Blaze of Glory

by Major Jeff Struecker
and Alton Gansky

B&H Books
400 pages

Page-Turning Military Suspense

A string of female suicide bombers sends Sergeant Eric Moyer and his Special Operations team overseas to stop the bombings and to thwart a possible attempt to assassinate several heads-of-state. Thus begins the non-stop action in Blaze of Glory by Major Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky.


In Struecker’s and Gansky’s sophomore effort together, they succeed in penning a book even better than their first (Certain Jeopardy). Not only does the reader experience continuous action, but the authors flesh out their characters more in this second novel. With Struecker’s experience as an Army Ranger, the reader knows the storyline is believable. The emotional tension is as intense as the firefights. You’ve got one soldier who proposed right before the team gets the call, and another soldier whose battle with post-traumatic stress disorder is more terrifying to him than a gun fight. His uncontrolled flashbacks may jeopardize the safety of the entire unit. This is more than page-turning adventure. You really care about the people involved.

If you’re looking for a great story, one that’s set apart from the majority of books on the Christian bookshelves, then pick up Blaze of Glory.

***

Major Jeff Struecker now serves as an Army Chaplain. He is probably best known for his role in what has become known as Black Hawk Down. Besides his novel collaborations with Gansky, Struecker penned a biography, The Road to Unafraid (review also posted on this blog), another very worthwhile read. http://www.jeffstruecker.com/

Alton Gasky is the author of thirty books, 24 of which are suspense or supernatural suspense novels. When he’s not writing, he provides writing services through his business, Gansky Communications, and he often speaks at writing conferences around the country. http://www.altongansky.com/

The Road to Unafraid

How the Army's Top Ranger Faced Fear and Found Courage Through Black Hawk Down and Beyond

by Jeff Struecker

Published by Thomas Nelson (2006)
232 pages

"The difference between being a coward and a hero is not whether you're scared, it's what you do while you're scared." Captain Jeff Struecker

U.S. Army Rangers aren’t afraid. At least that’s what they would like you to believe. In this book Captain Jeff Struecker shows us a very human side of a man who shows unbridled courage, even in horrific situations.

That fear is exemplified by an incident in 1993. An elite military force was sent into Mogadishu, Somalia to rein in a warlord’s abusive control over the population and ruination of what should be a beautiful nation. On October 3, 1993, a Sunday afternoon, they received word of an opportunity to capture two of the warlord’s (Mohamed Farrah Aidid) top aides. What resulted was eighteen hours of trekking through bullet and RPG (rocket propelled grenade) laden streets in an attempt to rescue troops from two downed Black Hawk helicopters, an incident we know today as Black Hawk Down.

While the Black Hawk Down incident dramatically represents fear, Struecker doesn’t stop there. He writes about experiencing terrifying nightmares as a child—nightmares that went away when he became a Christian. He tells about his fear of being a good enough husband and father, when the family he’d grown up in was terribly broken. He tells about the fears of sharing his faith with his fellow soldiers—a group comprised of tough men, many who would claim that reliance on God is a weakness. How could he be a Christian and still garner respect from the men he leads? When he felt God’s call to the ministry, he feared the change.

But through it all, he was obedient to God’s call, and went forward despite his very human fears, and is now ministering as a Chaplain in a Ranger unit.

***Captain Jeff Struecker is a decorated member of the U.S. Army Rangers. He was featured prominently in the book, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, by Mark Bowden, and was represented in the movie by the same name. In 1996 he, along with partner, Isaac Gmazel, won the competition for Best Army Ranger, an event far more difficult than Hawaii’s famous Ironman triathlon. He is currently a Chaplain ministering to 1,000’s of troops serving in hot spots around the globe.

Fiction for Fathers

Wondering what to get your dad for this coming Father's Day? Look no further than your local bookstore. For that fiction lover, you can find some terrific novels and/or series. These are some of my favorites.

THE PATRICK BOWERS FILES
by Steven James
(Revell and Signet Select)

I was hooked with James' first book in this series, The Pawn. Since then, I've impatiently awaited his next annual release. James has proven himself to be a skilled storyteller, one who garners interest across genre, age, and faith. This series is recommended for anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Opening Moves, a prequel, comes out in September.

More Steven James on Spire Reviews here.

Major Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky's
Special Ops Series
(B&H)

I first learned of Major Jeff Struecker when I read The Road to Unafraid (another excellent book) that chronicled Struecker's road to faith, including his part in what is now known to as Black Hawk Down (book by Mark Bowden). Since then he has teamed up with veteran author Alton Gansky and together they've delivered a series of can't-put-down military ops novels. If you're interested in learning the perspective of a Christian in special ops, read this series.

