.

Great characters.

I enjoyed this story. It was a fun rollicking buddy story with some very good social commentary on US foreign policy if you pay attention.

Workmanlike Caper Novel

I appreciate the author’s real-world experience, but this novel was not particularly compelling. I was bored halfway through but soldiered on.

It was a bit too cute and a bit too pat.

The performance was a bit annoying as well. Not terrible, but annoying enough that I noticed it.

Ridiculous and perverse

Not a believable story line. Perverse themes. Performance would have been fine if the reader had any to work with.