October 26, 2015
Complicated character motivation muddles bestseller Taylor’s unusually introspective ninth Pike Logan thriller (after The Insider Threat). When Sgt. First Class Timothy George dies in an ambush while on a mission in Afghanistan, Guy George, his brother and a member of Taskforce, vows to go after Timothy’s probable killers, identifiable in four photos inside an arm-band Timothy was wearing when his body was recovered. These four were the terrorists Timothy was targeting, but they apparently got him first. Since Taskforce won’t support Guy for political reasons, he goes off-reservation for his own personal vendetta. When Guy begins killing, Pike must try to stop him using any means. Pike has mixed feelings about his assignment, since he can understand the reasons for both Guy’s and Taskforce’s actions, and readers will wonder where his sympathies really lie. The result of this ambiguity is a less rousing, more downbeat outing for Pike and company. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune Agency.