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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Attempted Communist Chinese takeover of Taiwan
This book is the reason why I don’t buy any thrillers from the pharmacy. Low-brow cliche books that I’ve read too many of. I think Brad Taylor is a good author but this formatting I’ve seen everywhere.
Have you ever read a book that feels so much like an action movie that it’s almost jarring when you come back to reality!? That was me with this story! I was gifted this copy of American Traitor and despite having never read a Pike Logan novel before I jumped in! This was a fun change of pace from the genres I typically read! Filled with espionage, political intrigue, really interesting characters, and lots of fighting sequences!
As this was my first book I’ve read in this series there was definitely some backstory I was missing, but the novel is written in a way that you can still read this as a stand-alone and get just enough information that you think to yourself “hmmm, maybe I’ll read some of the previous books to learn more about ______!” Overall entertaining read and a good change of pace from the fantasy/romcom kick I’ve been on lately!
Thank you @williammorrowbooks for this gifted copy!!
As this was my first book I’ve read in this series there was definitely some backstory I was missing, but the novel is written in a way that you can still read this as a stand-alone and get just enough information that you think to yourself “hmmm, maybe I’ll read some of the previous books to learn more about ______!” Overall entertaining read and a good change of pace from the fantasy/romcom kick I’ve been on lately!
Thank you @williammorrowbooks for this gifted copy!!
January is a great month for new thriller book releases, and it’s become an annual tradition of mine to pick up the latest Brad Taylor book shortly after New Year’s Day every year. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to wait until 2021 to get a look at the latest Pike Logan adventure, thanks to NetGalley providing me a sneak peak at American Traitor (coming out January 5, 2021). I had high expectations since Brad is one of the best writers, and Pike one of the best operators, in the genre today. After devouring the book, I can honestly say this is one fantastic novel! American Traitor is a cerebral and elaborate story with a tangled plot that combines complex geopolitical shenanigans with that special Pike Logan magic badassery we all know and love.
American Traitor follows Pike and fellow Taskforce operator/now-wife Jennifer Cahill (aka Koko) as they head to Australia for vacation and some diving around the Great Barrier Reef. They’re hoping for a relaxing vacation visiting a friend and former Taskforce member, but with Pike nothing is ever that simple. No sooner do they get to their friend’s apartment than the bloodshed ensues, and this time Pike and Jennifer don’t know why they were targeted. They get involved as a means to protect their friend, but that quickly expands into a kinetic operation across Australia, then Taiwan, with the other illustrious Taskforce members joining in on the fun. As they dig deeper, they unravel an ominous conspiracy with global implications that could start a costly war with China. Now in a race against time, Pike and his team must stretch the limits of the Taskforce charter to save the world…again.
What makes American Traitor one of Brad Taylor’s best books to date is that it’s much more than a large body count at Pike Logan’s hands. Yes, there is plenty of action and dead bad guys along the way to make die-hard fans happy. But this book is so much more than an action thriller. In fact, I believe it’s more of a political thriller combined with a spy thriller. There’s a great deal of insight into Pan-Asian politics with the plot exploring Chinese espionage activities in Australia, the nine-dash line in the South China Sea, the tenuous China/Taiwan relationship and the United States ambiguous diplomatic policy towards Taiwan. These elements make for a compelling story that moves between key characters on multiple sides of the equation until it all comes to a head with an explosive conclusion.
In addition, this book represents a transition point in the series. After the events of Hunter Killer (the previous Pike book), George Wolffe is pressed into action as the new leader of the Taskforce and Brad does a great job of developing him as a character. It would have been easy for George just pick up where Kurt Hale, the prior Taskforce leader, left off. Instead, he is shown to be his own man with more political savvy and a penchant to let Pike work his magic with a little less oversight. George is also faced with the Taskforce charter possibly evolving in a new direction, which requires a different approach. We’ll have to wait and see how George develops over the next few books, but I’m intrigued to see how he progresses and deals with Pike’s unique skillset of pushing the boundaries of authority and mission approval.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of American Traitor. It’s the latest in a long line of absolutely bankable great thrillers by Brad Taylor. It has everything you could want: politics, action, espionage…and Pike taking out everything and everyone standing in his way of mission success. In addition, it feels like a book that is predicting one of the next big world-shaping conflagrations. I’m willing to bet that we’ll see real life actions that mirror the plot of this book. Hopefully not to the same extent, but we’ll just have to wait and see. So read about it now and be prepared for what’s to come!
