Sometimes, anger needs to be unleashed.

Blaze gets a call from ex-US Marshal Mitchell. He has seen two ghosts roaming the streets of San Francisco. The Cady brothers. Ruthless arms traffickers and killers Blaze and his Marshals’ team had taken out two years ago. One brother, Carson, died trying to escape. The other, Dexter, killed a Marshal and barely stayed alive, once Blaze was done with him. Dexter ended on death row, awaiting execution.

When Blaze lands in San Francisco, he discovers he and his team are on the Cadys hit list. A gang of hitmen has taken the contract. They made a mistake. When the game becomes no holds barred, when nothing is off limits, there’s nothing to hold back Blaze’s fury.

Following the success of Blaze Returns, Lethal Force, Hard Target, and Mean Streets, Bill Runner is back with the fifth novel in the Axel Blaze thriller series. The fast-paced, brutal action in the series is attracting fans of thriller novels worldwide.

Bill Runner is an investigative journalist turned thriller writer with a passion for cowboy novels about lone rangers. Using his experience and interests he has created Axel Blaze, an all-action US Marshal, dedicated to resolving difficult situations quickly and permanently.

Unchained Fury is the fifth in the series of six Axel Blaze books and the first that I have read. The lack of background didn’t spoil my enjoyment as the action started from the first page and continued throughout. Runner is a proficient writer with an easy to follow style. The plot was relatively simple but with some interesting twists and turns.

The lead character Blaze is an all-round perfect hero; intelligent, strong and resourceful. With the help of his three former colleagues he appears capable of anything. They also have a knack of anticipating exactly what actions the villains are planning.

Whilst their actions provide exciting entertainment I am sure that they are not an accurate representation of the work and methods of the US Marshals service. At times the violence they exert seems over the top so be warned that there is a very high injury and death count. This book is not for the squeamish!

Although Unchained Fury was only published this July, No Escape is due to be available from 1st December 2023 so Axel Blaze fans will not have to wait long for the final episode.

Whilst I found Unchained Fury compelling and generally entertaining, reading my rating is measured because of the violence. I have awarded 4 stars.

Bill Runner worked as an investigative journalist before turning to writing novels. He grew up on a regular diet of western novels and movies about lone rangers, which influenced the shaping of Blaze. Bill is an experienced mountain climber and has been a lifelong student of martial arts.

Working the crime beat and studying the art of fighting helped make him the author of thriller novels, which are known for well-executed action sequences.