SETAREH DOCTRINE

A team of American mercenaries tries to throttle an Iranian biological weapons program in this thriller.

Jake Woods had a long career as a Marine and an intelligence official and now serves as CEO of the Themis Cooperative, an unofficial paramilitary group that works to uphold national security. “To put it bluntly, we don’t exist,” says Jake of the shadowy organization, which is largely made up of retired military warriors, ex-Mossad agents, and an information technology guy. The group meets upon hearing of a serious threat to humanity: Iran has developed a lethal virus that it is planning to unleash on its neighbors in an attempt to establish a new Islamic empire and eliminate Israel. Themis is eager to launch its mission, but the current United States administration doesn’t like the idea, and a backhanded approach is necessary to gain approval to go ahead. The Iranians have employed Korean scientist Dae-Ho Park to develop the virus. Park doesn’t want to kill all of humanity, though, and won’t complete the project until he’s got a working vaccine. Themis operatives have only a short window to secure weaponry and travel to the Middle East to thwart one of the vilest attempts at genocide the world has ever seen. Downer’s ambitious adventure is packed with characters who have an immense amount of experience in the military and the intelligence field and have knowledge of weaponry, strategy, and international affairs that is impressive. The backstory and the introductions go slowly, though, and there is a wait for the plot to take flight. The intricate details, no matter the accuracy, can drag down the pace, but the characters are bright, unfailingly capable, and balanced in terms of experiences and personalities. The narrative flows better in the second half, but the lack of a central hero hurts the tale.

A meticulous and credible military thrill ride that should be lighter on its feet.