Shadow Strike

Pike Logan #20

by Brad Taylor

New York Times bestselling author and former special forces officer Brad Taylor is back with a dynamic political thriller featuring Pike Logan as he goes head-to-head with an old enemy—and renowned assassin.

After its proxies are devastated and its offensive capability pummeled in the latest war in the middle east, a rogue group of Iranian regime officials create a brazen plot to strike back at their hated enemies once and for all. They envision a series of operational dominos culminating in a devastating attack, and the first step is the assassination of the Israeli prime minister.  And there’s only one assassin with the skills to pull it Abdul Rahman, known in the shadows as the Ghost. 

When a routine prison transfer is ambushed, the Ghost escapes and is given the assignment. The only Operator who can hunt him down is the man who stopped him Pike Logan.

Pike and his team soon learn that the mission involves something bigger than just the escape of his old enemy. Working with Mossad agents, the pursuit leads the Taskforce to Argentina. They work to unravel the scope of the attack, and the chase leads them through the tempestuous waterfalls of Iguazu and the Triple Frontier, to the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires, and the tiny village of Ushuaia at the “End of the World”. 

As the team races against the clock, Pike learns the stakes are much greater than a single life – the consequences extend into the heartland of America itself. The Ghost may hold the key to an escalation that will upend the worldwide balance of power, and if Pike fails, the fallout won’t just be personal – it’ll be global.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Action, Mystery Thriller, Espionage

448 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 21, 2026

About the author

Brad Taylor served for more than twenty-one years in the U.S. Army, retiring in 2010 as a Special Forces Lieutenant colonel. During that time he held numerous infantry and special operations positions, including eight years in 1st Special Forces Operations Detachment—Delta, popularly known as the Delta Force, where he commanded multiple troops and a squadron.

He has conducted operations in support of U.S. national interests in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other classified locations. His final military post was as Assistant Professor of Military Science at The Citadel. He holds a master's of science in defense analysis with a concentration in irregular warfare from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.

When not writing, Brad serves as a security consultant on asymmetric threats to various agencies. He currently lives in Charleston, SC, with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Wendi Flint Rank (WendiReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There will never be a more engaging "special ops," outfit
than the beloved Task Force. Pike, Jennifer and the team
are a well oiled machine. I used to think that Pike should
not have to deal with the Oversight Committee but it's
clear that while the OC keeps him reigned in, the OC
can get in the way...
This story takes us on several interesting missions,
which showcases the talented people attached to
the Task Force. With just one loose end, we now
must wait for the next book!
My thanks to William Morrow Publishing via
NetGalley, for the download copy of the
book for review purposes.

[Mark Easter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow Strike might just be my new favorite Pike Logan novel. The whole crew is back—sharp, vibrant, and as engaging as ever—and we even get the return of past favorites Aaron and Shoshana, along with The Ghost. The writing is tight, the pacing relentless, and the plot threads stretch across three continents without a single dull moment. No spoilers here, but I’ll just say this: I really loved the ending, and you’ll have to read it yourself to understand why.

[Viking Jam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: Lowgun Pyke,.....er, Pike Logan, snaking his way into the hearts of those that live vicariously. All of these thriller millertary novelists with the contrived yet manly reversable naming conventions. I like my own "Radthor McGunny". You could nick him with "Rad" or "Thor". "Gunny". "Gun Hammer".......

Well let's take a look and see if this is the same run of the mill story line as the others. You know, big black and possibly gay sidekick, betrayal, deep covert insertions (MEOW!) within a world spanning conspiracy. Throw in a psychopath or two, especially one that is hotter than a popcorn fart and thickly layer every page with acronyms. The ever present ramped up author Bio has all the bullshjt bingo buzzwords like: Taylor-Brad (Tay, Brado, Lor-man, Rador?), Delta Force Colonel Spec ops Citadel Professor, Extra super irregular combat war planning director with a masters in Hwong Jau Fu defense. Cause nothing sells books faster than credentials, am I right?

Did this suck a big dick? No. It was way better than Chad Robichows Tang soo Do MMA / Harvard trained SEAL special ops Force Recon marine "Riptide" novel. This was a down to earth story with knowledgable delivery and good movement. The first part of the novel with the fake ops training was boring as fuk, and I almost shjt canned the whole thing. Once they hit the road with real focus, the entertainment value ramps up. McGunny is your typically driven douche but beneath that killing machine beats a heart so soft you could sleep on it. "Jenny, Jenny who can I turn to".... Yeah the emotionally driven MC wears a bit thin, but it works for the masses. There were some research fails. Most notably calling Caiman, "alligators". The other big fail is a fight scene with a pistols barrel being wrenched around and going off. If your hand is gripping the slide on a semi auto, it will fire once but will fail to reload. I still do not understand how all these "Delta Operators" turned writer, know jack shjt about firearms. Makes you wonder who is really writing these novels.