The next book in the series, Hide and Seek, comes out in July.

Check out reviews of Struecker/Gansky books here.

THE LION OF WAR series
by Cliff Graham
(Zondervan)

This series follows the Mighty Men of Israel (see 2 Samuel 23 and 1 Corinthians 11). It's a fascinating take on the men who stood closest to King David. The war descriptions can be gruesome, but they fit the subject matter. War isn't pretty. The first two of five books, Day of War and Covenant of War, are available for purchase. A movie based on Day of War is currently in production.

More Cliff Graham on Spire Reviews here.

HERO'S TRIBUTE
and
LEGACY ROAD
by Graham Garrison
(Kregel Publications)

Touching stories surrounding a dying war hero who chooses an unlikely candidate to deliver his eulogy. These stories will give you a greater appreciation of Independence Day as well. Beautifully written and appreciated by men and women alike.

More Graham Garrison on Spire Reviews here.

Novel Anticipation - July 2012

July is a month of suspense here at Spire Reviews. Sprinkle in a little romance and the books highlighted this month should hold appeal for all readers.

THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT

Raleigh Harmon Series #4

by Sibella Giorello

Thomas Nelson, 384 pages

I always look forward to reading Sibella Giorello's next novel. Her (romantic) suspense is intelligent and challenging. Her prose is mature, and her relationships are authentic. You won't find eye-rolling romance in her novels--it's all very real. If you haven't read Sibella's work before, I encourage you to start with her debut, The Stones Cry Out, and work your way through all five Raleigh Harmon books. You'll be begging for more.

Description:

     After the FBI suspends her for bending its rules, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon is looking for a chance to redeem her career and re-start her life.

     Sent undercover to a thoroughbred horse track, Raleigh takes on a double life to find out who's fixing the races. But when horses start dying and then her own life is threatened, Raleigh realizes something bigger-and more sinister-is ruining Emerald Meadows.

     She's never felt more alone.

     Her one contact with the FBI is Special Agent Jack Stephanson, a guy who seems to jump from antagonistic to genuine friend depending on the time of day. And she can't turn to her family for support. They're off-limits while she's undercover, and her mother isn't speaking to her anyway, having been confined to a mental hospital following a psychotic breakdown. Adding insult to her isolation, Raleigh's fiance wants them to begin their life together-now-precisely when she's been ordered not to be herself.

     With just days left before the season ends, Raleigh races to stop the killing and find out who's behind the track's trouble, all the while trying to determine if Jack is friend or foe, and whether marrying her fiance will make things better-or worse.

     Raleigh is walking through the darkest night she's faced, searching for a place where the stars shine bright.

http://sibellagiorello.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SibellaGiorelloAuthor

HIDE AND SEEK

by Maj (Ret) Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky

B&H Books, 400 pages

This is the fourth book in which Struecker and Gansky have collaborated, all centering around a Special Operations team. Each book could be classified as Page-Turning action yet the authors deftly weave in a subtle faith message. Where Gansky brings years of writing expertise, Struecker's Ranger experience (Black Hawk Down fame) brings authenticity to the characters. As with Sibella's series above, if you haven't read any of this series, I encourage you to start with the first, Certain Jeopardy, where you'll first meet the Spec Ops team. I guarantee you'll speed through all four novels.

Description:

     Amelia Lennon no longer wears a uniform or carries a weapon. An Army trained Foreign Affairs Officer, she's negotiating a dispute with the Kyrgyzstan government that threatens to leave the U.S. without an airbase in that region. She traded her gun for the power of words, but now she needs both.

     While following her government contact - Jildiz Oskonbaeva, the lawyer daughter of Kyrgyzstan's president - Amelia witnesses an attempt to abduct her. She manages to prevent the kidnapping, but now the two women are on the run in a city that's erupting into chaos.

     Master Sergeant J.J. Bartley is the Special Operations team leader tasked to rescue Amelia and Jildiz.

     With two new members in his unit - one with a secret that could endanger everyone's life - J.J. must soldier his unit through crazed mobs intent on overthrowing the government. Back home, his pregnant wife is misinformed that her husband and the team have been killed. But before this is over, Bartley will find out that's the least of his problems.

http://www.jeffstruecker.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Struecker

http://www.altongansky.com/

ABDUCTED

Pacific Coast Justice Series #2

by Janice Cantore

Tyndale House, 384 pages

I was pleasantly surprised by Janice Cantore's debut, Accused. I enjoy romantic suspense when an author doesn't overdo the romance angle, when the romance seems organic to the story. Cantore wrote it perfectly. I'm certain Abducted will be as deftly written, and I can't wait to pick up my copy.

