A Book Spy Review: ‘Deep Black’ by Sean McFate

81oLoCOD17LTom Locke, a former American soldier who went on to graduate from the London School of Economics, now makes his money by working in some of the most dangerous places on earth as a private contractor. 

Following the events of Shadow War (2016), Tom is still on the run from his former employer, Apollo Outcomes, and thus forced to hide out and look for work in northern Iraq. Having assembled a small team of skilled former operators from various special forces units around the world, Locke takes a break from fighting ISIS–which isn’t exactly paying the bills–and accepts a lucrative offer from a mysterious member of the Saudi royal family.

Prince Abdulaziz seeks out Locke’s help because his grown son is missing. Abdulaziz believes his son is near Mosul, well inside ISIS territory. Locke and his crew take the job, which–much like the job he took in last year’s book–doesn’t go according to plan. Not only are Locke and his guys operating in one of the most hostile environments known to man, but as more details about Abdulaziz and his son come out, Locke realizes they’ve landed themselves smack dab in the middle of a much larger plot involving members of the Saudi royal family trying to obtain a nuclear weapon. 

Two things stand out about McFate’s latest thriller. Right away, it’s obvious that McFate–a former paratrooper with the prestigious 82nd Airborne Division, who, like his character, then worked as a private military contractor–knows his way around an action sequence. There are multiple authentic, high-powered action scenes that will have your heart rate soaring.  

Secondly, this book reads like the lead story in next week’s newspaper. It’s ripped straight from the headlines, and McFate offers, through his characters, an insightful and educated take on things. 

Sean McFate, whose dream growing up was to be a violinist, hits all the right notes with his latest novel. Deep Black is a timely and gripping thriller that offers readers a full-throttle, action-packed experience written in the same vein as Brad Taylor and Mark Greaney.

Book Details

Author: Sean McFate & Bret Witter  
Series: Tom Locke #2
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0062403737
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Book Spy Rating: 6.5/10
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