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Zero Sum
285 pages, Paperback
Published December 9, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 16, 2026
Recently, I was allowed to read the debut thriller Zero Sum, written by the Military Thriller Book Group's very own Blake Crutchfield and published on 9 December 2025. This debut novel represents an introduction to the DragenDefense, a PMC (Private Military Company) that has been hired by the "Renaissance City" of Providence, Rhode Island.
I was messaged by the author, Blake Crutchfield, and was provided with this opportunity after I had mentioned in a post by BestThrillerBooks, which was to select the favorite thriller covers from a selection of three recent thrillers, that I hadn't yet had the opportunity to read his book.
The story is set in the "Renaissance City" of Providence, Rhode Island, where the private military contractor (PMC) DragenDefense has been hired to reinforce the city's digital surveillance grid and has nearly wiped out its underlying cybercrime network.
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Summary of Main Characters
At the forefront of Dragen Defense is Alex Dragen, a seasoned professional with experience in intelligence and operations. He is a former Marine Force Recon operator with a history in overseas combat, intelligence work, and a proficiency in Muay Thai martial arts, which is signified by a black rope tied around his bicep (Progression is shown through experience, fighting ability, and coaching, not colored belts. Some Western gyms use coloured armbands (prajiad) or shirts to mark progression, with a black armband sometimes representing advanced proficiency after years of training, but this is not a traditional method).
In this debut novel, our protagonist operates alongside his long-time partner, Lucas Graves, who is described in the novel as a former Royal Marine and a trained boxer. He is a long-time ally of Dragen, having worked with him well before the founding of DragenDefense.
One of the supporting characters in this novel is Terah Dickerson, a former captive of our antagonist, who is also the love interest of Alec Dragen, a current member of Dragen Defense, and who serves as the team's primary intelligence and technical specialist, providing critical electronic and tactical support during their high-stakes missions. Her role is central to the novel's themes of modern warfare, where digital information is as vital as physical combat.
The primary antagonist in this novel, Darius Saylors, is described as a ruthless and deviant individual who is seeking to orchestrate a hostile takeover of the city's cybercrime underbelly.
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I found that this novel represents a different approach to combating crime in a mid-sized city, as Providence is a city with a population of 194,706 (as of 2024).
Whereas most military thrillers place their protagonists in a hyper-heroic, almost mythical role, Crutchfield's protagonist is a more realistic operator, whose flexibility and unique ways of taking out bad actors place the reader in situations of moral ambiguity.
That said, this novel was an action-packed read that is worthy of a five-star rating. I would recommend this novel to aficionados of gritty crime and action thrillers.
As with all my literary reviews, this is just my five cents' worth
I was messaged by the author, Blake Crutchfield, and was provided with this opportunity after I had mentioned in a post by BestThrillerBooks, which was to select the favorite thriller covers from a selection of three recent thrillers, that I hadn't yet had the opportunity to read his book.
The story is set in the "Renaissance City" of Providence, Rhode Island, where the private military contractor (PMC) DragenDefense has been hired to reinforce the city's digital surveillance grid and has nearly wiped out its underlying cybercrime network.
_____________
Summary of Main Characters
At the forefront of Dragen Defense is Alex Dragen, a seasoned professional with experience in intelligence and operations. He is a former Marine Force Recon operator with a history in overseas combat, intelligence work, and a proficiency in Muay Thai martial arts, which is signified by a black rope tied around his bicep (Progression is shown through experience, fighting ability, and coaching, not colored belts. Some Western gyms use coloured armbands (prajiad) or shirts to mark progression, with a black armband sometimes representing advanced proficiency after years of training, but this is not a traditional method).
In this debut novel, our protagonist operates alongside his long-time partner, Lucas Graves, who is described in the novel as a former Royal Marine and a trained boxer. He is a long-time ally of Dragen, having worked with him well before the founding of DragenDefense.
One of the supporting characters in this novel is Terah Dickerson, a former captive of our antagonist, who is also the love interest of Alec Dragen, a current member of Dragen Defense, and who serves as the team's primary intelligence and technical specialist, providing critical electronic and tactical support during their high-stakes missions. Her role is central to the novel's themes of modern warfare, where digital information is as vital as physical combat.
