Squad Kill

By: Jack Campbell

Narrated by: Peter Berkrot

New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell is back with an action-packed new military science fiction adventure!

Twenty-four hours of oxygen. Two apex predators. One chance to survive.

Osiris “Oz” Aquino is an underprepared Navy officer put in command of seven castoff Marines on a research starship dispatched to an alien planet.

His sergeant is hostile, his Marines have records full of infractions–not to mention that they’re plagued by old weapons and missing supplies due to budget cuts–and the crew and scientists would rather have nothing to do with him.

As the ship approaches the planet it’s investigating, they find plenty of signs of intelligent life in the form of ruined cities and skeletal remains. The only things living in the ruins are adorable aliens, which the researchers dub squonks.

It all seems run-of-the-mill, until it isn't...

Suddenly, the squonks get loose in engineering and go ballistic, the crew sent to investigate aren’t coming back, and Oz and his team have a fight on their hands.

He must restore safe access to engineering before the crew on the ship runs out of air, all while figuring out what turned the squonks from cuddly to killer. And if he doesn't act fast, the squad who’ve evacuated to the planet’s surface may not survive.

Getting home alive will take everything they have...

From Jack Campbell, NYT Bestselling author of Lost Fleet, comes this action-packed, science fiction thrill ride filled with military action, detailed alien worlds, and characters you can't help but root for.

©2026 AETHON (P)2026 Aethon Audio

Critic reviews

"This taut, entertaining military SF plot will appeal to fans of Jack McDevitt."—Publishers Weekly

"The best bug hunt since ALIENS. What a read!"—Scott Sigler, #1 New York Times Bestseller of Earthcore

"A mind-bending space adventure with relatable characters, weird aliens, plenty of twists, and a rapid-fire pace. Highly recommended!"—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Red Empire

The narration was very good, the writing less so.

I enjoyed this listen... except for "lastname said" was too often without a change every so often, like "s/he said" or leaving that off when it was obvious who said it.

Jack Campbell Does It Again!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. While not as Great (yet) to the Black Jack Geary series, this has potential & was an enjoyable listen.
Centered around a Navy Ensign newbie officer thown in charge of an undersized Marine group of (of course), misfits on a civilian space ship run by a Corporation.
Set sail to a newly discovered planet with a dead civilization & a strange but seemingly harmless "pet" like animal.
What could possibly go wrong?
Does Ensign Oz win the day? Read it to find out.
(Also be sure to check out the prequel book to the Geary world "Rendezvous with Corsair" - a must read/listen for any Black Jack fans!)

Mean Marines!

I have enjoyed Jack Campbell’s other novels so I was excited to give this a try. Having served in the military, I really connected with the characters and the situation they found themselves in. Under trained, lack of supplies, and civilians that thought they were worthless until they needed saving. Campbell captures the heart of a soldier who’s willing to give their lives for each other and the people they are called to protect. The story was engaging and the pace was crazy. I fell in love with the characters, even the cats. Would highly recommend. The narrator did a great job on the voices.

Wonder if this was a bet

Really fun book and a more intriguing enemy than the Xenomorph. As always Jack Campbell knocked it kit of the park!

Space adventure with a interesting twist

kept me interested all the way through, good story line with gripping twists and turns till the end of the story.