Reaper

Task Force Raven Thriller, #1

by

Sam Stone

Non-stop action, excitement, and complex, coordinated operations made for riveting reading!

Reaper is the first novel in author Sam Stone’s gripping new political thriller series, Task Force Raven, and its exciting and complex, coordinated operations made for riveting reading. With its multidimensional characters and storyline scenarios that dovetail current events, I didn’t want to put this book down! 

Jake Baylor, with familial ties to Texas’s Sam Houston, leads the state’s innovative mobile response team known as Task Force Raven, the name an homage to the name given to his illustrious relation by the Cherokee. The task force responds when an horrific attack is made on a McAllen area Border Patrol station, the ensuing chaos and horror only a diversion to launch an even more insidious plot to do damage on American soil. Jake has a personal connection to the attack, as his longtime best friend, Clint McNamara, was on-site when it occurred. You could clearly sense the emotional toll that the events have on the characters. 

The story unfolds from multiple points of view, giving readers a front row seat to the motives, planning, and preparations behind the action for both the good guys and the bad. Those who enjoy the technical aspects of military-style operations will definitely be rewarded with interesting detail, without overwhelming those readers who do not. The author provides a nice glossary of terms, acronyms, and jargon at the beginning of the book that I found helpful when characters were “talking the talk” and enhancing the feel of the story’s authenticity. 

The action hits the ground running, and the suspense never lets up as Jake and his RAVEN team race to stop the multi-pronged attack by the bad guys led by ISIS adherent, Abu Waleed Hassan, or REAPER. With several plans in motion, the action moves around the state, from the Rio Grande Valley to the Hill Country to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, highlighting some iconic local settings. As a local, I enjoyed the scenes featuring these familiar locations, and I think others from the various areas will as well. 

I recommend REAPER to readers of political and military thrillers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.