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Ryan Lock #14
The Removal
A black van. Men in tactical gear. A violent arrest that doesn't look quite right.
When ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock witnesses an ICE raid near his office in Los Angeles, his trained eye catches details others would miss. The inside of the vehicle is wrong. The procedures are off. And the man being dragged away is screaming something in Spanish that makes Lock's blood run cold.
One question too many makes Lock a target.
Now someone wants him to stop digging. They've frozen his accounts. They've threatened his family. They've made it walk away or disappear.
But Lock has never been good at walking away.
In a city where immigration raids are a daily occurrence, Lock discovers a conspiracy where badges become weapons, law enforcement is lawless, and where the disappeared don't just vanish. They're erased.
Some lines, once crossed, can't be uncrossed. Some witnesses never get to testify. And some patriots aren't who they claim to be.
From the author of Lockdown and The Yacht Girl comes the fourteenth Ryan Lock thriller.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
And Ryan Lock is done doing nothing.
A thriller series that's perfect for fans of Lee Child, David Baldacci, and Gregg Hurwitz.
When ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock witnesses an ICE raid near his office in Los Angeles, his trained eye catches details others would miss. The inside of the vehicle is wrong. The procedures are off. And the man being dragged away is screaming something in Spanish that makes Lock's blood run cold.
One question too many makes Lock a target.
Now someone wants him to stop digging. They've frozen his accounts. They've threatened his family. They've made it walk away or disappear.
But Lock has never been good at walking away.
In a city where immigration raids are a daily occurrence, Lock discovers a conspiracy where badges become weapons, law enforcement is lawless, and where the disappeared don't just vanish. They're erased.
Some lines, once crossed, can't be uncrossed. Some witnesses never get to testify. And some patriots aren't who they claim to be.
From the author of Lockdown and The Yacht Girl comes the fourteenth Ryan Lock thriller.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
And Ryan Lock is done doing nothing.
A thriller series that's perfect for fans of Lee Child, David Baldacci, and Gregg Hurwitz.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2026
About the author
Sean Black
90 books253 followersI write the Ryan Lock series of thrillers, which feature ex-military bodyguard Ryan Lock and his partner, former Marine, Ty Johnson. The first two books in the series, Lockdown and Deadlock, hit the Official UK Top 50 Bestseller Chart, and the third, Gridlock, has just been released in hardback. They have have also been translated into Dutch, German, and Russian.
I'm a firm believer in hands-on research, also known as 'any excuse to get out of the house', so before I wrote Lockdown, I trained for a month with former members of the Royal Military Police's specialist close protection unit. That turned out to be great preparation for Deadlock, which I researched by spending time inside Pelican Bay Supermax in California (see the TV interview on my author page). I recently completed a desert survival course in Arizona and ventured into the tunnels under Las Vegas, all as preparation for a new standalone thriller I will begin work on once I have completed the fourth Ryan Lock book.
Before I became a full-time novelist, I taught college and wrote television drama. I'm an Oxbridge and Ivy League graduate – try not to hold that against me.
I'm a firm believer in hands-on research, also known as 'any excuse to get out of the house', so before I wrote Lockdown, I trained for a month with former members of the Royal Military Police's specialist close protection unit. That turned out to be great preparation for Deadlock, which I researched by spending time inside Pelican Bay Supermax in California (see the TV interview on my author page). I recently completed a desert survival course in Arizona and ventured into the tunnels under Las Vegas, all as preparation for a new standalone thriller I will begin work on once I have completed the fourth Ryan Lock book.
Before I became a full-time novelist, I taught college and wrote television drama. I'm an Oxbridge and Ivy League graduate – try not to hold that against me.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 4, 2026
This is a fast paced, thrilling read that grabs you from the get go and does not let up as we rejoin our hero Ryan Lock. Tasked with a ransom swap for a Hollywood Producers kid, Ryan finds his gut feeling kicking off when it goes too smoothly! It’s a gripping and suspenseful read that draws you in and has you hooked and on the edge of your seat as the author throws twists and turns in our path, family is threatened and Ryan becomes a target but will he walk away? hell no! It’s a thrilling read!
