An intricate game of cat and mouse with WWIII hanging in the balance, Dead Man’s Hand is a scary “ripped from the headlines” story that feels all too plausible. Brad Taylor has outdone himself with this cracking thriller. Let’s just pray he isn’t predicting future events.
The war between Ukraine and Russia rages on, and a cell of Ukrainians known as the Wolves hook up with a rogue sect of Russia GRU agents to put in motion a plot to assassinate Vladimir Putin. But Putin is paranoid and has four loyalists with devices from which they would immediately initiate a nuclear strike in the event of his death, believing this will keep him safe from a coup or assassination attempt. But the Wolves don’t know about this. They also don’t know that a Russian strike team are hot on their tail, looking to take them out before they can complete their mission. And neither the Ukrainians or the Russians know that Pike Logan and his Taskforce team are tracking them, trying to ascertain what is going on and determine the best possible outcome from this madness. But even when they make that call, it might be too late to stop the world from devolving into chaos.
This is Pike like we haven’t seen before. Sent on an ambiguous mission that is outside the Taskforce’s charter, he spends more time pushing back than ever before. But while the direction from above may be frustrating and uninspiring, Pike is a professional who does the right thing even if he doesn’t exactly follow orders. So when things go kinetic, as usual he’s in the right place at the right time and can respond the only way he knows how. By taking the fight to the bad guys. And with his Taskforce team by his side, accompanied by a fan favorite character that shows up out of the blue, Pike is primed to do whatever is necessary to complete the mission.
But there is added complexity in this one that you could call a moral quandary. If you know a world leader is the target of an assassination attempt, are you obligated to tell them? Even if it’s your enemy? Are you an accomplice if you stay silent? How do you know the assassination won’t lead to someone worse taking their place? Tough questions with no easy answers. But the concept is explored in Dead Man’s Hand and leads to an explosive conclusion. One that also shows Pike’s humanity and proves that war is hell.
Gripping, volatile and intriguing, Dead Man’s Hand is an irresistible and fascinating “what-if” grounded in current events. An unforgettable tale that thriller fans will devour.
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