Customer Reviews

No Man's Land

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

No Man's Land by Eric L. Haney, introduces the reader to Kennesaw Mountain Tanner.
Tanner is a Veteran and man of hire, going where ever his new client needs him.

In the first of a series of novels, Tanner lives on a boat in the waters off Savannah, GA, where he has a few very colorful friends. The friends have his six (his back) and he has theirs. It's one of these friends that leads Tanner to the body of a dead teenager in the murky waters. But Tanner is interrupted by someone in Army brass who sends him to the Middle East to rescue the grandson of a rich sheik and his tutor, who were kidnapped by a ruthless and violent band of desert thugs. Tanner, a man who in this reader's mind, closely resembles the author, runs into many challenges along the way and is aided by the many friends he's made in those parts. Each character is unique and not some cookie-cutter type too often found in mass market books. These characters play an vital role to Tanner in helping him accomplish his goal: the rescue of the child.

There were a few chapters where the Gail, the tutor, lets us in on her and the child's terror. There could be a few more chapters of them allowing the reader to feel more sympathetic. But I feel this was intentional so the reader gets to know Tanner and what he's about first. If that's the case, then this ploy worked well.

No Man's Land is a good read. Haney gives us expressions and words used by the locals in the different places Tanner is sent leading this reader to look them up and learn something new. Loved the characters! My imagination conjured up some very intriguing images of what I think Tanner looks like. This is the fun in reading. It is well written and the ending leaves you waiting for the second of this series, of which I hope there are many, many more.

This is an excellent book. Superbly written.

Haney's experience as a former counter terrorism operative can be seen throughout the book: the action, the characters and the dialogue all seem very real.

I read it in a couple of days, the story draws you in and you don't want to put the book down.

It seems the market is full of "adventure" and "international intrigue" novels by a few who have never really been in the thick of it. The ones I've received as gifts are often an unfinished donation to the local public library.

In contrast, I found Eric Haney's "No Man's Land" a welcome addition to the few who either at least research it well, like Forsyth, or those who have been there first hand, like McNabb. Haney's character in the novel reflects a maturity honed from rigorous travel and real interaction with often-misunderstood cultures and political complexities, but with a great southern gentlemanly "ease" or demeanor essential for survival when things get difficult. The world, in my humble opinion, needs a bit more of that. Well done, Mr Haney!

No Man's Land is a great read. Haney steps aside and explains certain things for those tha didn't serve in any type of military. A great story and a good depiction of the way a relationship should exist between American Troops and native tribes men.

Mr. Haney's personal military background is evident in "No Man's Land", the first Tanner novel. The story seemed, to me anyway, to be written from the perspective of one who is familiar with the intrigue and excitement that might surround a military adventure in an exotic locale. The story is well written and progresses in a fashion that exemplifies reality: there are times when normal exists outside of the action sequences. And those moments when all hell breaks loose are well thought out and ample. The impression developed of Kennesaw Tanner, the protagonist in this first of what promises to be a series of offerings, is not of a soldier of fortune but, instead, of a mechanic: he who has the background, connections and capability to get a problem fixed and a wrong made right. This story educates the reader about Tanner and opens the door to the mystery of a young woman found dead that, almost immediately, takes on a secondary significance when we are led down a completely different path involving murder and kidnapping, and politics, in the Mideast. Later, the original mystery comes again to the focus and promises to be the source of the next installment. A maneuver that has me contemplating the next Tanner novel.

The Tanner character has a great setup with huge potential. The Savanagh, GA setting hasn't been done before and that can really be built upon in future novels. Haney's experience shines, especially in the details of a soldier for fortune unit of guys. I was ready to give this book 2 stars, due to over 100 pages of waste, no action, no suspense, no mystery, about the customs and interactions with the local tribe that was helping Tanner and his men. This could have been accomplished in a chapter or two at the most. The action at the end of the book made up for this lack of action and over emphasis on logistics, transportation and local customs. It made it 3 stars instead of 2. I look forward to Haney's progress/evolution as a fiction writer and the further development of the Tanner character.

I rarely read fiction, and when I do, it has got to be good to hold my interest. Well, Eric Haney delivers with his latest book No Man's Land. Eric takes the reader through a tour de force journey through the deserts of North Africa. I felt as if I was riding shotgun on Tanner's team the whole way. The writing is clear, detail-oriented and engaging. I like how Eric has crafted this book into short chapters, as it allows the reader to quickly clear one or several chapters, put the book down if needed, and then pick it back up at the next evolution of the story. While this is clearly a fictional story, the book is peppered with fascinating real-life tactical knowledge from Eric Haney's years serving in combat units. Get the book - you won't be disappointed. As for me, I'll be waiting patiently for my encrypted SOS message letting me know that the 2nd book in the Tanner Series is ready to move.

The hero of this novel is Kenneshaw Tanner. He is a mercenary(soldier of fortune) who resides in the swamps of Georgia. He is located there by a Colonel Mayfield. Colonel has orders from the U.S. government for Tanner to do an assignment. Tanner is to rescue a kidnapped heir of a Persian Gulf Sheikh Emir Al Jemani.. This country is an ally of the United States. The grandson's name is Abdullah and he is accompanied by his teacher Gail Burns. The grandsson has been captured by a group calles "The Fist Of Mahdi" which is led by Colonel Abdul Kadir Boutari. The grandson is being held in a fort that borders Mali,Algeria, and Niger. Tanner reunites with a friens from the past, Sheikh Talmun. He is the leader of the Tauregs a fierce fighting tribe. Tanner joins forces with the Tauregs. He
soon discovers that he has been doublecrossed twice. After rescuing the heir he has two more fights on hid hands
EmirAl Jemani and Colonel Mayfield. This makes for an interesting story. Be sure to read this book.

The plot wasn't too bad, good premise. But the writing style felt like a high school kid using a thesaurus. How many polysyllabic words can we work into a thriller? Answer: too many. If the first-person narrative is really from the p.o.v. Of a backwoods Appalachian, what are the odds of them using a ton of 4- and 5-syllable words?

Again, not a bad book, just disjointed.

Good read!!! I enjoyed reading Delta Force, so thought I would try Eric Haney's other two books. This one - No Man's Land - was a fascinating view into the dark underbelly of the terrorist's world. Lots of interesting characters, especially Kennesaw Tanner (the protaganist). I read it in two days - for me, that's fast.