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Harold Coyle's Strategic Solutions, Inc. #3
Vulcan's Fire
In this explosive series from "New York Times" bestseller Harold Coyle and noted military author Barrett Tillman, a new type of war is being fought by private paramilitary companies at the beck and call of the highest bidder. With its military and intelligence agencies spread thin, the United States constantly calls upon the services of these organizations--and Strategic Solutions, Inc. is among the best.
After a few bloody and unprofitable contracts, SSI is faced with a financial crisis. Forced to take contracts from less than reputable clients, the upper management and field agents find themselves in a labor dispute. When the Israeli government offers SSI an opportunity to help Druze militias in southern Lebanon fend off encroachment by Hezbollah, they know it's a fragile situation. If the truth were known, the international outcry against Israel would be deafening.
Forced to work with a government whose ultimate motives are unclear, SSI takes the job and descends into a shadowy no-man's-land of tangled alliances and hostilities. Meanwhile, Hezbollah elements are planning their most audacious strike yet, assembling teams to detonate suitcase nukes in contested areas of Lebanon, hoping to destabilize the entire country. Caught between two elements of an age-old conflict, the battles the SSI fights may be a diversion...
After a few bloody and unprofitable contracts, SSI is faced with a financial crisis. Forced to take contracts from less than reputable clients, the upper management and field agents find themselves in a labor dispute. When the Israeli government offers SSI an opportunity to help Druze militias in southern Lebanon fend off encroachment by Hezbollah, they know it's a fragile situation. If the truth were known, the international outcry against Israel would be deafening.
Forced to work with a government whose ultimate motives are unclear, SSI takes the job and descends into a shadowy no-man's-land of tangled alliances and hostilities. Meanwhile, Hezbollah elements are planning their most audacious strike yet, assembling teams to detonate suitcase nukes in contested areas of Lebanon, hoping to destabilize the entire country. Caught between two elements of an age-old conflict, the battles the SSI fights may be a diversion...
360 pages, Paperback
First published November 11, 2008
About the author
Harold Coyle
47 books265 followersHarold Coyle is an American author of historical, speculative fiction and war novels including Team Yankee, a New York Times best-seller.He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1974 and spent seventeen years on active duty with the U.S. Army.He lives in Leavenworth, Kansas.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 24, 2020
Needing revenue, Strategic Solutions, Inc hires out to the Israelis to help out Druze militia in Lebanon. It seems Hezbollah is planning a nuclear attack.
Lots of backstabbing and double dealing.
Lots of backstabbing and double dealing.
April 7, 2019
Another good addition to the series. Just the right amount of espionage and lots of action. I like authors that aren't afraid to kill some of the good guys in their novels. It leaves you wondering who will escape and who won't.
March 5, 2024
Ok read only. Amount of SSI personnel available seemed very small for the work they’re involved in and limited resources such as their own helicopters, armoured Hummers, heavier weapons etc to support their own troops during their training mission.
December 16, 2022
Okay read. Have been curious about the Strategic Solutions books for a while. Not as good as the earlier Coyle stuff, but still solid entertainment.
October 3, 2026
Too bureaucratic
June 24, 2012
Vulcan's Fire concerns a private militia hired by Israel to train Druze fighters in Lebanon. The "evil doers" consist of a combination of Hezbollah and Iranian agents intent on mass mayhem. The peripheral characters (both in the US and Israel) are suitably concerned and empathic, although the peccadilloes of each are not so much endearing as annoying. The bad guys are incredibly formulaic and textbook examples of the seven deadly sins. The main characters (of which there are far too many) comprise the necessary swatch of diversity in terms of style and background to satisfy any state university enrollment.
All the characters are one-dimensional. The crusty old retired Admiral wears his Navy issued glasses. The retired Marine is distinguished by his "jarhead" haircut. The retired female Army Colonel who killed two men in the last novel has a fantastic body and shapely legs terminating in high heels. The SSI team assembled for the mission to Lebanon is filled with stereotypes from the super-capable black sergeant with the broad smile to the shaved head bodybuilder with 20 inch biceps to the former Special Ops surfer dude and, finally, to the never-been-in-combat top-notch championship shooter who converted to Islam and has something to prove.
But it is reasonably well written and reasonably entertaining. The few combat scenes are engrossing. Coyle has always built much of his books through the incorporation of what may be military jargon into his dialog. (Do people really say "phib gru"? It took me a moment to parse amphibious group out of that.) For example, Coyle drops a factoid into the midst of a conversation: the Marines adopted a new sniper rifle that the sniper characters here didn't like. That sent me off on a web search for the "M40A3" and the discovery that Coyle had some of his facts wrong.
The only redeeming quality for the story (if the reader is so inclined) is a by-the-book exhaustive attention to military weapons and tactical details that for most will merely drag. There are no heroes in the end, just survivors.
All the characters are one-dimensional. The crusty old retired Admiral wears his Navy issued glasses. The retired Marine is distinguished by his "jarhead" haircut. The retired female Army Colonel who killed two men in the last novel has a fantastic body and shapely legs terminating in high heels. The SSI team assembled for the mission to Lebanon is filled with stereotypes from the super-capable black sergeant with the broad smile to the shaved head bodybuilder with 20 inch biceps to the former Special Ops surfer dude and, finally, to the never-been-in-combat top-notch championship shooter who converted to Islam and has something to prove.
But it is reasonably well written and reasonably entertaining. The few combat scenes are engrossing. Coyle has always built much of his books through the incorporation of what may be military jargon into his dialog. (Do people really say "phib gru"? It took me a moment to parse amphibious group out of that.) For example, Coyle drops a factoid into the midst of a conversation: the Marines adopted a new sniper rifle that the sniper characters here didn't like. That sent me off on a web search for the "M40A3" and the discovery that Coyle had some of his facts wrong.
The only redeeming quality for the story (if the reader is so inclined) is a by-the-book exhaustive attention to military weapons and tactical details that for most will merely drag. There are no heroes in the end, just survivors.
June 1, 2011
Obviously Harold Coyle did not have much to do with this novel. Coyle is well known for is excellently crafted characters. This book is a plot with names. While the story is not bad, I just couldn't care for the people in it. No buy in.
June 8, 2009
Just couldn't finish this one. The dialouge was too predictable and it took over 100 pages just to get everyone togeather. Mr. Coyle has done much better!
Read
June 27, 2009SSI has some issues... and losses
Read
August 27, 2011DNF
February 20, 2014
What if the War on Terror is simply a Second Cold War then Of Reason?
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews