Team of Darkness

by Tony Ruggiero

Horror/Vampire: Navy Commander John Reese has been given the perfect opportunity of his lifetime; the chance to prove the existence of creatures that for centuries have haunted the myths and legends of Europe, the creatures known as vampires.

184 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2002

About the author

Tony Ruggiero is best known for his dark fantasy thrillers about vampires being used by the US military. Ground breaking and fast paced, the novels are a characteristic mixture of the vampire lore of Anne Rice and the clandestine secrets of the military found in Tom Clancy novels. The concept led to a series of books released in 2006 through 2010, labeled the Team of Darkness Declassified Files. The books include: Operation Immortal Servitude, Operation Save the Innocent, Operation Face the Fear, and Operation Endgame.
A longtime favorite for Tony is the old style of “space opera” type stories which is the center of his two book series: Alien Deception and Alien Revelation. The series deals with an alien organization that has infiltrated the American political system. The series runs the gauntlet from humorous and light hearted to deadly serious as a young man and woman search for answers.
His latest release is Coven. Little towns and secrets: a guilty pleasure for some and a harsh reality for others. Witches have secretly been in control of the town council for years and the town has prospered...until now. As they search for the truth behind the mysterious death of one of their shop owners, they uncover disturbing secrets about an ostracized witch and their own coven leader, making it unclear which one may have been using black magic to murder.
Tony retired from the United States Navy in 2001 after twenty-three years of service. He and his family currently reside in Portsmouth, Virginia. While continuing to write, Tony teaches at Old Dominion University and Saint Leo University. Visit his website to read sample chapters at www.tonyruggiero.com

Reviews

[Michael Timlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A peacekeeping operation in Kosovo has a new commander and a new mission. Navy Commander John Reese was selected to command this elite unit because of his interest in myths and legends. He is sent to Kosovo because a man has shown up at the base claiming that his children were killed by beasts. An investigation of the area proves to be fatal and the enemy unstoppable. Now Commander Resse has to put together a plan to capture these creatures, once they are captured, under the cover of darkness they are secreted onto a base in the United States. Once they have been studied and tested in military procedures. Commander Reese has a new group of men to command. The men are over a hundred years old and look to be only in their 20's. A special collar is placed on their necks to control them. They are the Team of Darkness.

There is bone chilling horror in Tony Ruggiero's " Team of Darkness". The reader will be entranced by the way the characters come to life on the pages of this book. Ruggiero style of writing will keep you on the edge of your seat, it will make you jump at noises in the night and make you sleep with you light on at night.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reads like a combination of Stoker, John Ringo, Tom Clancy and a touch of ZA Recht (may he rest in peace) - all the suspense and classic "horror" of Stoker, all the military intrigue of John Ringo (read the "Paladin of Shadows" series - "Ghost," "Kildar," "Choosers of the Slain," "Unto the Breach," and "A Deeper Blue" - in that order) and all of the political intrigue of Tom Clancy (with some of his better military intrigue thrown in for good measure). As for the vampires - Anne Rice has nothing on Tony Ruggiero IMHO.

Tony has created some very real characters but I have to say that my favorites are Commander Reese and the vampire Dmitri - their interactions make the book what it is - a good, well written and fast read that you just cannot put down once you start it.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book a couple of weeks ago. It was a really good read. The story was easy to follow along with and kept my interest all the way through.