The primary antagonist in this novel, Darius Saylors, is described as a ruthless and deviant individual who is seeking to orchestrate a hostile takeover of the city's cybercrime underbelly.
_____________
I found that this novel represents a different approach to combating crime in a mid-sized city, as Providence is a city with a population of 194,706 (as of 2024).
Whereas most military thrillers place their protagonists in a hyper-heroic, almost mythical role, Crutchfield's protagonist is a more realistic operator, whose flexibility and unique ways of taking out bad actors place the reader in situations of moral ambiguity.
That said, this novel was an action-packed read that is worthy of a five-star rating. I would recommend this novel to aficionados of gritty crime and action thrillers.
As with all my literary reviews, this is just my five cents' worth
March 16, 2026
Zero Sum is the kind of thriller that kicks the door in early and never lets the reader breathe. Former U.S. Marine, Blake Crutchfield fuses cybercrime paranoia, trafficking-world menace, black-budget style operations, and brutally cinematic action into a sharp, modern, and relentlessly propulsive story. The pacing is aggressive, but the book is not just running on gunfire and adrenaline. It has a strong sense of place, and a dark, dangerous mood and just enough characterization to keep you engaged.
I really enjoyed the cast. Alex Dragen is a magnetic lead, Terah brings emotional force personal stakes, Ed Mullins adds old-school grit, and the villain presence is memorable enough to keep the tension humming even in quieter scenes. Crutchfield clearly understands how to build momentum, how to end chapters so you keep turning pages, and how to make the world feel larger than the immediate plot without losing focus.
This is a hard-edged, unapologetically adult thriller with swagger, violence, and confidence to spare. It is cinematic and delivers the kind of high-impact experience that action-thriller readers want when they pick up a debut and hope it lands, and it does.
Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed the cast. Alex Dragen is a magnetic lead, Terah brings emotional force personal stakes, Ed Mullins adds old-school grit, and the villain presence is memorable enough to keep the tension humming even in quieter scenes. Crutchfield clearly understands how to build momentum, how to end chapters so you keep turning pages, and how to make the world feel larger than the immediate plot without losing focus.
This is a hard-edged, unapologetically adult thriller with swagger, violence, and confidence to spare. It is cinematic and delivers the kind of high-impact experience that action-thriller readers want when they pick up a debut and hope it lands, and it does.
Highly recommended.
April 7, 2026
Zero Sum doesn’t ease you in—it kicks the door off the hinges and drags you straight into a world where violence, power, and control operate without apology.
From the first chapter, Crutchfield establishes something most debut authors struggle to achieve: authority. This isn’t imitation. This is a writer who understands pace, stakes, and—most importantly—how to make consequence feel real. The result is a novel that moves like a live wire—tight, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.
At the center is Alex Dragen, a protagonist who doesn’t fit neatly into the traditional hero mold—and that’s exactly why he works. He operates with precision, experience, and a quiet understanding that survival often requires crossing lines others won’t. Around him, the world of DragenDefense feels fully realized: a modern battlefield where cyber warfare and street-level violence collide seamlessly.
What elevates Zero Sum beyond a standard action thriller is its duality of threat. This isn’t just bullets and bodies—it’s networks, leverage, and psychological warfare. The idea that a keystroke can be just as lethal as a trigger pull gives the story a constant underlying tension that never lets up.
Crutchfield’s pacing is relentless. There’s no wasted movement, no filler—just escalation. Every chapter pushes forward, every encounter raises the stakes, and by the time you realize how deep you are, the book has you locked in. This is the kind of novel you tell yourself you’ll read “one more chapter” of… until it’s 2 a.m. and you’re still going.
Stylistically, the comparisons to Sheridan, Fuqua, and McCarthy aren’t just marketing—they’re earned. There’s grit here. There’s weight. But there’s also cinematic energy that makes every sequence feel like it’s already halfway to the screen.
And that’s the real takeaway:
Zero Sum doesn’t read like a debut. It reads like the opening move of something much bigger.
By the final pages, one thing is clear—this isn’t a standalone experience. It’s a launch point. A foundation. A signal that the DragenDefense world has more to say—and that readers will absolutely show up for it.
