Ryan Mayo

"Military Thriller that will keep you absorbed until the last page. Format: Kindle Edition Ghost in the Woods was a really tense read from start to finish. The survival aspect and behind-enemy-lines atmosphere felt gritty and believable, and Sarah Clarke was the kind of character you genuinely root for. The Hound made for a genuinely unsettling antagonist, which added a lot of pressure and suspense throughout the story. If you like military thrillers with strong pacing, emotional weight, and a darker psychological edge, this one definitely delivers."

"A moving tribute to soldiers and their sacrifices. Format: Kindle Edition Faultlines of War: The Lost Hero is a powerful and deeply human story that captures both the intensity of military life and the emotional weight carried long after the battle ends. Ryan Mayo blends gripping, realistic training and combat scenes with a heartfelt narrative about family, memory, and loss. The writing feels authentic and respectful, clearly drawn from real experience, and the characters are relatable and compelling. A moving tribute to soldiers and their sacrifices, this book stays with you long after the final page."

"The war doesn't end on the last page and that's exactly the point. There's a particular kind of novel that gets under your skin and refuses to let go long after you've closed the cover. Faultlines of War is exactly that book. Ryan Mayo has written something rare here a story that honours the physical reality of soldiering without ever losing sight of the man inside the uniform. David Clarke's journey from the windswept cliffs of Peacehaven to the brutal terrain of the Falklands is rendered with a precision and an emotional honesty that genuinely took my breath away. What separates this from a dozen other war novels I've read over the years is what Mayo does in the second half. The homecoming. The quiet unravelling. The moments where David sits at a dinner table with his family and is somehow still thousands of miles away. That's the territory most writers flinch from, and Mayo walks straight into it. Unflinching, tender, and utterly real."

"Another moving story I couldn’t put down The family of soldiers and the exploits especially the way it doesn’t make them into unbelievable hero’s just real people that you can relate to"

"A very well written story of family service and the emotional trauma it often brings Really kept me turning pages even when I was wiping the tears from my eyes"

"unbelievable moving book Another moving story I couldn't put down The family of soldiers and the exploits especially the way it doesn't make them into unbelievable hero's just real "

"A good read. Thought provoking and a small look into what veterans and serving military face(d) on a daily basis. The emotions are real and jump off the page. Gives an insight into the lives of families facing a loved one having dementia and remaking that connection. Highly recommend."

"This is a really nice novella which should remind us all to look after our dads. I didn't, and this made me feel guilty for not doing so. It is, in many ways, a sad tale of a guy reading his father's memoire to him whilst the father suffers with dementia in a care home. But, conversely, a tale that shows the love of a son for his father. I read the whole thing in an evening and I'm glad I found this and did so."

"A surprisingly great read from a Royal Artillery drop short, I didn’t know they could read, let alone write! Being a veteran myself I found the story transporting me back in time to my own Army exploits. Ryan has done very well in describing real sights, sounds and smells taking the reader right there into the thick of the action. Well done Ryan, a triumphant start to your writing career, a thoroughly enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next book!"

"It is in the telling of story that the reader is exposed to the "long echo of war" (this could be an analogy for the horrors of PTSD) and how it has affected the Clarke family (you find out through the narrative the extent that the military has played on the family - what with William's younger brother having served in the military during the final part of the arc; and learning at the end that his son Michael is also a serving member). I found this book to be a fantastic read and must note how at times I found it to be rather emotional (as my father had also served as a training NCO, running the recruits through their basic military training). Overall, on my self-imposed five-star scale, I would give this first book of the trilogy four stars for the realism and emotion that the author describes throughout (with the assistance of his lived experience)."

"Having had a parent with dementia it struck a chord with me. Enjoyable read from start to finish"