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Michael Parson & Sophia Gold #2
Silent Enemy
A novel of courage and terror from the author of Sand and Fire and The Warriors...Estimated time of Never...When a terrorist bombing strikes a police training center in Kabul, Afghanistan, many are killed. The wounded, including Sergeant Major Sophia Gold, are loaded onto a C-5 Galaxy bound for Germany. But after takeoff, aircraft commander Michael Parson receives a the jihadists have placed bombs on planes leaving Afghanistan—and his is one of them. They are trapped in the air. And if they descend, they will die.As the aircraft deteriorates and the patients grow worse, Parson, Gold, and the crew are pushed to the breaking point—and their biggest challenge has yet to show itself.For the enemy is already closer than any of them can dare to imagine…"Fans of Clancy, Coonts, and Dale Brown need to add Young to their must-read lists." (Booklist)
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
October 29, 2011
Outstanding story. Aviation and suspense always make a "edge-of-you-seat" story!
October 8, 2023
*these reviews are for me
I really enjoyed this book and love the Parson and Gold stories more than any I’ve read in years. Parson and Gold are back in Afghanistan, Parson as an advisor and Gold as his interpreter. The character growth is amazing over these last three hoods. It’s good to see how that author navigates handing PTSD and how it seeps into every aspect of your life (I don’t know how gold is gonna survive another what? three books but we’ll see). I also enjoyed how he brought the aspect of humanity along the Taliban when Gold went to speak with the Mullah. I think the end with the leader was a bit anti-climactic. Like I know it was a cool fight scene but also he was really the only guy left? Really? Just two guys against a sword?
Also I could fully enjoy these books without the possibility of a romantic relationship between a Parson and Gold. I found it a bit weird in the first and became more into it in the second, but now this book he’s definitely playing with it and not sealing the deal??! You created the ship, you put me on the ship. I am now on the ship, I’m blowing through this series now just to see what happens, and if nothing happens I’m gonna pull all my hair out bc you put us there Mr Young. Yes the handholding is cute I love the connection they have but chop chop.
I really enjoyed this book and love the Parson and Gold stories more than any I’ve read in years. Parson and Gold are back in Afghanistan, Parson as an advisor and Gold as his interpreter. The character growth is amazing over these last three hoods. It’s good to see how that author navigates handing PTSD and how it seeps into every aspect of your life (I don’t know how gold is gonna survive another what? three books but we’ll see). I also enjoyed how he brought the aspect of humanity along the Taliban when Gold went to speak with the Mullah. I think the end with the leader was a bit anti-climactic. Like I know it was a cool fight scene but also he was really the only guy left? Really? Just two guys against a sword?
Also I could fully enjoy these books without the possibility of a romantic relationship between a Parson and Gold. I found it a bit weird in the first and became more into it in the second, but now this book he’s definitely playing with it and not sealing the deal??! You created the ship, you put me on the ship. I am now on the ship, I’m blowing through this series now just to see what happens, and if nothing happens I’m gonna pull all my hair out bc you put us there Mr Young. Yes the handholding is cute I love the connection they have but chop chop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2022
This was the first book I read of Tom Young's. My dad had a copy of it, with burned edges (what happened? I have no idea!) and I read it in 3 days while we were anchored in St Thomas, waiting for the winds to die down so we could make it back to St John. It was absolutely incredible! So exciting! What an interesting concept, the Taliban setting bombs to explode American military aircraft once they descend to a certain altitude. The jargon in this book appealed to me greatly, since I am already familiar with a lot of military aircraft procedures (I was a US Coast Guard C-130 aircrew member), but again he does an amazing job of explaining things in a way that anyone can understand. Gold has a passion for the Afghan culture and people and is very sympathetic towards them, but at one point she lets her guard down with disastrous results! It is a terrific book, quite a page-turner since I read it in 3 days!
August 18, 2017
Tom Young gives tech and military commend-driven novel. The crew of a very large transport plane is taking wounded American and Middle - Eastern fighters to the US for hospital treatment. The enemy has somehow placed a bomb on the jet, configured to go off when the plane gets below a certain altitude.
Young gives us a minute-to-minute of what the air crew and the some of the wounded are doing. There's a lots of airplane tech stuff. In fact, the the tech dialogue overwhelms the development of human dialogue. Amazingly, there is very little profanity--something we would hear in light of the likely crash of the plane.
It's a long read.
Young gives us a minute-to-minute of what the air crew and the some of the wounded are doing. There's a lots of airplane tech stuff. In fact, the the tech dialogue overwhelms the development of human dialogue. Amazingly, there is very little profanity--something we would hear in light of the likely crash of the plane.
It's a long read.
December 7, 2017
Excellent, fully loaded aeronautical thriller. Although it is unrealistic to believe that all those depicted catastrophic events can happen at one time, it is plausible and even probable that every one of those events did happen at some time to some one. Putting it altogether in one story makes for a fast paced, action packed book.
Tom Young is obviously a well-informed and experienced military pilot. He is compassionate and sensitive; and attempts not to oversell the military - with good success for the most part. Being retired military, I loved the descriptions of the military life.
Scott Brick's reading of the book is terrific!
Tom Young is obviously a well-informed and experienced military pilot. He is compassionate and sensitive; and attempts not to oversell the military - with good success for the most part. Being retired military, I loved the descriptions of the military life.
Scott Brick's reading of the book is terrific!
