Strikeforce Lightning (Mark Aitken, A&U)

Strikeforce Lightning is exactly what you’d expect from the title—a military/espionage thriller in the vein of fellow Australians James Phelan and David Rollins. The setting (Jordan and surrounds) and plot (a mix of intelligence and military action) initially had me thinking of David Ignatius’ 2007 hit Body of Lies, but it isn’t quite on that level. David Aitken’s follow-up to Arctic Floor again features decorated special forces captain Gerry Gallen. He’s retired (to the extent that special forces operatives can be) to the family ranch in Wyoming when he gets an offer he can’t refuse: pulling one of his men out of a sticky situation involving a US mercenary contractor and some nasty Iraqis with ties to Hamas and the old Saddam Hussein regime. It’s the old story—soldier gets pulled in for one last job—but Aitken pulls it off with flair. There are crosses and double crosses, webs of lies, baddies from the FBI, CIA and DIA, and plenty of set-piece action sequences: the breakout from captivity; the motorbike chase; the car bombing; the shootout; the helicopter chase and the underwater dive. In short, while it doesn’t push the genre, it’s an engaging, action-packed and always entertaining read, which is well worth picking up. I’ll be looking out for Aitken’s next.

Lachlan Jobbins is a reviewer, editor and ex-bookseller. He is one of the presenters of For the Love of Books on STUDIO (Foxtel)

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Category: Reviews