Alpha Strike

by David Bruns, J.R. Olson

A hostage situation threatens to ignite a global crisis.

A brutal raid in Africa takes an American hostage—Doctor Samantha Fremont—turning a regional strike into an international emergency.

Because this captive isn’t just any American—she’s the daughter of a powerful senator. And the United States has one narrow her captors don’t know who they’ve taken… yet.

Fremont finds herself at the center of a criminal alliance between Mexican cartels and extremists in Africa’s Sahel region. The trans-Atlantic syndicate keeps the drug pipeline to Europe flowing and reaps billions in profits.

Harrison Kohl, Director of the CIA’s Special Activities Center, is given an urgent directive from the find Fremont before her captors discover her true identity.

But Kohl faces an enemy with deadly capabilities on both sides of the Atlantic. Armed with cutting-edge weapons, cloaked by advanced operational security, and backed by billions in illicit funding, the syndicate is more than a threat—it’s a revolution in organized violence.

As conventional methods fail, Kohl chooses to activate a disavowed asset and launch an off-the-books operation to rescue the doctor and destroy the syndicate—before it’s too late.

Fans of Vince Flynn and Tom Clancy will tear through this explosive new thriller where global power, covert action, and moral compromise collide.

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Praise for the

“…compares with the best of the timeless classics by Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Stephen Coonts.” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical

"With their background in the U.S. Navy, both Bruns and Olson have the right stuff to create a realistic military tale." ―Booklist

“These two guys have lived it. Now they’re writing it.” —Don Keith, author of Only the Brave and Final Bearing

“…some of the best combat writing I’ve seen since Tom Clancy.” —Jason Kasper, USA Today bestselling author of The Enemies of My Country

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2026

About the author

David Bruns (www.davidbruns.com) has served as an officer on a US Navy nuclear-powered submarine and traveled the world as a high-tech corporate itinerant. Today, he writes futuristic speculative fiction, contemporary thrillers, and everything in between.

He is the creator of the sci-fi/fantasy series, The Dream Guild Chronicles, the military sci-fi thriller Invincible, and co-author of The SynCorp Saga corporate sci-fi series. A graduate of the prestigious Clarion West Writer’s Workshop, his short fiction has appeared in more than two dozen spec fic venues, such as Compelling SciFi and Future Chronicles.

In his spare time, he co-writes national security thrillers with retired naval intelligence officer, JR Olson. Their next book, Rules of Engagement, will be released by St. Martin’s Press in June 2019.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good both my husband and I reviewed!
He said:
This book was different from its predecessors, even with the character continuity. No nuclear submarines this time, nor potentially world-ending wars between the great powers, but still a cracking good read with the ability to draw you in so that you don’t want to stop reading. The narrative keeps the fast pace of previous books, jumping between characters at just the right speed to keep a reader hooked. Too long for a single read of course, but a very difficult book to put down each day. A worthy continuation of the franchise.
She said:
I am sure that my husband will bemoan the lack of submarines, and other large military hardware, but I really enjoyed this book.
Apart from a compelling storyline, there were plenty of interesting twists, which I always enjoy, indeed find necessary, and an excellent pace to the story.
The characters were well drawn, believable, and there was great interplay between the diverse characters. I particularly enjoyed the character of Rachel. I am sure she would have a fascinating backstory!
With this book, I particularly valued the research, which gave much more detail to many things that I knew roughly about. However, this was all cleverly added to the story without detracting from the pace or interest in the story.
So no subs, but a gripping read!

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alpha Strike is a strong second entry in The Third Option series. When the daughter of a prominent U.S. senator is taken hostage in Africa, the CIA's Special Activities Center is tasked with rescuing her before her captors discover her true identity. Complicating matters further, her kidnappers are working with a Mexican drug cartel led by a ruthless figure whose nephew has recently been taken into custody by the U.S. government. What begins as a hostage rescue mission quickly escalates into a high-stakes international crisis.

This was a fast-paced and engaging thriller that kept my attention throughout. Having already read Weapons Free, the previous book in the series, as well as the entire Command and Control series, which features several of the same characters, I found it easy to jump right into the story. That said, readers new to the series should not hesitate to pick it up. Alpha Strike works well as a standalone novel and provides enough background for newcomers to follow the action.

David Bruns and J.R. Olson do an excellent job of capturing the feel of a classic Tom Clancy thriller. Their novels combine military realism, geopolitical intrigue, and nonstop action in a way that will appeal to fans of Clancy and similar authors. The authors clearly understand both the operational and strategic sides of modern conflict, which adds authenticity to the story without slowing the pace.

Overall, Alpha Strike is an entertaining and well-crafted thriller packed with action, suspense, and memorable characters. Whether you're already invested in the series or discovering these authors for the first time, this is a book that is well worth reading or listening to

[Ganesh Subramanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The move from the Middle East to Africa gives this novel a fresh setting, but the story follows many familiar thriller patterns. A Mexican cartel joins forces with extremists, creating a major international threat. An American doctor is then kidnapped, forcing the US government to respond.
There is plenty of action, and the story moves quickly. The scenes involving government operations provide some interesting moments. The medical details also help make the events feel more believable.
However, the large number of threats and criminal activities can make the plot feel crowded. The story combines drug trafficking, terrorism, kidnapping and financial scams, which sometimes reduces the impact of the central storyline.
The familiar characters will appeal to readers who have followed the series, but some of the new developments feel predictable. The emphasis on action may also leave less room for deeper character development.
Overall, this is an entertaining thriller, but it may not offer enough that feels genuinely new. Fans of the series are likely to enjoy it more than readers coming to the story for the first time.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "Severn River" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with a joint effort by DEA and the Mexicans. They have a raid planned and an unexpected vehicle arrives which once they started the raid, they captured a member of a high ranking cartel leader. This leader was known as BOOM and she was willing to take all things necessary to get her nephew back.

