RING OF FIRE

OVERVIEW

Brad Taylor delivers a relentlessly fast-paced, gripping thriller featuring Taskforce operators Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill as they come face-to-face with an insidious threat to strike terror into the heart of America.

Fifteen years ago, in order to win a contract in the Kingdom, a desperate defense contractor used a shell company to provide a bribe to a wealthy Saudi businessman. Now a powerful player in the defense industry, he panics when the Panama Papers burst onto the public scene. Providing insight into the illicit deeds of offshore financing, they could prove his undoing.

To prevent the exposure of his illegal activities, he sets in motion a plan to interdict the next leak, but he is not the only one worried about spilled secrets. The data theft has left the Taskforce potentially vulnerable, leaving a trail that could compromise the unit. Back in the good graces of the new president, Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill are ordered to interdict the next leak as well, in order to control the damage.

Unbeknownst to either group, the Saudi has been using the shell company to fund terrorists all over the world, and he has a spectacular attack planned, coinciding with the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11. The information Pike and Jennifer uncover will put them on the trail of the imminent threat, but it’s one that they might be unable to stop.

Called Ring of Fire, it will cause unimaginable destruction across the United States, and it’s already in motion. Pike Logan will be challenged like never before, and the ensuing chaos and terror will distract the Taskforce from a truth no one sees: The Panama Papers hold a secret more explosive than any attack, and Ring of Fire was only the beginning. The danger is far from over. . . .

EXCERPT

Chapter 1
One day in September 2001

Dexter Trippler didn’t set out to murder anyone. Nobody in his position would. As an up-and-coming small businessman, killing another human being would definitely be counterproductive to his goals. All he was doing was trying to ensure the growth of his company.

But he killed nonetheless.

Representing the position of president, CEO, CFO, and every other position on his firm’s board—which is to say it was barely large enough to be called a “firm”—today was the day when he hoped totally break out. To catch the whale of a contract that would allow him to quit groveling for scraps at the military industrial complex’s table and start throwing out scraps of his own.

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PRAISE

“Bestseller Taylor’s 11th Pike Logan thriller serves as a chilling primer for an all-too-feasible terrorist strike…the ever-escalating chaos will leave fans breathless for the next installment.”

Publishers Weekly
“With Taylor’s latest Taskforce novel featuring Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill, he has further established himself as an elite military-thriller author. At this point, nobody is better at tackling hardcore action mixed with timely themes… Fine work from a thriller writer at the very top of his game.”
Booklist (starred review)
“Those looking only for action-filled suspense won’t be disappointed, but Taylor does expand his story with brief and intriguing discourses on the role of women in combat and whether violence is an intrinsic element of the Islamic faith. A page-turner that’s enriched by the author’s obvious familiarity with the intricacies of combating 21st-century terrorism.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Brad Taylor continues to tackle one of the pressing fears of today—terrorism. The plots and the characters are fictional but Taylor’s meticulous research brings that sense of chilling believability to his Pike Logan thrillers… While intense action is a hallmark of Taylor’s series, the well-developed characters are realistically explored… Taylor delivers a high-energy thriller in Ring of Fire.”
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Brad Taylor’s aptly titled Ring of Fire continues his ambitious evolution from master of the military thriller to more of an American John le Carré, with just enough Robert Ludlum sprinkled in for good measure… Ring of Fire dispenses once and for all with the notion that action and more thoughtful political thrillers are mutually exclusive, as Taylor weaves a complex, twist-laden tale that’s as wondrously executed as it is beautifully conceived. Another surefire winner from a writer at the absolute top of his game.”
Providence Journal