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All Necessary Force (Pike Logan, #2)

Brad Taylor

Why we're reading this: What problems ensure when someone tries to turn off a country? Some Islamic terrorists try to find out wi…more
[close] What problems ensure when someone tries to turn off a country? Some Islamic terrorists try to find out with a scheme targeting the American power grid that begins with the theft of the most sophisticated explosive devices in the arsenal of the US Military.

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May 03, 2013 Samuel rated it it was amazing

All Necessary Force is the second book in the critically acclaimed Pike Logan saga. The author, former Delta Force operator Brad Taylor really hits his stride in this book, raising the stakes and creating a surprising, sometimes jaw dropping military thriller. At the start, we’re in 1970’s Cambodia with a group of MACVSOG operatives who are spying on a North Vietnamese base. Noticing what seems to be a Russian military adviser, the team leader, the father of one of the Taskforce’s leaders, Kurt All Necessary Force is the second book in the critically acclaimed Pike Logan saga. The author, former Delta Force operator Brad Taylor really hits his stride in this book, raising the stakes and creating a surprising, sometimes jaw dropping military thriller. At the start, we’re in 1970’s Cambodia with a group of MACVSOG operatives who are spying on a North Vietnamese base. Noticing what seems to be a Russian military adviser, the team leader, the father of one of the Taskforce’s leaders, Kurt Hale takes a photo. Unfortunately, the North Vietnamese notice the team, and their exfiltration, despite the best efforts of the team leader is tragically unsuccessful.

Flash forward to 2012, we meet up with Jenifer Cahill who’s in a car chase as she flees to a remote bar. We learn that after the events of One Rough Man, Pike was able to convince her to try and join the Taskforce and began to train her in-between the books in order to give her a fighting chance to survive in the male dominated organisation. Despite the best efforts of the Taskforce’s finest to derail her application the hard way, Jenifer outwits them in an unconventional manner and succeeds.

Meanwhile in Sudan, a CIA S.A.D officer commits an act of sabotage on a Chinese oil refinery. This sets off alarm bells in Beijing and a MSS Officer decides to steal the device which turned the refinery into a pile of ashes. In Washington, a powerful politician and a Chinese agent tasked with industrial espionage is in the perfect position to steal the device. Elsewhere, a group of Islamist terrorists who are planning a asymmetric terrorist attack learn about the industrial espionage about to happen and make preparations to intercept the device for themselves.

All these threads converge together in a stunning web of technology, unexpected explosions and one very important question. Should you follow the law or use all necessary force to save those around you? This theme is one of the cornerstones of the story and is explored through the extreme measures Pike and Jenifer are forced to take in order to do the right thing, inevitably clashing with their superiors who fret about exposure of their off the books organisation.

As I said in the previous review, Taylor has blown the roof off in quality and it shows. Plot wise, All Necessary Force is in a different league from the previous book, with a bigger scope and a devastatingly realistic threat. From a gunfight in Egypt with Chinese assassins to a stakeout on human traffickers in Eastern Europe to the final race against time hunt across Eastern America for the terrorists, All Necessary Force will grab you by the scruff of your neck and drag you on a breath-taking journey to the end. The action is once again realistic, a standout being the Taskforce’s attempted takedown of one of the terrorists as he tries to buy semtex, ending with one very big bang. The technology and tradecraft also get a lot more time to shine, showing off the true capabilities of the Taskforce and the creativity of their Islamist adversaries. From the incredible surveillance technology and firepower at the Taskforce’s disposal to the explosive force penetrators used by the terrorists to turn off America, literally, Brad Taylor channels the late Vince Flynn in showing us the kind of equipment and technology modern counter terrorists use, but with a fictional twist. He also makes a serious attempt to show that killing, even for a good cause and even if the target had it coming, is not something to be taken lightly, or to enjoy.

Once again, the characters shine, something that’s becoming a defining feature of the Pike Logan series. Pike himself is no exception. Now back with the Taskforce, he’s forced to relearn how to lead a team after being the proverbial lone wolf in the last novel. We’re also properly introduced to the members of the Taskforce, a standout being Decoy, a loveable womanising Navy SEAL with a heart of gold. The villains are also excellent, some of them being the most dangerous and creative Islamist terrorists depicted in fiction. If guys like them existed in the ranks of Al Qaeda, there would be many sleepless nights for all of us. But it’s not Pike, the villains or even the Taskforce that are the main focus of the book, instead, the story belongs to Jenifer, and how she develops from the hysterical college student from One Rough Man, to a killer who can garrotte a man and not break down into a blubbering mess afterwards. However, Taylor, in another masterful piece of character development portrays Jenifer’s journey to becoming a badass realistically, showing that despite not liking it, learns to accept it as a necessary part of her new job. Interestingly, there’s a sub theme in the novel that’s open to interpretation. Is there a place for women in a Special Forces unit? This is explored through Jenifer’s struggle to win respect in the Taskforce, the majority of the members extremely sceptical of her at the start of the story.

Now for the critiquing, and there’s only one problem I found. In my edition, there was a glaring mislabelling of the Heckler and Koch UMP as an assault rifle. But that’s the only problem I found while reading this fantastic story.

Overall, All Necessary Force is a superb military thriller but a whole lot more than killing and covert ops. It tries to show that Islamists terrorists, contrary to the cliché they’ve become, are extremely creative and still quite lethal, even with Osama Bin Laden becoming shark food, and explores how far someone with the power to do anything to stop terrorist threats can go before they cross the moral line and turn into a monster. With its continuously superb research, a mesmerising plot and constantly surprising character development, All Necessary Force is a bloody brilliant military thriller and one you shouldn’t miss. In the next review, I’ll be talking about Enemy Of Mine, in which Taylor delivers some horrifying, yet brilliant surprises you won’t see coming.
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