Guest Review: Shadow War

Summary: From a paratrooper turned private military contractor comes a blistering-hot debut in the tradition of Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, and Tom Clancy about an elite American mercenary on a secret mission to rescue a businessman’s family in Eastern Europe

Tom Locke is an elite warrior working for Apollo Outcomes, one of the world’s most successful private contracting firms. Pulled out of a mission in Libya, he is tapped for an unusual and risky assignment: a top secret black op in Ukraine. He has one week to rescue an oligarch’s family and to pull off a spectacular assault that could have long-lasting repercussions for this imperiled Eastern European nation and the world.

What Locke doesn’t know is that the operation comes with a dangerous complication. Brad Winters, Locke’s ambitious and enigmatic boss, is engaged in a secretive, high-stakes geopolitical chess game with influential power brokers in capitals around the world. One misstep could cost him—and Locke—everything. And that misstep may already have been committed by Locke’s former love, war correspondent Alie MacFarlane, who impulsively makes a move that risks both their lives.

Locke has methodically planned the mission and handpicked a team of trusted operatives to pull it off—and to save his ass if things go south. He is an intelligent, iconoclastic soldier who specializes in achieving the impossible, but all his brilliant preparation can’t prevent the backstabbing and recklessness that is getting in his way. Locke must move quickly to stay ahead of a looming betrayal that could lead to catastrophe . . . and tip the balance of power toward Putin’s Russia.

With fascinating characters, nonstop action, and unparalleled authenticity, Sean McFate and Bret Witter’s thrilling debut will captivate readers and reveal the terrifying power plays and treachery that determine the fate of the modern world. - -William Morrow

I will be the first to admit that I would never pick up SHADOW WAR by Sean McFate. It's a political /military thriller, and it's just not my thing. However, I am thrilled to have someone (who occasionally does reviews for me) that appreciates these types of books -- my dad! Here are his thoughts:

Sean McFate, author of SHADOW WAR, a Tom Locke Novel, is more than qualified to write his first military thriller. McFate served in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division and then worked in a private military corporation. Tom Lock, the main character of the novel, has a career that bears a close resemblance to McFate’s.

Locke currently works primarily in North Africa for Apollo Outcomes, a very successful military contracting firm. The book opens with an action filled scene of Locke’s team securing a weapons cache from a dangerous tribe in Libya. Locke is called back to Washington D.C. by his boss, Brad Winters, to take on a black-ops assignment in Ukraine. Locke’s mission is to rescue the family of a very wealthy Ukraine businessman and put the businessman in a position of power in Ukraine. The catch is that Locke only has five days to complete the mission and must take on the powerful Russian army in the process. Even though Locke puts together a capable team of trusted operatives and plans the operation down to the smallest detail, two things threaten to destroy the mission. The first problem is that Lock’s former lover, now a war correspondent, shows up with a young, incompetent CIA case worker and almost derails the mission. Additionally Brad Winters seems to have his own secret objective that could result in Lock’s team being collateral damage.

McFate and his co-author, Brett Witter add a real life feel to SHADOW WAR with references to Vladimir Putin and Russia’s current desire to annex portions of Ukraine as well as mention of the current world politics surrounding the control of oil resources.

Although the Tom Locke character has been well-developed, I believe that in general the authors focused more on the military operations and world situations than character development. SHADOW WAR is a fast paced, complex, realistic military thriller that fans of this genre will enjoy. I’m sure we will see future Sean McFate novels featuring Tom Locke as the main character.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel and to Booking Pap Pap for his review.