Brad Taylor

American Traitor is an excellent book. The premise of the story is very plausible that young Chinese American university men are looking for easy money not realizing that the code work they are doing is for the Chinese government to start a war. It is a deadly decision on the young men. Our superhero, Pike Logan and his crew of smart ass assassins are given the task of saving the world. Whether they can complete the task or not the reader will have to read the book to find out. The tension started in the beginning of the book carries throughout the story and for this reason four stars were awarded to this book. It is a good one and highly recommended.… (more)

Non-stop action all over the world! Spies, terrorists, good guys (and ladies), and bad guys in every scene. Another thrilling novel by Brad Taylor.

Kudos also for such wonderful descriptions of Croatia - the cities and towns, the Bosnia border crossings, the fortresses above Ston / Mali Ston, Plitvice Lakes, Rastoke, the overload of GOT and most of all the delightful Croatian gelato.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this fast-paced, exhilarating ARC.… (more)

The Devil's Ransom by Brad Taylor is a very highly recommended action packed thriller and the 17th novel in the Pike Logan Series.

Afghanistan has fallen and Pike and Jennifer learn about it while on a routine cover development trip to Tajikistan. They need to help Jahn Azimi, who is on the run from the Taliban as well as extract Ahmad Khan, an Afghan government official who helped Azimi flee Kabul along with the Bactrian Treasure, a priceless trunk of valuables that they liberated before their escape. Complications arise when every other entity in the Taskforce is hit with a ransomware attack and it appears to be tied to the Taliban. And this is only the beginning of the much larger problem and complicated action.

The quality of the writing is excellent and the action is truly non-stop in The Devil's Ransom. The plot is an intricate tangle of deceit, danger, and nefarious plans that Pike and his team must stop. The action along with the twists and new revelations in the plot moves along swiftly and will hold your attention throughout the entire novel. Pike and his team are quickly going from one mission to another in the swiftly moving, intricate, and changing novel. As you are reading keep track of who is who and where they all are and you will be fine.

Since this is the seventeenth novel in the Pike Logan series, the characters are complex and fully realized individuals. Readers new to the series might not have some of the nuance about the characters, but they will still be able to enjoy the novel. Enough backstory and information is provided to keep all readers up to speed. All the characters are distinct and great individuals. Action/Adventure/Espionage/Thriller readers won't want to miss this one.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via Edelweiss.
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