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Shadow Tier #2
Shadow Sanction: 2nd Edition
Lance Bear Wolf and his Shadow Tier operators must stop the rebirth of The French Connection and its terror funding connection to the Taliban. By any means necessary.When the resurgent Sinaloa cartel attacks Wolf and his wife, Elle Parker, on the Crow Indian reservation, the safety of his people becomes Job One—until the president of the United States orders Shadow Tier to stop the Taliban’s opium trade. The president’s underlying The drug war is a failure. Fix this now, or your funding disappears.
Torn between saving his people and the president’s demands for direct action, Wolf sends Shadow Tier’s Bravo Squadron to Afghanistan to infiltrate the Taliban drug organization. At the some time, he sends Kieran Kennedy, his executive officer, to stand up and train a new international Charlie Squadron in the U.K. While Wolf bends the rules to protect the reservation on the home front, the squadrons track opium with a mysterious United Nations connection out of Afghanistan to a new “French Connection” in Marseilles, France.
The teams identify a likely distribution hub and its leadership. But going deeper will take initiative and innovation. Kennedy takes the dangerous decision to operate in the open … as a drug cartel. The operation yields results, but there is a piece missing. Parker and Kennedy believe a government contractor providing logistics flights into and out of the war zones is involved.
Plans are made by the fake cartel for a large shipment of heroin to go to the mafia in New York City, where wholesale arrests will be made if all goes as planned. As the data pours in from three continents, the heroin network unfolds and things to do not go as planned. The takedown of a multi-national drug production, shipment, and sales operation is unlike any operation Shadow Tier has attempted.
For the president, it’s a no-fail mission or his administration is doomed.
For Shadow Tier, it’s time to bring war back into “the war on drugs.”
Torn between saving his people and the president’s demands for direct action, Wolf sends Shadow Tier’s Bravo Squadron to Afghanistan to infiltrate the Taliban drug organization. At the some time, he sends Kieran Kennedy, his executive officer, to stand up and train a new international Charlie Squadron in the U.K. While Wolf bends the rules to protect the reservation on the home front, the squadrons track opium with a mysterious United Nations connection out of Afghanistan to a new “French Connection” in Marseilles, France.
The teams identify a likely distribution hub and its leadership. But going deeper will take initiative and innovation. Kennedy takes the dangerous decision to operate in the open … as a drug cartel. The operation yields results, but there is a piece missing. Parker and Kennedy believe a government contractor providing logistics flights into and out of the war zones is involved.
Plans are made by the fake cartel for a large shipment of heroin to go to the mafia in New York City, where wholesale arrests will be made if all goes as planned. As the data pours in from three continents, the heroin network unfolds and things to do not go as planned. The takedown of a multi-national drug production, shipment, and sales operation is unlike any operation Shadow Tier has attempted.
For the president, it’s a no-fail mission or his administration is doomed.
For Shadow Tier, it’s time to bring war back into “the war on drugs.”
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2024
5 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 4, 2025
Book Review — Shadow Sanction — Steve Stratton
Military thriller author Steve Stratton delivers another high-octane and vivid military action thriller with book two of the Shadow Tier series.
The plot opens with an intense confrontation on the Crow Indian Reservation, which thrusts readers immediately into the danger zones of the story and sets a strong suspenseful momentum throughout the tale.
Stratton incorporates multiple theatres of operation — from Mexico/US border-cartel scenes, to Afghanistan and Europe — with a globe-spanning scope that keeps the stakes in the story high and wide and engaging.
The protagonist, Lance Bear Wolf (a Native American “badass”), and his team — the “Shadow Tier” operators — have strong characterization in terms of military/operational realism.
Their tactics, inner conflicts (between duty to the Indian reservation vs. national orders), and moral dimensions add depth beyond mere action-packed shoot-outs. Stratton’s depiction of this was noteworthy.
Also, Stratton’s Army Green Beret background and experience shines through in the operational detail of the narrative, lending credibility to the logistics, strategy and conflict‐scenes.
While the globe-trotting drama was thrilling, at times the breadth of characters and locations felt slightly overwhelming. The transitions between the Indian reservation, Mexico, Afghanistan, France, New York stretched my focus somewhat.
