Soft Target

by Mark Yost

“Soft Target,” introduces readers to Nick Mattera, a former Marine EOD Tech who’s now a firefighter/paramedic on Chicago’s North Shore. When Abdullah and Jhalil, two al Qaeda operatives, get tired of dodging drones in Afghanistan, they make their way to Chicago with one goal in mind: Take the fight to the Americans, opening up a whole new front in the War on Terror. The only question is: Can they carry out their mission before they’re caught?

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2012

About the author

Mark Yost has been a professional writer for more than 20 years. He worked for The Wall Street Journal full-time for 10 years. He was an editorial page writer in both New York and Brussels, and also wrote for the Journal's Leisure and Arts pages, in the U.S., as well as Europe and Asia.
For the past 10 years, he has been a full-time freelance writer. He still contributes regularly to the Journal's L&A page, primarily writing about the business of sports. He also writes reviews of historical museum exhibits, and book reviews. Yost also writes for the Journal's Sports pages.
His work has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, and Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal. Yost has also written copy for the J. Peterman catalog.
In Spring 2012, Mark Yost completed his first novel, "Soft Target," featuring firefighter Nick Mattera as the hero/protagonist. The book is the first in a four-book series revolving around the North Chicago firefighter and former Marine EOD TEch who runs into al Qaeda agents hellbent on killing Americans, Mexican drug lords determined to protect their turf after a newly elected Libertarian president decides to legalize drugs, and a disgruntled airline passenger who decides to take his anger out on the FAA and the members of the House Transportation Committee.
In addition to being a writer, Mark Yost is a firefighter/paramedic in both Highwood and Lake Bluff, on Chicago's North Shore. He's also a CPR instructor and certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, International Trauma Life Support, and as a Fire Apparatus Engineer and Hazardous Materials Operations.
Mark Yost is originally from New York, served six years in the U.S. Navy, and lives on the North Shore with his son, George.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and timely thriller with gratuitous penthouse letter sex thrown in. It would have been better had it had a bit of restraint ala Dennis Lehane with the sex and concentrated on the topical matter. The protagonist is compelling in many ways and multilayered without the x-rated foray. If the promised future books in the series can decide if they are soft core porn and/or the predecessors of R rated screenplays versus thrillers with something interesting to say about the times we live in and the character of the protagonist in relationship to his compelling environment we will see an interesting series.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book from [e-]cover to [e-]cover in a single afternoon. Yost has drawn some really interesting characters and I think Nick Mattera begs to be portrayed on the big screen. I can't wait for the next installment of this story in the fall. Great plot twists that had me turning the page and thinking "Oooh, nicely done." And I found the level of detail with which Yost writes about the fire/EMT services to be really interesting and informative -- without being too heavy handed. I've read a lot of the author's other work, but this is a great foray into fiction for him. I'm hooked!

[Annabelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing, keeps one interested,