The story picks up with a doctor in Africa who happens to be around when jihadis were attacking. She along with Rama her nurse were taken. As it turns out, this doctor named Sam was the daughter of a Senator and the god-daughter of POTUS. In the end, Sam was taken in retribution of Boom's nephew.

Read along and learn what Sam had to do to survive. Discover what actions POTUS initiated to get Sam back. The story has a lot of action and definitely keeps your interest. This is definitely a book worth reading, don't miss out!

[Steven C Runo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thrilling story behind today’s headlines

Alpha Strike could be the real story behind the headlines surrounding jjhidistic and drug cartel sttacks, and military “ training accidents”. Perhaps not, but the believable and well- described scenarios and personalities of Alpha Strikeonly add to the plausible deniability. The book moves rapidly from headline to headline and makes the connections very realistic. like reality,the “good guys” do not always win, but we trust they will. The narrative is never boring, even when it necessarily describes the political dithering we all know has to take place before any decisive action, at least now we understand better why some decisions are sodifficult. A very fun read that is difficult to put down. With enough details to understand complex issues and options that only a very few are aware of.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting new adventure awaits faithful readers of this “dynamic duo” of writers! Although starting our adventure in the Middle East, our story moves to new territory: Africa! New scenery and new manifestations of international terrorism and criminal activity become the focus of the US government when an American is kidnapped. To what lengths will the government go to secure the release of one of their own?

I enjoyed this change of scenery and change of problems facing Don and Harrison. The major American players remain the same, with the exception of the kidnapped doctor. We also see a return of a character from an earlier book that has enjoyed a bit of a rest since her last appearance.

We are treated to being present in the president’s situation room during operations, getting a taste of what it must be like in real life. As the kidnapped American is a physician, there are several medical situations that are handled appropriately, which adds to the realism of the book.

In summary, excellent book taking readers to new places, new problems, a few new friends in addition to our tried and true characters.

For the first time, I downloaded the Audible version to allow me to continue the story while working at home. I was so glad to be able to ‘stay in the book’ when I could not actually read! Where will we be taken in the next book and what international challenges will be found? I eagerly await their next book1

[Mike Beason · Rating 5 out of 5]

An in-depth look at the drug trade.

While different from their previous books in that there isn't large-scale war between two nations, there is plenty of action between terrorists and a Mexican drug cartel, along with CIA operatives getting in the way. This book focuses on the drug trade from Mexico to Africa and introduces us to the African country of Mali. This was a well-told story about the drug trade and interactions between the drug cartels, terrorists, and the bankers that support the system.

And while there was a submarine in the book, it was essentially a toy made of plastic and not very seaworthy. Give me back a real submarine!

Thanks for an interesting read.

[William McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. A new series by these authors continues in the same outstanding vein. A Mexican cartel aligns with a jihadi group in the African Sahel to dominate the European drug trade. The Mexicans produce the raw drugs and the western Africans process it. As a side business, the later also engages in so-called pig-butchering operations where they convince first-worlders to invest a small amount in fake businesses and then sweeten things by simulating financial success. This leads many to subsequently invest sizable amounts, which completely disappear. An attack on an aid station in Africa brings the alliance and schemes to light and the United States tries to take them down.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems like there was no absence of any high impact criminal threat - drug trafficking, kidnapping, financial crimes, and, of course, just plain terrorism, Bruns and Olson have hit another home run in the Third Option series. A global story ranging from Washington D.C. to the middle of Africa, the pace of this novel is almost frantic as the action moves across the ocean from North America to Africa - areas one would not think were part of the global criminal network. My thanks to Severn River Publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC of this novel.

[KerryO · Rating 4 out of 5]

African Islamists uniting with a Mexican drug cartel to make and distribute drugs throughout the EU. Add to this, the daughter of a prominent Senator and goddaughter of the President is kidnapped by the Islamist group. This is the situation Harrison Kohl, CIA Section Chief, must oversee and resolve. Non-stop action with believable characters. I received an ARC from Severn River Publishing and the opinions expressed are my own.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual,  Messrs. Bruns and Olsen have developed an exquisite novel. The characters are well defined yet their mysterious pasts come back to haunt them as the story arc develops. Many twists, pivots and unexpected turns. The characters and plots include a doctor,  kidnappings, the CIA, politicians, money launderers, drug runners, assassins, revenge and greed to name a few. An extremely well organized layout and visceral tale that will keep you turning the pages.

[Andrew Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling storyline.

The authors take you through fictional scenarios that could possibly be happening today in the murky world we live in where powerful drug cartels and terrorists could be working together in the background to destabilise and ultimately control innocent people and affect governments policy makers whilst they reap the benefits of the chaos that they cause.

[Thomas M Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story line.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Third Option Series: Source: Severn River Publishing.

ALPHA STRIKE, #2 - Another intriguing and immersing book with interesting story lines and good characters. I love it when a plan comes together and there are several plans here. 5*

WEAPONS FREE, #1- I've read books by Mr. Bruns before and I like this one, too. Along the lines of Clancy and Brown, this book has interesting story lines, intense action, and a variety of good characters, along with a good pace. I like the writing style of the authors, which made for an immersing read. 4*