Last week I reviewed Shadow Catcher:
Shadow Maker
(Nick Baron Series)
2nd in Series
Suspense/Thriller
The Berkley Publishing Group (June 3, 2014)
Published by The Penguin Group
Trade Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425266892
E-Book ASIN: B00G3L6N6K
When a suicide bomber shatters the peace of a winter afternoon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., former pilot and undercover Cerberus operative Nick Baron receives an eerie invitation from the chess app on his phone—a mysterious figure named The Emissary wants to play.
Nick and his covert unit—the Triple Seven Chase team—soon find themselves drawn into battle against an unknown opponent who has resurrected an ancient order of assassins: the legendary Hashashin. And there is a long-awaited prophecy being fulfilled by a series of violent attacks which may culminate in a final apocalypse over Jerusalem.
As the Triple Seven fight to stop each attack, Nick tries to keep The Emissary on the hook by playing their digital chess game. The lines between the game and the fight begin to blur, as every time Nick loses a piece on the board, he loses one of his men. And if Nick cannot find a way to stop the terrorist mastermind, a checkmate may kill millions…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
He did it again. I was up late into the night reading. Like I said in my review of Shadow Catcher
The book starts with a prologue of an event in Yemen in 2005. From there we are on a journey with the Triple Seven Chase Team from Washington D.C. to Turkey, London, Israel and many more points in between. It becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse tied to mysterious chess game. Nick always seems to be just one step behind the Emmissary’s plan. Unfortunately this game of chess has dire consequences so Nick needs to figure out a plan that gets him ahead instead of behind.
Nick Baron and Drake Merigold are quite a pair. They have been teammates for more than a decade and always have each others six. Even during the heat of battle their dialogue is quick and sharp and sometimes has a touch humor. Just what you need when you are being chased through the streets surrounded by gunfire.
They are aided on this adventure by Dr. Scott Stone, the lead engineer is well versed with IT problems and can hack into almost any system. He usually helps from the command center but this time the command center is mobile so for the first time he is out in the field. CJ, Celine Jameson, works with the team from the FBI’s Intelligence Coordination Center in Washington D.C.
Hannibal really raised the bar with this one. The thrilling – edge of your seat moments happen right on top of each other. The Emissary and his group of rabid Hashasins have no qualms about killing. In fact their plan could kill millions, including Baron’s family. Dr. Kurt Baron, Nick’s father, is with Nick’s wife and their son on a trip Nick thought would keep them safe. His father has no idea what he does for a living, he thinks Nick sits at a desk and pushes paper all day.
This is a truly excellent story. Fans of Brad Thor, Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn will absolutely love this thriller. I have become very invested in Nick, his family, Drake and all the other members of the Triple Seven Chase Team. I can’t wait for the next James R. Hannibal thriller. He is definitely an author to watch!! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!!
To find out more about James R. Hannibal and his books visit his webpage here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I’m adding this to my reading list. I think I’ll be sitting up late reading it too.