I couldn’t put it down. And now I’m waiting—impatiently—for book two
From the first chapter, Crutchfield establishes something most debut authors struggle to achieve: authority. This isn’t imitation. This is a writer who understands pace, stakes, and—most importantly—how to make consequence feel real. The result is a novel that moves like a live wire—tight, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.
At the center is Alex Dragen, a protagonist who doesn’t fit neatly into the traditional hero mold—and that’s exactly why he works. He operates with precision, experience, and a quiet understanding that survival often requires crossing lines others won’t. Around him, the world of DragenDefense feels fully realized: a modern battlefield where cyber warfare and street-level violence collide seamlessly.
What elevates Zero Sum beyond a standard action thriller is its duality of threat. This isn’t just bullets and bodies—it’s networks, leverage, and psychological warfare. The idea that a keystroke can be just as lethal as a trigger pull gives the story a constant underlying tension that never lets up.
Crutchfield’s pacing is relentless. There’s no wasted movement, no filler—just escalation. Every chapter pushes forward, every encounter raises the stakes, and by the time you realize how deep you are, the book has you locked in. This is the kind of novel you tell yourself you’ll read “one more chapter” of… until it’s 2 a.m. and you’re still going.
Stylistically, the comparisons to Sheridan, Fuqua, and McCarthy aren’t just marketing—they’re earned. There’s grit here. There’s weight. But there’s also cinematic energy that makes every sequence feel like it’s already halfway to the screen.
And that’s the real takeaway:
Zero Sum doesn’t read like a debut. It reads like the opening move of something much bigger.
By the final pages, one thing is clear—this isn’t a standalone experience. It’s a launch point. A foundation. A signal that the DragenDefense world has more to say—and that readers will absolutely show up for it.
I couldn’t put it down. And now I’m waiting—impatiently—for book two
December 31, 2025
A High-Octane Military Action Thriller
Blake Crutchfield’s debut novel, Zero Sum delivers razor sharp tactical detail with relentless, cinematic pacing that keeps readers breathless from the opening salvo to the final showdown. A former Marine and security professional, Crutchfield’s prose crackles with authenticity—a testament to his deep familiarity with special operations culture—yet remains accessible enough to draw in fans of broader suspense fiction.
In comparison to other modern military thriller writers—such as Brad Thor, whose protagonists often operate in a hyper heroic, almost mythic realm, or Vince Flynn, whose political machinations sometimes eclipse the battlefield—Crutchfield grounds his heroism in realistic decision making and moral ambiguity. Zero Sum’s protagonist, Alex Dragen isn’t a flawless super soldier; he’s a seasoned operator wrestling with the weight of his choices, making his victories feel earned and his setbacks painfully human.
Overall, Zero Sum stands as a compelling addition to the genre, delivering the high octane action readers crave while offering a sophisticated look at the hidden battles fought behind the world’s economic curtain. Fans of Tom Clancy’s strategic depth, Mark Greaney’s pulse pounding combat, and anyone hungry for a fresh voice in military thriller genre will find Zero Sum exhilarating.
Blake Crutchfield’s debut novel, Zero Sum delivers razor sharp tactical detail with relentless, cinematic pacing that keeps readers breathless from the opening salvo to the final showdown. A former Marine and security professional, Crutchfield’s prose crackles with authenticity—a testament to his deep familiarity with special operations culture—yet remains accessible enough to draw in fans of broader suspense fiction.
In comparison to other modern military thriller writers—such as Brad Thor, whose protagonists often operate in a hyper heroic, almost mythic realm, or Vince Flynn, whose political machinations sometimes eclipse the battlefield—Crutchfield grounds his heroism in realistic decision making and moral ambiguity. Zero Sum’s protagonist, Alex Dragen isn’t a flawless super soldier; he’s a seasoned operator wrestling with the weight of his choices, making his victories feel earned and his setbacks painfully human.
Overall, Zero Sum stands as a compelling addition to the genre, delivering the high octane action readers crave while offering a sophisticated look at the hidden battles fought behind the world’s economic curtain. Fans of Tom Clancy’s strategic depth, Mark Greaney’s pulse pounding combat, and anyone hungry for a fresh voice in military thriller genre will find Zero Sum exhilarating.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews