Man of War (Eric Steele #1) by Sean Parnell (2018)

 

In his fiction debut, the author introduces the reader to Eric Steele, a former Special Forces operative, now a member of an elite clandestine operation assigned to a US intelligence unit known simply as the "Program." It’s members, known as Alphas, work solely for the President of the United States, handling situations that cannot be dealt with through normal channels.

When a hostile force attacks a military convoy and steals a nuclear weapon, everyone who should be in the know are blindsided. Steele, who is stationed in the Middle East, is sent to clean up the mess. The hostile leader turns out to be a rogue Alpha and Eric’s former mentor and he leads Steele through the Middle East, Europe, and Africa before things come to a head in Washington, DC.

Parnell’s writing style is both informative and captivating while building the reader’s curiosity and suspense. Chapters shift between character viewpoints—one chapter may be told from Steele’s perspective, while the next is from the Vice President’s or the Director of the CIA or some other character. The suspense builds as the reader tries to find the connecting thread.

The author, Sean Parnell, is a retired Army captain and is well acquainted with the military and how special forces operators walk, talk, and handle themselves on and off the battlefield. He uses military acronyms throughout the book which are always explained but can get confusing if you don’t have a military background or a particular interest in military weapons.

Currently there are three books in the Eric Steels series (all can be found at EPL) and the fourth one is to be published in September. A personal storyline carries through the series, but it is not necessary to read them in order as each book is a complete mission.

3.96 stars on Goodreads, 4.6 on Amazon