Operator Down

October 23, 2017
Bestseller Taylor excels at quality action scenes, but getting there can be a chore, as in his complicated 12th Pike Logan thriller (after 2016’s Ring of Fire). What starts as a surveillance job for Pike, pal Knuckles, and sidekick and love interest Jennifer—all members of the extralegal counterterrorism group known as Taskforce—takes a deadly turn after a coup in the African kingdom of Lesotho. Diamonds are involved, as is an arms dealer who’s bartering trigger components for nuclear devices to pay for the coup. Meanwhile, Pike’s Israeli spy friend, Aaron Bergmann, gets captured and needs to be rescued. Aaron’s girlfriend, cold-blooded assassin Shoshana, is always entertaining, as she can be counted on to kill, in the most horrific manner, anyone who gets in her way or threatens her beloved Aaron. Pike has been partially tamed by Jennifer, but he’s still happy to go off reservation when needed, much to the dismay of his Taskforce boss—and much to the delight of series fans, who are sure to relish this entry, despite the slow spots. Agent: John Talbot, Talbot Fortune.

November 1, 2017
An off-the-books anti-terrorist task force travels to Israel to pursue an international arms dealer and help old friends in the process.With his experience as an officer in the U.S. Army's Special Forces, Taylor (Ring of Fire, 2016, etc.) brings firsthand military knowledge to the Nephilim "Pike" Logan series. While walking through the Venetian casino in Las Vegas, Logan and fellow Taskforce member Knuckles pick their way through a throng of want-to-be commandos attending the largest gun show on Earth until their boss, Kurt Hale, calls them to go operational. Even by the unconventional standards of the Taskforce, this mission is noticeably different. Without an official mandate, Hale has made a gut decision to have his team track a former U.S. Marine-turned-arms dealer. Logan and his girlfriend/business partner/fellow Taskforce member, Jennifer, follow their target to Israel, where they attempt to reconnect with old friends Aaron and Shoshana, both of whom are former Mossad operatives. However, a jubilant reunion is delayed because Aaron was captured while in the midst of investigating an international plot which could result in damaging the reputation of the highly respected Israeli diamond exchange and causing a military coup in a small African country. Aaron's captors didn't realize that Shoshana would do anything to get him back and they had no idea that she may be one of the world's most effective assassins. Throw into the mix the return of Johan van Rensburg, a former member of the legendary South African Reconnaissance Commandos-turned-soldier of fortune, and you have the ideal stage for Logan and Shoshana, both extremely component with their deadly skill sets, to showcase a trail of destruction.A believable account of elite operators working outside traditional government parameters to track international villains.

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December 1, 2017
Aaron Bergman is working as a contractor for Israeli intelligence, tracking a merchant from Israel's diamond exchange who may be implicated in a scam that could cause significant embarrassment to the government. But Bergman and a civilian assistant run headlong into operatives planning a coup in a small African country. Meanwhile, Pike Logan and his team are in Tel Aviv tailing an arms dealer who intends to buy components that will activate long-dormant nuclear weapons in South Africa. Bergman's lover and usual espionage partner, Shoshana, realizes he's missing and will stop at nothing to secure his release from the operatives holding him prisoner. The stakes are high: nuclear weapons, the overthrow of a democratic African government, and the lives of Berman and his assistant. As usual in the Pike Logan series, the spycraft and related technology are fascinating, the dialogue crackles, and all the players are operating in an international sea of moral ambiguity. Recommend Pike Logan to readers who like their spies tough, smart, and bordering on superhuman.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

November 15, 2017

While shadowing an American arms dealer in Tel Aviv, Israel, who might be selling sensitive nuclear weapons components to the highest bidder, Taskforce members Pike Logan (last seen in Ring of Fire) and Jennifer Cahill inadvertently come across highly sensitive military and political details from a recorded conversation suggesting that Aaron Bergman, Alexandra, and Shoshana, old colleagues and leaders of a Mossad elite direct action team, are being targeted. While Pike formulates a plan to thwart this assault, he discovers a concerted military conspiracy to overturn a democratic African country--forcing Pike to choose between rescuing his friends or adhering to Taskforce orders. He also untangles many conflicting allegiances permeating the American and Israeli intelligence communities. VERDICT Former Delta Force officer Taylor relies on his familiarity with modern combat logistics to create credible characters and complex plots that pulse with intense intrigue, authenticity, and realism. Fans of military thrillers will enjoy how this narrative mirrors current events in the worldwide war on terror. [See Prepub Alert 7/24/17.]--Jerry P. Miller, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017

Former Mossad agent Aaron Bergman vanishes while investigating whether a diamond merchant is part of a scheme that could deeply embarrass Israel. Pike Logan and his Taskforce get involved when they waylay killers intent on rubbing out Aaron's partner Shoshana. Pike Logan titles have sold one million copies across formats.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.