399 pages. Includes acknowledgments and donation pledge.
This is the sequel to Warning Light – which I reviewed here – and the second book in the Jake Keller series.
Fortunately, you don't really need to have read the first novel to understand the second. Zac Miller, the protagonist of Warning Light, had to change his identity at the end of that novel, which is why this is the Jake Keller series. And his boss at CIA is Ted Graves, a manipulative and ruthless character introduced in the first novel.
Jake Keller, now promoted to CIA operative, and his partner, Curt Roach, are on a mission in Yemen to neutralize top al-Qaeda leaders using an orbiting drone. The operation goes catastrophically wrong when the drone is hijacked and diverted to Mecca, where it fires on a crowd of pilgrims during the Hajj, resulting in thousands of deaths.
Facing global outrage and accusations of terrorism against the United States, the U.S. government disavows Keller and Roach, labeling them rogue agents to serve as scapegoats. With both Middle Eastern governments and their own country hunting them, the duo must race against time to uncover the true architects of the conspiracy and prevent a wider conflict – or even World War III – from erupting.
Without giving away the plot, I can say that the author has come up with a plausible premise that links elements from Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan and China in a globe-spanning conspiracy involving terrorist strike teams in the US, riots in the Middle East, a smuggled nuclear device, and the accelerating threat of war.
Given all of these moving pieces, the supporting characters range from heads of state to local law enforcement, with Jake having key evidence which he must act on to save the U.S., if he can only get the CIA to listen to him.
In a nice dramatic twist, the plot ends with Jake returning to a deserted Roman amphitheater in the Libyan desert, where he accompanies U.S. Special Forces in a shoot-out with the villainous masterminds.
The writing style is lean and action-packed. At the start, lots of things are going on, and the author only gradually reveals how everything is linked.
My problem with this novel is the same problem I had with the first novel: this seems like the kind of book I would normally like, but Jake Keller/Zac Miller is not an engaging protagonist for me. And we see even less of his character in this book, where there is so much else going on. We know he's tough, and he doesn't back down to bullies.
Also, the sub-plot about the terrorists running amuck in the United States was a downer.
However, I was impressed by the plotting, which kept events plausible and not too off the wall.
Can you wargame it? The final shoot-out features high-tech Special Forces versus rabble infantry in a multi-level ruined amphitheater, with enemy reinforcements on the way. Can you find and extract the masterminds? Could be a good scenario.
There is violence as would be expected, given the subject matter.
I didn't enjoy this one, maybe you will.
Reviewed by 
Editor in Chief Bill 
.