Toby Rieper

Toby Rieper is the leader of the spec-ops group, The Blacklist (Group). He's in a relationship with Shaunna Royalsden up until the end of The Blacklist. He is Ralph Lindsay's best friend and he's also friends with Amelia Jersey.

Toby is a strict leader, who trusts his agents with his life. He would die for them and he has good morals. Although very skilled and experienced, Toby is often conflicted with himself and somewhat depressed - he blames himself if something goes wrong on their missions, like when Shaunna Royalsden got shot in the first chapter of The Blacklist.

Biography
Toby Rieper was born on the 17th March, 1987. He was born in Manchester and lived there all his life. Although little is said about Toby's past, we find out halfway through The Blacklist: Reunited that Toby previously had a girlfriend named Alex, eleven years before the events in The Blacklist and one year before meeting Shaunna. Her brutal death by an explosion started Toby's career off as the Leader of The Blacklist (Group).

Toby's parents were killed in a terrorist attack in France many years ago and his brother, Anthony Rieper, is said to have died in Afghanistan (which is later found to be false in The Blacklist and The Blacklist: Reunited, where we find out that Anthony is Toby's brother.)

Toby first met Shaunna Royalsden ten years before the events in The Blacklist. It is believed they started dating a year and a half before the first book, which means they knew each other for nine years before they fell in love. However, they then break up after just four months. Because they're still together in the first book, we can guess that they got back together shortly after. Toby is thought to be dead at the end of The Blacklist, but is later revealed to be revived by a certain chemical used by the International Assassination Agency at the start of The Blacklist: Reunited.

Role in The Blacklist
In the first book, Toby Rieper is shown to be very strict and skilled. Since the start, Toby is shown to be getting along very well with his fellow agents - Ralph Lindsay, Amelia Jersey and Shaunna Royalsden - and would die for them if it came to be. When Shaunna gets shot, he blames himself and can't forget about the night it happened, even weeks after.

Toby is the one who decides to break away from The Blacklist (Group), which presents him as very determined. He takes Ralph Lindsay with him, saying that he's 'the best he's got.' Although he realises Ralph has a few minor problems, he puts up with him and keeps him close for protection. When Ralph gets caught by Paula Smith, Toby makes it his duty to find his best friend.

We also get to catch a glimpse of Toby and Shaunna Royalsden's relationship. At the start specifically, they seem to be on very good terms and are happy together. He stays by her side when she's injured (after getting shot in the arm) and continues to help her out until her shoulder is fully healed. However, their relationship becomes less and less real throughout the book, as Toby breaks from The Blacklist (Group) and decides to work alone with Ralph Lindsay.

At the end of the book, we see Toby Rieper sacrifice himself to save Ralph Lindsay's life. He rushes into the room Ralph is in and distracts Paula Smith, who is at the time chocking Ralph. Although Toby manages to get a shot on Paula and get her off of his best friend, the experienced antagonist quickly fires three shots back, which hit Toby in the stomach. He falls onto his knees and slowly dies, telling Ralph to stop trying to save his life and to leave the building. He tells Ralph that it's an order and Ralph soon shoots Toby in the head, relieving Toby from his pain.

In The Blacklist

 * “You know I'd never lie to you.”
 * (To Shaunna) “You’re up early for an injured person.”
 * “Hey, I said I’d never lie to you!”
 * “Sure I fucking did, great job you got one of your team shot, great fucking job that is.”
 * “Yes, I know. That’s if we fail.”
 * “Ralph, this is no time to doubt yourself...  I would take a bullet for you, so I need to be able to trust you to do the same for me, or this is never going to work. You got that?”
 * “I'm lucky to have you, Ralph. I really am. You could be working for someone different, but no, you're working for me. You're one of the best - if not the best - in our group and I need you to stop thinking you're shit, cos you're not. Actually, that's an order. I want you to get us out of here.”
 * “Are these policemen amateurs or something?”
 * (About Ralph) "He's our monster."
 * “I want you to forget about everyone else and get yourselves out of there. This is no longer a rescue mission - it’s far more than that. It’s a war zone.”
 * “I’m chilling outside of Paula Smith’s mansion, where else would I fucking be?!”
 * “I don’t give a fuck about Paula Smith right now. I need to get my agents back, safe and sound.”
 * “Ralph, stop. There’s no point trying... You need to leave the building, those gunshots would’ve been heard from a mile away…”
 * “That was an order, Ralph. Get the fuck out and save your life. You have a girlfriend waiting for you in Manchester who wants to marry you, for fuck’s sake!”