Description:

     After solving the mayor’s murder and exposing corruption among the top brass in Las Playas, Carly Edwards is happy to be back on patrol with her partner, Joe, putting bad guys behind bars. For once, everything in life seems to be going right.

     But then everything starts going wrong. Slow to recover from an injury, her ex-husband, Nick, begins pulling away just as they were starting to get close again. Meanwhile, when Joe’s wife lands in the hospital with a mysterious illness, their baby is kidnapped. As Carly chases down every lead in a desperate search to find the baby, her newfound faith is pushed to its limits.

http://www.janicecantore.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JaniceCantore

Rugged Reads

As I glance through the listing of all the books I've read this past year, I notice half of my favorites are written by men. Now considering that women comprise the majority of Christian fiction writers, I find that interesting.

I love mystery/suspense/thriller type of books that have a million loose threads to weave together. It's nice to have a little romance thrown in, but in edge-of-the-seat reading, I don't want romance to be the major storyline. In my opinion, male writers are better at this than women.

I also enjoy a story with a sports background as games can be a telling metaphor for life. Again, I usually prefer the male voice when it comes to sports stories.

My husband and I even enjoy many of the same books, so it's with his help that I put this list together (in no particular order) for those searching for a gift for that special man in their life.

A Season of Miracles by Rusty Whitener - A team of little leaguers learn life lessons when they ask an autistic phenom to join their team. This is a must-read for everyone. Fathers. Sons. Even mothers and daughters. It's beautifully written. One moment you're laughing and the next you're crying. This may be my favorite read this year.

Tomorrow We Die by Shawn Grady - After attempting to save a man's life, a paramedic wishes to honor the dying man's wish and is thrown into a mystery that may just cost him his own life. This is Shawn Grady's (a real life firefighter and EMT) second novel and I was thrilled to see his writing growth from book one to book two. It's a fast-paced story with intriguing characters.

Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand - When an evangelist's daughter turns up missing, a burned out homicide detective follows his gut and searches for her where no one else can imagine and he won't back down no matter the cost. This is Bertrand's solo debut novel (he co-authored Beguiled with Deeanne Gist) and it's a phenomenal debut. If you like Micheal Connelly's Harry Bosch stories, be sure to give Back on Murder a try.

Blaze of Glory by Major Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky - A string of female suicide bombers sends a special ops team overseas to stop the bombings and to thwart possible heads-of-state assassinations. In this sequel to Certain Jeopardy, Struecker (of Black Hawk Down fame) and Gansky capture the reader with non-stop action.

The Bishop by Steven James - In book #4 of the Patrick Bowers series (see The Pawn review on this blog), James once again keeps readers guessing as an FBI Special Agent tracks the murderer of a congressman's daughter. If you love jolts of adrenaline, then you'll have to read this series by Steven James. James stories are always complex and he excels in misdirection. In my opinion, James is by far the best writer of thrillers in Christian fiction, if not all fiction.

Hero's Tribute by Graham Garrison - Dying from cancer, a hometown hero (for his high school football excellence and decorated military service) asks a reporter, whom he's never met, to deliver the eulogy at his funeral. As the reporter digs into the hero's life he discovers secrets that may greatly alter the town's opinion. In a time when we herald sports figures and Hollywood celebrities as heroes, Garrison, in his debut novel, helps us discover the true definition of Hero.

Danger Close by Lt. William G. Boykin and Tom Morrisey - A highly decorated Army special forces veteran is asked to go undercover in Afghanistan to stop a potential mass terrorism plot in the United States. But in order to save the country, he is asked to leave behind family and friends and all he knows. Forever. Readers of Vince Flynn should enjoy this peek into the world of secret ops that gives the reader a glimpse of the lives of unheralded men and women who sacrifice all for their country.

Enemies Among Us by Bob Hamer - A cowboy FBI undercover agent is given the assignment of tracking a terrorist cell in Los Angeles. This is an adrenaline laced, detailed, and intricate novel, written by a veteran FBI Agent. Hamer also shows the delicate balance between work and marriage. Hamer's solid debut novel should appeal to both Christian and general market fiction readers.

Blackout by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn - In this third book of the Riley Covington series, football star and special ops veteran Riley Covington races to detonate electromagnetic pulse bombs that could render the United States without power. They're too late to stop the first. Will they be on time for the second? Fans of football and military action will enjoy this novel.