December 1, 2017
A great thriller. Well written, very suspenseful. Major Parson and Sergeant Gold. SILENT ENEMY pretty much takes place entirely in the air, in a C-5 transport trying to exit Kabul, Afghanistan on its way to Germany. Who'd have thought that a novel could be written from that long, boring flight? I am a USAF veteran an enjoyed his presentation of the USAF characters making them both believable yet not superheros.
August 14, 2026
Silent Enemy is a great book. It is well written, taut, suspenseful and action packed. The action occurs predominantly on a large cargo plane in which a bomb has been secreted. While trying to find a landing zone, the plane encounters one disaster after another. The characters are well developed. Despite being the second book in a series and not having read the first book, I did not feel lost. I will definitely go back to read the first book, and look forward to more books by the author.
March 24, 2019
Good second effort from Young which reunites the characyers from his first novel. Sophia is being medevac’d after a bombing in Afghanistan when it is revealed that they may have a bomb on the plane. A frantic search along with other difficulties including multiple mid air refueling takes place as they seek to find and defuse the bomb.
January 17, 2022
Definitely my kind of read. Nail bitter till the end. I am definitely going to read the 1st book in this series “The Mullah’s Storm”. The relationship between Sgt. Major Gold and Major Parson is interesting. When you go through something dramatic, it forges a bond forever. Highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys military stories.
June 25, 2021
This is the second book in a six book series featuring Air Force Major Commander Michael Parsons and Army Sergeant Major interpreter Sophia Gold.
The jihadists bombed the Afghan National Police Central training facility where Gold is an instructor. She only suffers cracked ribs but she is flying back to Germany with a group of wounded Afghanistan students as their interpreter. Parsons is pilot of the cargo plane that is now being used as a medic evac plane.
After getting airborne they are told that a barometric dirty bomb has been hidden on the plane. When the plane descends to a lower altitude thus changing the barometric pressure the bomb will explode and spew biochemical warfare poisons like anthrax that will cover a large area of the country the plane is over.
Somehow they have to find and disarm the bomb. Also they don’t know where everyone’s loyalty lies and a patient who is secretly a jihadist manages to enter the cockpit and cripple the plane. Adding to their problem is that no country wants them in their air space. They have to refuel midair three times. Tense.
He’s a superb writer that has thousands of military air miles and it’s obvious he knows what he’s writing about. He does not bog the story down with tedious minute details, but tells you what you need to know and understand.
Different type of book for me but I’m really enjoying the series.
The jihadists bombed the Afghan National Police Central training facility where Gold is an instructor. She only suffers cracked ribs but she is flying back to Germany with a group of wounded Afghanistan students as their interpreter. Parsons is pilot of the cargo plane that is now being used as a medic evac plane.
After getting airborne they are told that a barometric dirty bomb has been hidden on the plane. When the plane descends to a lower altitude thus changing the barometric pressure the bomb will explode and spew biochemical warfare poisons like anthrax that will cover a large area of the country the plane is over.
Somehow they have to find and disarm the bomb. Also they don’t know where everyone’s loyalty lies and a patient who is secretly a jihadist manages to enter the cockpit and cripple the plane. Adding to their problem is that no country wants them in their air space. They have to refuel midair three times. Tense.
He’s a superb writer that has thousands of military air miles and it’s obvious he knows what he’s writing about. He does not bog the story down with tedious minute details, but tells you what you need to know and understand.
Different type of book for me but I’m really enjoying the series.
May 31, 2017
Gripping fictional story that while I am not sure has ever happened, is close enough to real life to read like a journal entry of the worst day of someone's life.
January 16, 2018
It's a great action packed book
March 26, 2018
Liked - but am tired from the non-stop terror.
January 11, 2020
Found another unique storyline w Silent Enemy ... a genuine thriller.
January 27, 2020
Not bad. Easy read if you're looking for a break. A military thriller.
February 7, 2020
Brought back a lot of memories.
March 13, 2021
Terrorist bomb one army transport plane from Afghanistan, can't descent
February 23, 2022
Another brilliant book by T. Young. It gives you a real glimpse into air crew operations. I loved every single detail in it
December 9, 2022
Hard to put down riveting thriller adventure tale of a pilot and his plane
July 22, 2023
Rounded up. Constant action, but the author does put details about the characters in there among the drama.
September 10, 2023
I read this book in one day for I could not put it down.
May 27, 2024
Excellent story. Kept you on the edge
of your seat with each new challenge
per chapter.
of your seat with each new challenge
per chapter.
July 12, 2025
Best of Tom Young’s works I’ve read to date, Silent Enemy is a Netflix 8 episode series waiting to be made.
March 24, 2026
Not my style of book - note for self Dnf
April 14, 2026
Boring!!! Expected more (or at least the same level of interest / intrique) after having tead Tom Young's first book "The Mullah's Storm"!!
June 4, 2026
It will keep you reading but is done.
I every minute of this book. I will keep read more of books. Keep writing books like they are excellent
I every minute of this book. I will keep read more of books. Keep writing books like they are excellent
November 27, 2016
Second time with this book. Enjoyed it as much the second time around. The writer is the real deal.
January 11, 2017
A day + in a plane
Talk about over coming problem after problem these people overcame most of the obstacles to survive this flight even though few were in one piece
Talk about over coming problem after problem these people overcame most of the obstacles to survive this flight even though few were in one piece
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews