The Forgotten Soldier

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.

A counterterrorism operator must bring in a teammate who's gone rogue.Taylor, who spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Army infantry and Special Forces, delivers the latest addition to his growing body of convincing plots. As in his previous thrillers (The Insider Threat, 2015, etc.), he spins a tale that could easily have been lifted from our current sociopolitical reality. The story begins with Guy George, a member of the highly classified and off-the-books counterterrorist unit known as the Taskforce, receiving a Federal Express box filled with the belongings of his recently deceased brother, who had been serving with the Special Forces in Afghanistan. In his brother's uniform, George finds a clue to who may have been responsible for his death. George's need for revenge pushes him to strike out on his own and hunt down the killers. However, his rogue mission could expose the secretive Taskforce and its governing body, the Oversight Council (whose members include the president and vice president). To complicate matters, one of the men in George's cross hairs is associated with the Qatar Investment Authority, an organization the secretary of state is relying on to save the dropping Euro by infusing Greece with a significant amount of cash. The Oversight Council makes the morally questionable decision that America's economic future takes precedence over retribution for the life of a U.S. soldier. The Taskforce calls on Nephilim "Pike" Logan (Taylor's serial character) to bring George home--by any means necessary. In a journey infused with action and filled with ethical complications, Logan will stop at nothing to bring George back into the fold of paramilitary secrecy. A realistic page-turner that fills a need for thrills while questioning the complicated process of statecraft. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from December 1, 2015
The ongoing ramifications of the war on terror for U.S. soldiers on the front lines come to the forefront in Taylor's new Pike Logan novel. When the government reveals that there will be no retaliation for the death of a Special Forces operative, the brother of the victim takes action. A member of a secret task force, he is going to utilize everything he has access to in his quest for revenge. His boss, Logan, is forced to choose sides between his friend and his superior officers. Of course, there is much more at stake than any of them realize. Taylor has become one of the very best writers of thrillers with a military and special-ops background. His consistency and his ability to mirror headline news with relevant, engrossing narratives are uncanny, and this exploration of the human side of war should quickly be recognized as one of Taylor's best efforts. Comparisons to Vince Flynn and Brad Thor are expected and not inaccurate, but Taylor is now in a class by himself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015

A Special Forces soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, but because a government high-up in an allied nation is tangled up in the death, U.S. officials want to forget the whole thing. That does not sit well with one Taskforce member, but Taskforce leader Pike Logan knows that any act of vengeance threatens not just Taskforce but America itself. Tough choices ahead. The ninth Pike Logan novel, following eight New York Times best sellers; with a 200,000-copy first printing.

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