Publisher's Weekly Review
The frequent references to the past make 82nd Airborne veteran Hood's overly complex debut, an exciting military thriller, read as if it were the second book in the series. Under the guidance of Gen. Winfield "Duke" Cage in his new role as a cabinet secretary, the Department of Defense sets up a secret unit commanded by Colonel Barnes that combines elite fighters from every branch of the American armed services to take on any group that's deemed a danger to U.S. interests. Meanwhile, Mason Kane, a ruthless Special Forces operator on the run in the Middle East, has to figure out why everyone is trying to kill him, unravel a conspiracy at the highest level, and track down Barnes once the colonel goes off the reservation and launches his own private war. Despite the murky, overstuffed narrative, it's impossible to take your eyes off Mason, who knows no bounds as he goes about achieving his mission. Fans of this popular subgenre will definitely look forward to Mason's return. Agent: Bob Diforio, D4EO Literary Agency. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In Hood's debut action adventure, it's tough to cheer for a hard-case hero who tortures with gasoline and a Zippo, but then special-ops warrior Mason Kane had good reason. Before he flicked the lighter, Kane knew Decklin wanted him dead. Both were members of the off-the-books Anvil Program, doing dirty jobs in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other Middle East hot spots. Then Anvil's leader, Col. Barnes, wiped out an innocent Afghan family that refused to give him information about a Taliban network. Kane didn't participate; Barnes despised his disloyalty. Later, during a Libyan Anvil mission, Barnes ordered Decklin to kill Kane. Kane escaped, allowing Barnes to blame the newly discovered Afghan massacre on him, turning Kane into a shoot-on-sight fugitive. Kane's going rogue also meant distraction from another plan by Barnes' boss, the president's national security adviser, Cage. That's Operation Lion, a nerve gas attack in Damascus to inflame tensions and draw America into an all-out war. The book's all action and ambush, with Kane fighting in streets, casbahs, and secret unidentified CIA bases from North Africa to Afghanistan. Character development is the first casualty. Kane's a can't-be-killed soldier equipped with the standard ex-wife who couldn't stand the strain. His closest friend is Zeus, a Libyan operative, but any cinematic-style buddy-buddy banter falls flat. Then there's the meet-not-so-cute between Renee and Kane. Renee's a pretty (and deadly) woman-turned-special-operator leader of Task Force 111, "the tip of the spear when it came to tracking high-value targets." Renee has Kane speculating maybe "both had found something in each other they had been missing." Hood has the foundation for an action-adventure series, with a shoot-first hero in the style of Child's Jack Reacher, Hunter's Bob Lee Swagger, or DeMille's John Corey. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In his first novel, Hood utilizes his background in the military to craft a compelling thriller in the vein of Brad Taylor and the late Vince Flynn. The novel focuses on two characters: Mason Kane, an American soldier who is forced underground when he ends up on a hit list after disobeying a direct order, and Renee Hart, a special-ops agent who stumbles upon a conspiracy after a stakeout ends in an ambush. The villains have access to the White House, and their bold plan is both ruthless and seemingly unstoppable. Thankfully, neither Kane nor Hart are daunted by the situation. The novel provides nonstop action and plenty of success, though not all of the plot threads are tied up satisfactorily. Still, both of the leads are surprisingly well rounded and compelling, given the emphasis on action, and most thriller fans would be pleased to see them in a sequel.--Ayers, Jeff Copyright 2015 Booklist