September 30, 2026
4.5 stars!
The Removal, is almost impossible to put down. It’s full of action from starts to finish. Ryan Lock is hired by a wealthy Hollywood producer to quietly oversee a ransom exchange for his kidnapped son—a job that initially goes off without a hitch. However, the eerie perfection of the abduction leaves Lock unsettled, and his relentless curiosity soon turns him and his partner, Ty Johnson, from protectors into the next targets of a rogue elements of an elite ICE unit. Sean Black utilizes his signature fast-paced prose and deep knowledge of security operations to craft a relentless game of cat-and-mouse that keeps you guessing until the final page.
However, I found the kidnapping of Lock’s daughter to be less than plausible. While it may be intended to highlight how cunning his enemies are, it felt more like an artificial plot device rather than an earned victory by the antagonists. I just couldn’t believe that someone as security conscious as Ryan Lock would fail to recognize the threat to his family
All that said, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.
The Removal, is almost impossible to put down. It’s full of action from starts to finish. Ryan Lock is hired by a wealthy Hollywood producer to quietly oversee a ransom exchange for his kidnapped son—a job that initially goes off without a hitch. However, the eerie perfection of the abduction leaves Lock unsettled, and his relentless curiosity soon turns him and his partner, Ty Johnson, from protectors into the next targets of a rogue elements of an elite ICE unit. Sean Black utilizes his signature fast-paced prose and deep knowledge of security operations to craft a relentless game of cat-and-mouse that keeps you guessing until the final page.
However, I found the kidnapping of Lock’s daughter to be less than plausible. While it may be intended to highlight how cunning his enemies are, it felt more like an artificial plot device rather than an earned victory by the antagonists. I just couldn’t believe that someone as security conscious as Ryan Lock would fail to recognize the threat to his family
All that said, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.
September 30, 2026
It was a great pleasure reading the 14th Ryan Lock novel. I was given an ARC and really appreciated this book. The story catches the reader’s attention, the rhythm is pressing and breathtaking. You can’t stop reading till the end, and then you can’t wait for the next novel. Great book, I recommend it!
October 15, 2026
I agree with the other reviews :-) I received an ARC of the book. Sean Black has written another timely story. I had a hard time with continuity a few times, but overall it was well-done. If you support this administration’s immigration policies, you might not like it. OTOH, this book might open your eyes to what is happening. Looking forward to the next one.
October 1, 2026
Another exceptional Ryan Lock. He and Ty get so close to the truth that Ryan's daughter Sophie, was kidnapped to get them to stop.
October 3, 2026
It is suspenseful and fast paced as Ryan Lock books are. Keeps the readers guessing with the twists and turns and has explosive action. All fans of modern crime fiction will enjoy.
October 4, 2026
You can't go wrong with a Sean Black mystery. The Removal keeps you engaged from beginning to end. I highly recommend The Removal to all you mystery fans. Sean Black never disappoints.
October 4, 2026
This is the fourteenth book in the Ryan Lock series. It’s a thrilling mystery that kept me reading non-stop! There’s action, suspense and kidnapping in this fast paced tale. A very good read.
October 2, 2026
Thank you to the author for the ARC.
The plot and pacing grab you from the start and doesn't let up, with action from first page to last, a pressing, breathtaking rhythm, and twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Black's signature fast-paced prose and his deep knowledge of security operations drive a relentless game of cat-and-mouse that kept me guessing until the final page - almost impossible to put down. The Removal is a gripping, high-octane thriller that delivers what Ryan Lock fans come for: tension, momentum and a hero who refuses to back down. I recommend it for anyone who likes their thrillers fast and relentless; I can't wait for the next installment.
The plot and pacing grab you from the start and doesn't let up, with action from first page to last, a pressing, breathtaking rhythm, and twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Black's signature fast-paced prose and his deep knowledge of security operations drive a relentless game of cat-and-mouse that kept me guessing until the final page - almost impossible to put down. The Removal is a gripping, high-octane thriller that delivers what Ryan Lock fans come for: tension, momentum and a hero who refuses to back down. I recommend it for anyone who likes their thrillers fast and relentless; I can't wait for the next installment.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews