Having read David Austin’s Tehran’s Vengeance in 2019, I was eagerly anticipating the release of Drone Strike – the second book in the Joe Matthews series. Tehran’s Vengeance was a surprise debut novel that I absolutely loved. It had tons of action, a realistic but bold plot, and solid characters. I was expecting the same things from Drone Strike and David Austin didn’t disappoint. Drone Strike is a fantastic political/military thriller that held me in suspense throughout, leading to several audible gasps and cheers escaping my mouth as events unfolded.
In Drone Strike, Russia undertakes an audacious false flag operation with sky high ambitions. They set out to steal a CIA Reaper drone with a compliment of Hellfire Missiles. The objective? Use the drone to cause destruction and mayhem in the Middle East with the United States taking the blame. If successful, Russia stands to elevate their own stature and influence in the region. The question is, will they succeed and alter the course of global affairs? Or will Russia end up like Icarus, flying too close to the sun only to crash and burn?
In comes Joe Matthews and his 5-man unit of highly capable CIA Protective Resource Group paramilitary operators. Their primary function is to “protect Agency officers in high-risk locations around the world.” However due to the course of events, they’re tasked with foiling Russia’s plans, bringing the perfect combination of lethal skillsets and personal motivation that makes them the right men for the job. It won’t be easy as they must go up against the very same Russian Spetsgruppa “A” elite unit that ambushed them previously, inflicting serious harm to their unit and operation. And if that wasn’t hard enough, they also have a foreign asset in-theater in dire need of assistance from Joe’s team due to risking his life to support the mission. It’s a massive understatement to say a lot is riding on Joe’s capable shoulders. But failure is not an option!
There’s a lot to like about Drone Strike. The writing style is smooth and easy to follow. The action sequences are intense, plentiful and graphic. The plot is equal parts insanity and realistic. And the character development is excellent across the board from Joe Matthews, to the bad guys to the President of the United States. And that character development is critical since at its core this book is character driven. The actions and emotions of the main and supporting characters feel authentic rather than contrived. This lends a higher degree of believability to what’s transpiring throughout the book and leads the reader to become more invested in the story.
Drone Strike is terrific and I highly recommend you jump on board the Joe Matthews train sooner rather than later. He’s a fantastic character that fits in the genre right next to the likes of Scot Harvath, Pike Logan, Matt Drake, John Dempsey and others. I’m excited to see where Joe Matthews goes from here, but I promise you this series is going to be a fan favorite for a long time!
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