Matt Cricchio has penned a gritty and raw in-your-face novel in Security Day. This was such a unique take on a war novel based in Afghanistan that I have never seen before. Security Day gave a never before seen perspective on the daily life of the Afghani people; we witness their daily struggle to survive, and this is weaved into an intriguing story of local politics as the U.S. Military prepares to withdraw from the area.
Dan Bing is an intelligence agent fresh out of school, and eager to prove himself on his first deployment to Afghanistan. Dan arrives at a village that relies heavily on a weekly supply run called “Security Day”. This is a massive convoy that shepherds supplies for the U.S. Military, and the citizens of this area. An Afghani General named Mir Hamza Khan runs this convoy, and provides security from attacks from the Taliban. Security Day has made him the unofficial king of this area, and as word goes around that the Americans will be withdrawing from the area, Khan starts taking strategic steps to ensure that the Americans stay.
As Dan starts working sources and rubbing shoulders, he finds that there are those in the military who have fallen for Khans lies and deceptions to keep Security Day running. As Dan works with a young family man from the area, Toor Jan, he comes to find out the situation on the ground is not as black and white as it appears. Dan must cut through all the red tape to get what he has learned to the powers that be, and to have them believe him. To get this done, Dan and Toor Jan must work together in a very dangerous game of spies and corruption.
Security Day is a must read for anyone who loves to read military thrillers. This was such a unique take on the genre, and I highly enjoyed it. It’s sobering to read what life is like in the villages of Afghanistan. That aspect added a level of realism that I have yet to encounter in other novels. Security Day is not to be missed, and I can not recommend it enough!
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