A wargame with warships, super weapons, and high-speed drones is afoot in this lightning-fast, high-powered thriller from Mike Maden, who continues to breathe new life into Clive Cussler’s #1 New York Times bestselling Oregon Files series with his strongest outing to date.
Opening in 1945, readers meet an American airman named Jansen who’s been captured by the Japanese and sent to a research center that doesn’t exactly abide by the Geneva Convention. There, Jansen is used as a test subject by a mad scientist who has whipped up an evil batch of chemical and biological weapons that, in addition to other awful symptoms, lead to instant and complete paralysis of one’s entire breathing system. It’s a grim death, to be sure, but for the Japanese, a promising start to developing a tool that they hope will turn the tides of war.
In the present day, the story (set after the events of Fire Strike, 2023) shifts to the Gulf of Oman, where Juan Cabrillo and his crew aboard the Oregon are briefed on an attack that took place a few days prior. According to the briefing notes, an elite Nigerian Army unit was ambushed by a group of Islamic Jihadists, who slaughtered the entire unit of ninety-plus officers. Initially, the Nigerians believed it was American forces who attacked due to the presence of US Humvees, Blackhawks, and anti-tank-guided missiles. An M4 rifle was recovered at the scene, but it wasn’t until the serial numbers were pulled from the weapon and ran that it became clear what happened. In a twist, it turns out that the weapons and equipment that were used were part of the more than eighty billion dollars worth of weapons and supplies that were left behind when American forces withdrew from Afghanistan. Worse yet, a similar attack occurred against a Filipino military unit, also by forces using American equipment, meaning the slaughtering of the Nigerian troops wasn’t a one-off event.
For Cabrillo, the real question is how someone has managed to quietly move the weapons and equipment around the world without setting off the alarm bells of numerous intelligence agencies. “The Taliban might have all our abandoned gear,” notes Juan, “but they don’t have the means for global transport.” To get answers, Cabrillo is sent to investigate, and before long, a mysterious arms dealer known only as the Vendor emerges, but stopping him won’t be easy.
The Vendor, it turns out, is not only an arms dealer but also a brilliant and sadistic engineer of weapons who’s perfected his craft and is letting bad actors around the world sample his products. Going toe-to-toe with such a baddie proves to be Cabrillo’s toughest and most dangerous mission yet—one that, eventually, takes him and his crew to the Vendor’s private island in the Bismarck Sea, where a series of traps, robotic weapons, and other deadly surprises await their arrival.
Much as he did with the once-maligned Jack Ryan Junior series (which he took over back in 2017 and wrote in until 2020), Mike Maden has entered an already-known franchise and elevated it to new heights. A breath of fresh air, Maden’s spin on Juan Cabrillo provides new energy and excitement to the Oregon‘s adventures, bringing heavy action and plenty of fun. It works, in part, because of Maden’s willingness to embrace big, over-the-top ideas—like an army of killer drones and fire-shooting robots—which is something Cussler himself was known for. Unflinching yet again, Maden goes all-out with this one, but never to the point where things become eye-rolling or cheesy. It’s a fine line to walk, but one that he does with stone-cold precision. Moreover, the fact that the Taliban just celebrated in real life by filming themselves having a parade full of American weapons, Humvees, and Black Hawke helicopters gives the story a timely, albeit frustrating (to put it mildly) feel.
Thankfully, Juan Cabrillo agrees with most Americans about the withdrawal and, more importantly, can do something about it. The Vendor has a deep well of next-gen weaponry, but the Oregon has plenty of gadgets and futuristic war toys itself, and once the explosions start, there’s no setting this one down. Bottom line: Mike Maden has a proven track record of leaving bestselling franchises better than he found it, and fans of Cussler’s beloved Oregon Files better hope he hangs around for the long-term.
Mike Maden delivers yet again with Clive Cussler Ghost Soldier, a relentless, high-octane thriller that grips you from the very first page and never lets go. Fans of the Oregon Files series will devour this latest installment—which is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves adrenaline-fueled adventures with a razor-sharp edge.
Book Details
Author: Mike Maden
Series: The Oregon Files #18
Pages: 417 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 0593719247
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: September 3, 2024
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor in addition to running TRBS. He is the author of FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” LETHAL RANGE, OUT FOR BLOOD, and TED BELL’S MONARCH. For more information, follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and BookBub. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.