Is Radthor McGunny the guy for you? Sure. The story line he rides is well worn but remains interesting with the varied characters and constant scene/POV shifting.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

4.5/5

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things I most like about this series is the dynamic between the members of Pike's team. They are all amazing and work extremely well together. Add to this Pike's adaptive daughter Amina, and you have such a great example of found family.

I also really enjoy every time we get involvement from Shoshana and Aoron. I love her behavior - its so quirky yet so believable. For as tough as she actually is - there is such a quality of innocence in her portrayal.

This book started off with a character that Pike originally captured - The Ghost - escaping while he was being transferred. This sets off a series of events that leads the Team to investigating a potential terrorist attack in Argentina. In the end it is not just one attack, it is 3.

As usual, this book had non-stop action as the team moved from place to place - always a step behind The Ghost. There is a plot, put together by the Commander of Iran's Kuds Force, to assassinate the Prime Minister of Israel and they helped The Ghost escape for a reason.

There were parts of this book that DID cross over the line of reasonable believability for me (I know, I know, this is fiction). BUT, it still has to be somewhat believable. The event(s) that pushed it over the line for me was the way that the main event (close to the end of the book) occurred, all the way to the end of the book. I REALLY had a hard time with that one. This is a world that I really enjoy though, so I decided to just go with it and enjoy the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on April 21, 2026.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brad Taylor's Shadow Strike (William Morrow 2026), 20th in the Pike Logan series, is another well written, well plotted Pike-and-special-forces-squad story. This time, Pike, Jennifer, and the squad begin what appears as a fairly benign task--to recapture a criminal they already captured who escaped (called the Ghost). It quickly escalates to a major world threat and a much bigger issue when Pike realizes his sometimes Mossad partners, Shahana and Allan, are hunting the same criminal. As usual, the story is clever with lots of real-life worries and decisions sometimes absent in other geopolitical thriller.

What didn’t I like that lost it a star? One, Pike at times didn’t seem focused on the goal, too worried about the approval of the group's bosses. I get that’s the storyline, the angst of suits vs doers, but it annoyed me more than usual. In this book more than others, it sapped the energy giving chases more of stutter start-and-stop pace as the group debated the moral intricacies of a plan and the rights of the criminals. Second--a small thing--the book opened using Pike and Jennifer's adopted fifteen-year-old daughter Amina in a squad bad-guy chase. I get that in her former Middle East homeland , she was a pickpocket, but no credibility was laid for her credentials to do this as part of a specially-trained and authorized team.

Oh well. Tell me if I'm being too picky.

Overall a 4/5. It lives up to the series goals and kept me reading.

[Jenny K (on partial break) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book of this series, and I really enjoyed it.

Plot summary: Pike and his special services Taskforce team discover that the Ghost, whom they put away in prison years ago, has been broken out. They track him to Argentina, where the Israeli prime minister is coming for a ceremony. Together with Israeli operatives Aaron and Shoshana, they try to figure out what's being planned, who's involved, and how to stop it before it's too late.

This was literally nonstop action, with wonderful detailing about how these special forces use technology and smarts to track the bad guys. It's clear the author, who's been part of the Delta Force, knows the drill intricately.

There's a complex storyline featuring Iran's Pasdaran, Hezbollah, and two fentanyl traffickers from Texas. But it's easy to follow.

The one gripe I have is that the action is a little too nonstop. I would have appreciated some more relationship and character building to draw me in more emotionally. Could be because this is the 20th in the series, many readers already have this information. This can definitely be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brad Taylor, and William Morrow for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

[Steven Netter · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books

Shadow Strike comes in hot from the jump and keeps getting better and more intense as the pages fly by, watching a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game unfold with dire consequences hanging in the balance. This is Brad Taylor at the height of his literary powers, delivering a masterfully crafted story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The 20th installment of the Pike Logan series has everything long-time fans, and thriller fans in general, could ever ask for. Audacious and timely plot lines. Well-developed characters. High-octane action sequences with explosions of violence. Strategic thinking from both sides trying to outwit one another. Technology deployed in innovative ways. Enemy misdirection. Pike and his Taskforce team taking risks and defying orders. A reunion with a couple of fan favorite characters. And a race to the finish with a thrilling conclusion. All coming together brilliantly in a way that makes you hold your breath while you desperately read at increasing speeds to find out how things will end.

[Stephen Bochniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completed the next installment of the Pike Logan saga, Shadow Strike, by Brad Taylor, and this story doesn’t disappoint. It follows Ghost, a highly trained assassin, held in a prison that Pike helped to put him in. Even behind bars, he’s able to make contact with some people who organize his escape. Pike and his team are initially requested to hunt him, due to their previous history, but along the way, they uncover a terrorist plot that could not only affect America, but the world. With the help of some allies, they must split up to find out the plan and put a stop to it before time runs out.
Brad Taylor continues his master class of keeping readers engaged with his stories. He displays the distinct personalities of his characters and how they coexist in his books. The storyline is clever and well-thought-out, allowing the reader to take on more than one mission. This is not my first time reading a Brad Taylor novel, but I enjoy it each time and highly recommend it to anyone looking not only for a single story but for a series packed with action and suspense.
Thank you Netgalley, Brad Taylor and William Morrow for allowing me to read an advance copy.

