A taut, morally complex story that hits with precision and heart.
In Gilbert’s third JD Cordell novel, a team of former U.S. military operatives takes on a ruthless human trafficking network in the lawless underworld of Manila. When two young Vietnamese women vanish en route to the U.S., retired Navy SEAL JD Cordell answers the call. With Carlos Vivas and ex-sniper Bill Taylor at his side, the mission starts as a rescue but quickly turns into a fight against a brutal system built on suffering. There’s a noir sensibility to Gilbert’s prose, particularly in Bill’s chapters. His arc plays like a character study in moral decay, with gritty textures, brutal fight scenes, and an undertow of guilt and grief. JD and Carlos, fan favorites from earlier books, keep the story grounded with their loyalty and moral compass. The theme of reciprocity is woven throughout. The idea that actions echo, debts are paid, and loyalties demand sacrifice permeates the plot. Whether it’s the SEALs’ unwavering brotherhood or Taylor’s slow path to reckoning, the book is about paying what is owed: sometimes in blood, sometimes in love, sometimes in silence.
A fiercely intelligent, emotionally resonant thriller.
Pub date March 8, 2025
DC Gilbert & Associates
ISBN 978-1734602357
Price $19.99 (USD) Hardcover, $16.99 Paperback, $6.99 Kindle edition
