A nail-biting, stay-up-all-night action thriller…
Two Vietnam vets are recruited and sent to Mexico by the President to locate the kidnaped daughter of a Texas US Senator in Shellenbergar’s deceptively simple yet clever Top Secret Presidential novel set in the 1960s. Hawk and Cowboy, the best friends, who teamed up to complete a highly dangerous mission in Vietnam, unite once again to finish their first Top Secret Presidential Mission in search of Liz Shillings, daughter of Texas Senator Phillip Shillings. The friends soon locate the girl, but they are instructed to finish off dangerous Carlos D’Arcy, the Mexican drug cartel leader, the man behind Liz’s kidnapping and the main importer of Heroin from The Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia to the United States. Circumstances prevent Liz from leaving the country and force her to be part of Hawk and Cowboy’s combat team. The things become complicated after they learn someone is leaking the top-secret information to the drug cartel, and a dangerous cat-and-mouse game begins between the trio and Mexican mafia. The plot which seems ridiculously simple unfolds gradually, with a maximum of suspense and heart-pounding action, while the ever-increasing stakes take the story forward at a lightning speed. Fans of high-octane action thrillers will be impressed by Shellenbergar’s shrewd variation on a typical action-thriller plot. Crisp, effective plot twists, and well-developed characterization are an added bonus. Hawk’s reserved, no-nonsense, brusque personality is just about right for a PTSD suffering army veteran. Cowboy is provided a softer tone with his easy-going demeanor. Liz gets a feisty, tough, and highly resourceful personality that, despite being a bit over the top, resonates perfectly with the reader. Carlos D’Arcy is as menacing as a drug cartel leader can be. From Yucatan and Caribbean State of Quintana Roo to Puerto Morelos’s docks to Paris’s tiny washrooms, Shellenbergar’s atmospheric descriptions make places come alive in the reader’s mind. The scenes of brutal violence (the horrible murders committed by the Cartel and the trio’s takedown of various shady characters throughout the book) are rendered with shrewd precision. The quick-unfolding plot twists, precise action sequences, and tight plotting compensate for the light narrative. The final showdown which takes place on a stormy night in the wake of a deadly hurricane wraps up the story nicely. Those fond of high-action, fast-paced action thrillers will enjoy Recover and Terminate and look forward to the trio’s next outing.
Recover and Terminate: A Top Secret Presidential Novel
By Mike Shellenbergar
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PUB DATE March 9, 2018
ISBN 978-1980486787
PRICE $12.99 (USD)
