Second
Strike by Peter Kirsanow has Special Operator Michael
Garin returning to save the day again. This Superman quote
applies, Garin “fights the unending battle for truth,
justice, and the American way.” He will once again face
off against his nemesis, Russian Special Operator Taras Bor
in this action-packed thriller.
Mike Garin was not written as an anti-hero. “I wrote
him as someone who is sure about the righteousness of his
cause. He sleeps very well at night. Never apologetic for
defending America. I wanted him to be a Gary Cooper type,
the old-fashioned gun slinger who is on the side of right.
I met many operators and my brother-in-law used to be one.
They believe in America and understand what must be done to
keep it as the greatest country in the world. Garin was inspired
in part by a couple of operators I’ve known, but he’s
chiefly a combination of the attributes of my brother-in-law
and my late father, one of the world’s great badasses.
In fact, Nikolai “Pop” Garin is my father. The
existential struggle between Garin and his nemesis Taras Bor
is a metaphor between the existential struggle of America
and its chief enemies. In future books, readers will find
out something about Bor that will surprise them and put some
things in perspective.”
At the center of the plot is the ongoing geopolitical tension
between Russia and America. Just weeks after thwarting an
EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack by the Russians and Iranians,
Garin and company realize that Russia is planning something
else, a massive cyber-attack using ISIS wannabes. It is a
warning of sorts that hammers the point home, America does
not have a response doctrine to a massive attack of either
magnitude. Without government support, Garin turns to three
people for help: Congo Knox, a former Delta Force sniper;
Dan Dwyer, the head of a sprawling military contracting firm;
and Olivia Perry, an aide to the national security advisor.
As the tension mounts up Garin must stop the attack or millions
will die
Kirsanow commented, “Because of my job I am at a lot
of committee hearings. The first book, Target Omega, was inspired
by a 2010 hearing on EMP. For this book, I happened on a committee
meeting regarding cyber-attacks. It was shortly after that
where China hacked the Office of Personal Management. My assistant
on the Committee of Civil Rights had her file hacked. It affected
so many people I know. The administration at the time did
nothing to protect those individuals. The opening scene in
this book refers to how previous administrations let problems
fester. If we do not have plans to deal with these dangers
it amounts to ‘defense malpractice.’”
This story has never ending action. Readers will be on the
edge of their chairs as they quickly turn the pages to see
how Garin thwarts Bor and the Russians.
Reviews of other titles in this series
Target
Omega #1
Second
Strike #2
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