[Linda Naughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 20th(!!) book in the Pike Logan series doesn’t disappoint, bringing back one of Pike’s most formidable enemies. I loved The Ghost in both of his prior appearances. He is a complex antagonist with his own motivations and moral code, and I like the way that he and Pike/Jennifer have developed a kind of mutual respect for each other. The Ghost is a worthy opponent for the team, working hard to stay one step ahead of them.

The plot is well-crafted, with Taylor’s usual blend of plausible geopolitics, cutting-edge technology, and exotic locations. Ghost and his team have set up a three-pronged attack spanning multiple continents. While the audacious scope of their operation raises the stakes considerably, thwarting three separate attacks is a lot for one story. But the central cat-and-mouse game between Pike and The Ghost makes it all worth it. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

[Kelli Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The task force is back, along with Aaron and Shoshanna... and the Ghost! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advance read.. I was so excited for this next installment and was not disappointed. Taylor does an amazing job at taking you with him on these adventures, it makes it easy to visualize exactly what is happening. (Netflix, when are you putting Pike & Jennifer on the list of books made into series???)

This time around we are in Argentina, Buenos Aires and the "end of the world" Ushuaia (who knew?) We start with the Ghost, who gets an assist on his jailbreak by... a motorcycle gang. When Pike begins the hunt for the Ghost, he learns the escape is just the beginning of a multilayered attack on Israel and the US.

Although we all know Pike will save the world, I have enjoyed making the trip with him and the task force each time. The relationships between the characters have grown with the series and reading this felt like catching up with old friends. This one ended with a "new thread to pull" - already looking forward to the next adventure.

[Howard Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow Strike is an extremely powerful story about covert operations in an attempt to capture a known criminal who has escaped from prison and is fleeing from the authorities with the assistance of several associates who have like minded goals. Despite the beginnings in the United States, the novel quickly takes us through Mexico, Argentina and Brazil on its way to a doomsday scenario involving Pike Logan and the US Secretary of State and the Prime Minister of Israel. It is exciting reading although, in my humble opinion, tends to be a little too lengthy.
I thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow Strike brings together Pike and the whole gang again and I’m here for it! I always love when Aaron and Shoshana are in the mix - it usually means some bad stuff is going down. I was surprised a little that I came away from this one feeling like Pike was more tame than usual. It almost feels like he’s maturing or maybe ready to phase out of reckless operator and maybe into a responsible leader? Either way, I loved this adventure and can’t wait to see what comes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this arc! #ShadowStrike #NetGalley

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadow Strike was a really good story about Pike & the gang trying to re-capture the Ghost? The storyline quickly unfolds as they chase the Ghost from the U.S. to South America and the plot thickens. Not 1, but 3 possible terrorist plots. Great cast of characters, including the usual Taskforce team and the former Mossad duo of Shoshana & Aaron. Not enough action(gunfights)in this book for me, but the pace gets intense, and I really enjoyed the tic-tok final sequence.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC and it will be available on April 21, 2026.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pike Logan is at it again: he and his team are sent to recapture the escaped terrorist that they had originally captured years before. When the terrorist, known as the Ghost.escapes during an ambush while being transferred to a new holding cell, its all hands on deck for Pike and his team.
But when the escape takes on dire meaning, as the Israel Prime minister is about to make a very public appearance with the Israeli President, the team gets Intel on the possible planned involvement of the Ghost in a grand assassination plot. Mossad is involved in the counter intelligence gathering and Pike's team join forces with two former allies to try to unravel the threads of the threat. At the same time, they are confronted with a possible terror strike at home, in the US, that requires their attention, as well.
Absolutely engrossing story with non stop action, intrigue and thrilling complexities.
Returning characters with good story placement.
Great read.

[David Jonescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having already been a lover of the Pike Logan series by Brad Taylor, I knew I would love this. This book is similar to all the other books in terms of the plot, why mess with something that works. Lots of action and takes us to South America. As always Brad researches his books very well. Overall well written and great story! I am excited for the next one!

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you GoodReads for this giveaway book‼️ Not a stand alone book-the reader will miss the background and backstory info on our hero, Pike Logan and the “evil Ghost”. A true thriller, action packed, current plot with scary implications, Middle East, Mossad, Special Forces, Argentina and a few twists and turns. 4.9 stars due to the slow introduction but the readers will be rewarded with a page turner! THANK YOU again, GoodReads.

[Likestotravel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Pike Logan adventure thriller with Shadow Strike. Always action-packed and always adrenaline packed! On point and delivers in full!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this DRC.