Lastly, I thought the “rules were being bent” somewhat in some cases and pushed plausibility slightly. The book invites suspension of disbelief - which is fine for the thriller genre - but experienced and knowledgeable thriller readers like myself prefer ultra-tight realism, which some scenarios in this read may have pushed the envelope a little.
Overall, Shadow Sanction is a strong, entertaining military thriller that delivers gripping action, global high stakes, a capable hero and a credible operational backbone.
It is a solid four-star read, because it hits so many of the right military thriller elements — action, scope, good characters, and realism.
If you enjoy thrillers in the style of large-scale ops like early Tom Clancy or similar — and don’t mind big plots and many moving parts, this one is well worth reading.
Keep author Steve Stratton in mind for future military action thrillers. He tells a good thriller story…
Military thriller author Steve Stratton delivers another high-octane and vivid military action thriller with book two of the Shadow Tier series.
The plot opens with an intense confrontation on the Crow Indian Reservation, which thrusts readers immediately into the danger zones of the story and sets a strong suspenseful momentum throughout the tale.
Stratton incorporates multiple theatres of operation — from Mexico/US border-cartel scenes, to Afghanistan and Europe — with a globe-spanning scope that keeps the stakes in the story high and wide and engaging.
The protagonist, Lance Bear Wolf (a Native American “badass”), and his team — the “Shadow Tier” operators — have strong characterization in terms of military/operational realism.
Their tactics, inner conflicts (between duty to the Indian reservation vs. national orders), and moral dimensions add depth beyond mere action-packed shoot-outs. Stratton’s depiction of this was noteworthy.
Also, Stratton’s Army Green Beret background and experience shines through in the operational detail of the narrative, lending credibility to the logistics, strategy and conflict‐scenes.
While the globe-trotting drama was thrilling, at times the breadth of characters and locations felt slightly overwhelming. The transitions between the Indian reservation, Mexico, Afghanistan, France, New York stretched my focus somewhat.
Lastly, I thought the “rules were being bent” somewhat in some cases and pushed plausibility slightly. The book invites suspension of disbelief - which is fine for the thriller genre - but experienced and knowledgeable thriller readers like myself prefer ultra-tight realism, which some scenarios in this read may have pushed the envelope a little.
Overall, Shadow Sanction is a strong, entertaining military thriller that delivers gripping action, global high stakes, a capable hero and a credible operational backbone.
It is a solid four-star read, because it hits so many of the right military thriller elements — action, scope, good characters, and realism.
If you enjoy thrillers in the style of large-scale ops like early Tom Clancy or similar — and don’t mind big plots and many moving parts, this one is well worth reading.
Keep author Steve Stratton in mind for future military action thrillers. He tells a good thriller story…
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February 8, 2024MWSA Review
Only one minute into the read of Shadow Sanction by Steve Stratton, I was on the edge of my seat. Lance Bear Wolf and his wife, Elle Parker, travel to the Crow Indian Reservation for the funeral of a friend, and discover an active drug problem. They are brazenly followed onto the reservation and attacked by bad guys from the Sinaloa Cartel, intent on eliminating them both. Wolf’s number one priority is the safety of his people from cartel activity. That is, until the President of the United States orders Wolf and his organization, Shadow Tier, to drop everything to stop the Taliban’s opium trade, or risk losing his black ops funding.
Wolf and his extraordinary Shadow Tier operators must stop the re-emergence of The French Connection and its terror funding connection to the Taliban. With infiltration operations on three continents, including the cartel, Wolf’s squadrons track various opium connections, putting together an intertwined network of drug trafficking that all need to be busted.
Shadow Sanction is a complex story that is surprisingly easy to follow, despite a wide array of characters and locations. Steve Stratton is a masterful storyteller, and I can’t wait to read his next installment.
Review by Nancy Panko (February 2024)
Only one minute into the read of Shadow Sanction by Steve Stratton, I was on the edge of my seat. Lance Bear Wolf and his wife, Elle Parker, travel to the Crow Indian Reservation for the funeral of a friend, and discover an active drug problem. They are brazenly followed onto the reservation and attacked by bad guys from the Sinaloa Cartel, intent on eliminating them both. Wolf’s number one priority is the safety of his people from cartel activity. That is, until the President of the United States orders Wolf and his organization, Shadow Tier, to drop everything to stop the Taliban’s opium trade, or risk losing his black ops funding.
