This pulse-pounding military thriller from bestseller Coyle (They Are Soldiers
) depicts the U.S.'s current war against terrorism from the rare perspective of a small unit battling an elusive enemy. Army Ranger Capt. Nathan Dixon and his men are chomping at the bit to be dispatched to the Philippines to track down Hamdani Summirat, a charismatic Indonesian soldier and strategic mastermind turned jihadist behind a plot to found a pan-Islamic republic in Southeast Asia. But what happens when the biggest adversary is your own battalion commander? Egomaniacal Lt. Col. Robert Delmont sees the looming crisis as the ultimate springboard for his career and, regardless of the mounting body count, he's hell-bent on being perceived as the heroic leader, even if his inept tactics are putting his charges in mortal danger. Forced to take matters into his own hands, Dixon improvises with action-packed results. While the characterization isn't exactly deep, Coyle's masterfully labyrinthine plot lines, pedal-to-the-metal pacing and brutally realistic portrayal of army life make this another winner. (May)
