Tip Of The POTUS Spear

The U.S. president’s newly formed anti-terrorist group pits former Navy SEALs against South American cartels and assassins in Bunting’s (Maiyun, 2016, etc.) latest thriller.

Having thwarted an al-Qaida plot, Lt. Cmdr. Erin Ryan and Lt. Kevin Bond are primed to be recipients of the Presidential Award for Excellence. But shockingly, the men are no-shows at the ceremony. The public is incensed by the apparent snub, but it turns out that their absence is because they’ve accepted the president’s offer to do some clandestine work for the White House. They become field operatives for the Department of Security, Analysis, and Logistics, with a man named Nigel Hamilton as director and Erin’s military dog, Striker, as the fourth member. DSEAL’s first assignment is to disrupt one of the Cali drug cartel’s operations in Colombia enough to upset the whole enterprise and catch local authorities’ attention. In the jungle, Erin and Kevin meet an unexpected ally: 14-year-old Sasha Carr, who was abducted more than two years ago but escaped her captors. The teenager points the SEALs to cocaine laboratories, and it turns out that she has a genius-level IQ and is highly adept at using a blowgun, her weapon of choice. She opts to stay with her new pals as DSEAL targets additional cartels and tries to prevent a possible attack on the president of the United States. This second novel featuring Erin and Kevin features wall-to-wall action but also a more personal touch. This time around, the protagonists forgo their SEAL handles (“Scratch” and “Roach,” respectively) in favor of civilian names, even during missions. They’re more like buddies than fellow soldiers, and this impression is furthered by the appearance of Sasha, who serves as a surrogate for a girl that Erin once lost. Their work’s not quite as covert as the president initially suggests; for example, they always have their DSEAL identification handy. But they’re unquestionably surrounded by peril, not only from terrorists and snipers’ bullets, but also boa constrictors and army ants in the jungle. The teen and the canine nearly outshine the leads: Sasha excels at strategy, much like a general, and Striker parachuting with Erin makes for an irresistible image.

An adventure featuring able characters immersed in full-tilt action, with an open ending that promises even more.