A great interview to follow on my review of this intriguing new military thriller Weapons of Mass Deception by David Bruns and JR Olson. Thanks to Christoph Fischer!
In 2003, the world watched as coalition forces toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, then searched unsuccessfully for the weapons of mass destruction they were certain existed.
None were ever found, but they do exist. On the eve of the invasion, a handful of nuclear weapons was smuggled out of Iraq and hidden in the most unlikely of places: Iran.
Now, as the threat of WMDs fades into a late-night punch line, a shadowy Iranian faction waits for the perfect moment to unleash Saddam Hussein’s nuclear legacy on the West.
Brendan McHugh, a Navy SEAL, meets a mysterious Iranian diplomat on a raid in Iraq.
His former girlfriend and FBI linguist discovers a link to Iran among a group of captured jihadis. And pulling it all together is a CIA analyst who can’t…
Patriot Games meets The Fourth Protocol in this riveting story of modern-day nuclear terrorism.
In 2003, the world watched as coalition forces toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, then searched—unsuccessfully—for the weapons of mass destruction they were certain existed.
None were ever found, but they do exist. On the eve of the invasion, a handful of nuclear weapons was smuggled out of Iraq and hidden in the most unlikely of places—Iran.
Now, as the threat of WMDs fades into a late-night punch line, a shadowy Iranian faction waits for the perfect moment to unleash Saddam Hussein’s nuclear legacy on the West.
Brendan McHugh, a Navy SEAL, meets a mysterious Iranian diplomat on a raid in Iraq. His former girlfriend and FBI linguist discovers a link to Iran among a group of captured jihadis. And pulling it all together is a CIA analyst who can’t forget about Saddam Hussein’s WMDs—even if it costs him his career.
What the reviewers are saying
(Don’t miss Ceri London’s review below!)
“Fans of Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, or Nelson DeMille should feel right at home with this story of lost nukes, Navy SEALS, intelligence agency operatives, and up-to-minute global politics.”
“An intense, wild ride, hang on to your hats.”
“WMD weaves global politics and fundamentalism with love and hard-hitting action, all against a backdrop of real-world events. A…scary exploration of what might have been!”
“A visual page-turner, WMD is art that imitates life.”
There were scenes of action in Weapons of Mass Deception when I just knew that the two authors must have had so much fun plotting out this book. Their real-life military experience shines through, adding even more credibility to a political thriller that sometimes tracks so closely to recent events I began to wonder if the authors possessed a crystal ball at the time of writing. The level of research gave me a greater appreciation of the complexities of life and politics in the Middle East than I had before.
The story captures snapshots of the lives of six flawed and interesting characters covering a wide spectrum of professional and personal developments across several years, the steady pace enlivened with intense scenes of military action and personal drama. Every now and again the lives of these six characters cross over, enough for the reader to understand the significance, sometimes ahead of the characters creating an air of looming suspense. Always in the background is the menacing threat that the world is about to discover the whereabouts of some famous missing nuclear weapons.
I loved how the three baddies in this story were given equal billing with WMD’s heroes. The back stories of Hashem Aboud, Rafiq Roshed, and U.S. Navy officer Brendan McHugh are particularly well drawn. For me, Brendan was the main hero, oh so hopeless with his personal relationships, but I found myself as much immersed in Rafiq’s personal story as I was rooting for Brendan and FBI Special Agent Liz Soroush to get their act together.
Beautifully written, convincingly detailed, and professionally edited, WMD weaves global politics and fundamentalism with love and hard-hitting action, all against a backdrop of real-world events. A well thought out thriller, but also a fascinating and scary exploration of what might have been!
Highly recommended!
(I received an advance review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.)
Ceri London writes a blend of high-powered science fiction and thriller filled with charismatic but believable characters that show the human psyche at its best and worst. Read Ceri's blog and discover her inspiration here.
Ceri London writes a blend of high-powered science fiction and thriller filled with charismatic but believable characters that show the human psyche at its best and worst. Read Ceri's blog and discover her inspiration here.
A military thriller by two US Navy veterans that could be ripped from today’s headlines
Ceri London's Blog, Science Fiction Author 