Wolf and his extraordinary Shadow Tier operators must stop the re-emergence of The French Connection and its terror funding connection to the Taliban. With infiltration operations on three continents, including the cartel, Wolf’s squadrons track various opium connections, putting together an intertwined network of drug trafficking that all need to be busted.
Shadow Sanction is a complex story that is surprisingly easy to follow, despite a wide array of characters and locations. Steve Stratton is a masterful storyteller, and I can’t wait to read his next installment.
Review by Nancy Panko (February 2024)
March 18, 2024
Shadow Sanction is the second book of the Shadow Tier series.
This chapter centers on the main character, Lance Bear Wolf and his team of warriors called ‘Shadow Tier’. Their main mission is the War on Drugs.
There are some returning adversaries that are entwined in this story from the first book, “Shadow Tier”. There are some new adversaries and an excellent tie-in to the Taliban, whom fund some of their operations with Afghanistan’s poopy harvest. For those cinema fans, one story arc features the reboot of the nefarious group featured in “The French Connection”. To cover each arc of this complex story would do them no justice and spoil a lot of the fun in reading the novel.
This chapter in the Lance Bear Wolf universe was very informative and enjoyable. I found the characters to be very well developed as the story unfolded. I set the book down, when I completed it, and said to myself ‘Damn that was good’.
“Shadow Sanction” is very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
This chapter centers on the main character, Lance Bear Wolf and his team of warriors called ‘Shadow Tier’. Their main mission is the War on Drugs.
There are some returning adversaries that are entwined in this story from the first book, “Shadow Tier”. There are some new adversaries and an excellent tie-in to the Taliban, whom fund some of their operations with Afghanistan’s poopy harvest. For those cinema fans, one story arc features the reboot of the nefarious group featured in “The French Connection”. To cover each arc of this complex story would do them no justice and spoil a lot of the fun in reading the novel.
This chapter in the Lance Bear Wolf universe was very informative and enjoyable. I found the characters to be very well developed as the story unfolded. I set the book down, when I completed it, and said to myself ‘Damn that was good’.
“Shadow Sanction” is very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
July 15, 2023
Steve Stratton nails it again! Shadow Sanction, the high octane follow up to Shadow Tier, is one of the best thriller’s that I have read this year. With one of the most complex story lines and cast of characters in a single book, Steve masterfully weaves a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the action packed beginning all the way through to the dramatic finish. Lance Bear Wolf and the Shadow Tier group pulls no punches and takes no prisoners as they take down a worldwide drug organization that intends to recreate and surpass the original French Connection, while also dealing with a resurgent Sinaloa Cartel and their deadly assassin Amaru, whose only purpose is to end Lance Bear Wolf once and for all. Now I can’t wait for the next book to see where Lance and his Shadow Tier operators wind up next.
November 22, 2023
SHADOW SANCTION pops with intensity from the first page and doesn't let up. Steve Stratton's technical detail is precise, too--which is no surprise given he's walked the ground as a Special Forces operator. He coupled this with a fresh element involving Native Americans as well as international drug cartels--a very interesting, entertaining, and nuanced plot. Well done, Steve. It's an honor to know you and looking forward to what you put out next!
October 15, 2025
The front line of the war on drugs!
I can’t wait for the next installment!
Did the White House read Steve’s book and is trying to play out what’s coming next before it’s been written?
I can’t wait for the next installment!
Did the White House read Steve’s book and is trying to play out what’s coming next before it’s been written?
October 7, 2023
Heart-stopping action. Fluid writing. Mr. Stratton has done it again. Jump back onboard with Lance Bear Wolf and enjoy the ride.
November 26, 2023
An absolute page turner. Lance Bear Wolf at his best yet. Highly recommend
October 6, 2025
Excellent military thriller series
January 3, 2026
Great book, hard to put down. Steve is a great storyteller, I highly recommend this series
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews