Colonel Carl Butler features in an exciting series about the exploits of a retired military colonel on various planets. Planetside certainly looks interesting, and I will keep my eyes open for more books, but this was my first encounter with the series. In BLINDSIDE, the protagonist is typically looking for a peaceful retirement, but has to surround himself with guns and paid guards because of his enemies. You know how it goes.

As it’s science fiction, I had certain expectations. Many of them were not met. The book starts with Mac, Butler's buddy, who now runs a gym out of town. They live in a nice, quiet suburb. Mac is approached at the gym by a client whose teen daughter has gone missing. I would tell her to go to the police, who should take it seriously, or else to hire a PI. Instead, an implausible squad of several heavily armed and drone-toting people drives to the city. I can only think they must have been bored. What follows is a series of escapades with gangs, police and traffic issues, but not much that you would say was above the level of a modern thriller.

Eventually we switch to a plot by an intergalactic corporation relating to a recent escapade of Butler and Mac on a moon called Taug. The giant tracked war machine on the book cover appears in this section, and you can easily see it would be a formidable challenge to fight. Add lower gravity, no air and a dusty surface, and it really gets interesting.

Fans of Old Man’s War may well enjoy this story, which also has a few overtones of other SF reads. Recurring characters from the series include a sniper called Castellano, a computer-penetration expert called Ganos, and a drone specialist called Alanson, among a handful of other tough characters. There is a section focusing on the layers of military command, competence and decision-making, which doubtless comes from the experience of the author Michael Mammay.

Every person seems to be a specialist, and what Butler specialises in is making decisions and giving orders. Despite his picking up weapons, he doesn’t shoot much except at machinery. Other people shoot. I would have expected several of the cast to have bionic knees or shoulders by now, from injuries and wear and tear, but nothing of the sort is mentioned. Life is very much as it is today, other than the operational capabilities and the swapping of planets. If you’ve followed the series, you probably know what to expect from BLINDSIDE. If not, the earlier books are recapped at the start to help you get into the action.