Shattered Shield ISBN: 9781793114907 assumed published, copyright and written by Camden Mays.
The story opens with the crossing of the southern border of the U.S. by a group of illegals, one of whom is an Iranian whose activity includes killing persons here in order to effect his escape into the country. From this point the reader is shifted to the tale’s protagonist, a former Navy Pilot, recently divorced with settlement of their home in Virginia still contentious. He had left his prosperous consulting firm in California at the urging of a friend to become a member if the CIA. His wife had returned to California where their daughter was a university student. At present he has second thoughts as to the wisdom of his decisions and is about to resign when he is offered a new position of importance in a newly formed operation being established to nullify terrorist activity that had been initiated. The plot progresses from here to provide an interesting look at the step by step procedures taken by government agencies to foil terrorist plots and apprehend and/or eliminate the perpetrators.
Discussion: The author has set forth a fascinating picture of how the CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security departments might function to establish and jointly perform to successfully combat the work of a terrorist and/or his organization. The early contents of the book required to establish the basics of the plot move rather slowly, but gradually the pace accelerates. The characters are empathetic, romantic and familial aspects are credible as are the thriller/suspense aspects that gradually expand. The finale provides a natural entre to the next volume. Judicious editing would greatly enhance the story’s enjoyment.
4* 5* Enjoyable anti-terrorist thriller/suspense; -1 editing required to enhance.