American Traitor follows Pike and fellow Taskforce operator/now-wife Jennifer Cahill (aka Koko) as they head to Australia for vacation and some diving around the Great Barrier Reef. They’re hoping for a relaxing vacation visiting a friend and former Taskforce member, but with Pike nothing is ever that simple. No sooner do they get to their friend’s apartment than the bloodshed ensues, and this time Pike and Jennifer don’t know why they were targeted. They get involved as a means to protect their friend, but that quickly expands into a kinetic operation across Australia, then Taiwan, with the other illustrious Taskforce members joining in on the fun. As they dig deeper, they unravel an ominous conspiracy with global implications that could start a costly war with China. Now in a race against time, Pike and his team must stretch the limits of the Taskforce charter to save the world…again.
What makes American Traitor one of Brad Taylor’s best books to date is that it’s much more than a large body count at Pike Logan’s hands. Yes, there is plenty of action and dead bad guys along the way to make die-hard fans happy. But this book is so much more than an action thriller. In fact, I believe it’s more of a political thriller combined with a spy thriller. There’s a great deal of insight into Pan-Asian politics with the plot exploring Chinese espionage activities in Australia, the nine-dash line in the South China Sea, the tenuous China/Taiwan relationship and the United States ambiguous diplomatic policy towards Taiwan. These elements make for a compelling story that moves between key characters on multiple sides of the equation until it all comes to a head with an explosive conclusion.
In addition, this book represents a transition point in the series. After the events of Hunter Killer (the previous Pike book), George Wolffe is pressed into action as the new leader of the Taskforce and Brad does a great job of developing him as a character. It would have been easy for George just pick up where Kurt Hale, the prior Taskforce leader, left off. Instead, he is shown to be his own man with more political savvy and a penchant to let Pike work his magic with a little less oversight. George is also faced with the Taskforce charter possibly evolving in a new direction, which requires a different approach. We’ll have to wait and see how George develops over the next few books, but I’m intrigued to see how he progresses and deals with Pike’s unique skillset of pushing the boundaries of authority and mission approval.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of American Traitor. It’s the latest in a long line of absolutely bankable great thrillers by Brad Taylor. It has everything you could want: politics, action, espionage…and Pike taking out everything and everyone standing in his way of mission success. In addition, it feels like a book that is predicting one of the next big world-shaping conflagrations. I’m willing to bet that we’ll see real life actions that mirror the plot of this book. Hopefully not to the same extent, but we’ll just have to wait and see. So read about it now and be prepared for what’s to come!
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Action packed. The premise was a little cheesy, the dialogue a bit cliche, and the ending a bit “rah-rah”. But it’s basically what you expect from Brad Taylor, a good example of the espionage genre.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Thanks to the publisher for the free early copy in exchange for my honest review
Another espionage thriller to keep the TBR exciting! This will forever be my favorite subgenre within thrillers (this and political thrillers). The action, the intrigue, worldwide connections to the story, and almost always some kind of spy element. AMERICAN TRAITOR by Brad Taylor is book fifteen in the Pike Logan series. While this is only the second book I’ve read in the series, I’m already a big fan and need to go back to the beginning.
What you can expect out of a Brad Taylor thriller is non-stop action, believable and relatable characters, and the scenery and scenarios feel so authentic. The research the author puts in really shows and makes this even more enjoyable to read. However, that being said, when it comes to the espionage thriller genre and things are well-researched like this, it can almost feel too real. The possibilities seem endless and when an author can make me feel the suspense and tension like this, then it’s a win for me!
Despite being so far into the series, you can pick this one up as a standalone without issue. Of course, the character development and relationships won’t be as in-depth as they would be starting here, but you get a good feel for Pike Logan. He is a fun character to get to know and seeing his relationship with Jennifer continue and watching them grow and work together. Overall, if the synopsis piques your curiosity at all, then I recommend getting to know Pike Logan and joining him on all his adventures
Another espionage thriller to keep the TBR exciting! This will forever be my favorite subgenre within thrillers (this and political thrillers). The action, the intrigue, worldwide connections to the story, and almost always some kind of spy element. AMERICAN TRAITOR by Brad Taylor is book fifteen in the Pike Logan series. While this is only the second book I’ve read in the series, I’m already a big fan and need to go back to the beginning.
What you can expect out of a Brad Taylor thriller is non-stop action, believable and relatable characters, and the scenery and scenarios feel so authentic. The research the author puts in really shows and makes this even more enjoyable to read. However, that being said, when it comes to the espionage thriller genre and things are well-researched like this, it can almost feel too real. The possibilities seem endless and when an author can make me feel the suspense and tension like this, then it’s a win for me!
Despite being so far into the series, you can pick this one up as a standalone without issue. Of course, the character development and relationships won’t be as in-depth as they would be starting here, but you get a good feel for Pike Logan. He is a fun character to get to know and seeing his relationship with Jennifer continue and watching them grow and work together. Overall, if the synopsis piques your curiosity at all, then I recommend getting to know Pike Logan and joining him on all his adventures
Thanks to the publisher for the free early copy in exchange for my honest review
Another espionage thriller to keep the TBR exciting! This will forever be my favorite subgenre within thrillers (this and political thrillers). The action, the intrigue, worldwide connections to the story, and almost always some kind of spy element. AMERICAN TRAITOR by Brad Taylor is book fifteen in the Pike Logan series. While this is only the second book I’ve read in the series, I’m already a big fan and need to go back to the beginning.
What you can expect out of a Brad Taylor thriller is non-stop action, believable and relatable characters, and the scenery and scenarios feel so authentic. The research the author puts in really shows and makes this even more enjoyable to read. However, that being said, when it comes to the espionage thriller genre and things are well-researched like this, it can almost feel too real. The possibilities seem endless and when an author can make me feel the suspense and tension like this, then it’s a win for me!
Despite being so far into the series, you can pick this one up as a standalone without issue. Of course, the character development and relationships won’t be as in-depth as they would be starting here, but you get a good feel for Pike Logan. He is a fun character to get to know and seeing his relationship with Jennifer continue and watching them grow and work together. Overall, if the synopsis piques your curiosity at all, then I recommend getting to know Pike Logan and joining him on all his adventures.
Another espionage thriller to keep the TBR exciting! This will forever be my favorite subgenre within thrillers (this and political thrillers). The action, the intrigue, worldwide connections to the story, and almost always some kind of spy element. AMERICAN TRAITOR by Brad Taylor is book fifteen in the Pike Logan series. While this is only the second book I’ve read in the series, I’m already a big fan and need to go back to the beginning.
What you can expect out of a Brad Taylor thriller is non-stop action, believable and relatable characters, and the scenery and scenarios feel so authentic. The research the author puts in really shows and makes this even more enjoyable to read. However, that being said, when it comes to the espionage thriller genre and things are well-researched like this, it can almost feel too real. The possibilities seem endless and when an author can make me feel the suspense and tension like this, then it’s a win for me!
Despite being so far into the series, you can pick this one up as a standalone without issue. Of course, the character development and relationships won’t be as in-depth as they would be starting here, but you get a good feel for Pike Logan. He is a fun character to get to know and seeing his relationship with Jennifer continue and watching them grow and work together. Overall, if the synopsis piques your curiosity at all, then I recommend getting to know Pike Logan and joining him on all his adventures.