Dark Control

by Lane Carey

HER DEATH MADE NO SENSE. SOMEONE MADE SURE OF IT.

Jack Mercer gets off the bus en route to Chicago, and walks the quiet main street of a Midwestern town—where a phone theft catches his eye.

He stops the thief, but the victim isn’t grateful. She’s crying.

Before he can react, she steps into the path of a truck—and her life is gone.

His need to know why plunges Mercer into a hidden network of social manipulation and digital crime, where a man who turns anger into influence has built a movement powerful enough to attract deadly allies.

As foreign actors exploit the division he fuels, Mercer must uncover the truth before more lives are destroyed. He will need every ounce of skill—physical and mental—to bring justice for the dead.

Dark Control is the third Jack Mercer thriller—a fast, hard-edged story of exploitation, influence, and the cost of misdirected belief.

Fans of Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, and Robert Ludlum will recognize a hero who doesn’t follow orders, doesn’t play by the rules, and doesn’t stop when the truth gets dangerous. With a plausible, twisty, and complicated plot, Dark Control will keep you turning the pages.

419 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2026

Reviews

[Paula Esmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carey's mind should be studied

I am amazed at how this author keeps creating such well-thought-out, intricate, highly creative, and deeply realistic stories. None of Jack Mercer's novels is the same as the other. Even if they revolve around action, around death, around danger, and secret (and illegal) schemes, Carey always manages to switch to a unique situation that keeps you highly gripped.

And I was gripped.

From the beginning, there were specific, tiny details that tickled my brain and made me create theories. And surely, I enjoyed the vast cast of characters, their plotlines, and most importantly, how everything connected; the care behind it, while the pace remained so sharp, while the danger was constantly trying to end us, and while unexpected information popped up, absolutely, Carey's skill as a writer shone through his absorbing third Jack Mercer novel.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Mercer and Lane Carey are quickly headed to the top of my favorite character/author lists. As I said in a previous review, if I ever found myself in trouble on a dark street in the middle of the night, I would want Jack Mercer, or someone a lot like him, to help me out. And his creator, Mr. Carey, has done a great job creating a story that will draw you in, rip out your heart, stomp on it for good measure, and run your blood pressure up into stroke territory. Then, like the masochists we are, we keep reading because we have to know what happens. Don't say I didn't warn you! This is another one of those books that I devoured because I was totally focused on it and was really irritated if I had to put it down. I can't recommend this series highly enough. You need to check it out. I received a review copy via BookSirens, and this review reflects my honest and voluntary opinion.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an ARC reader for Book Sirens and this is my honest opinion. This is book 3 in the Jack Mercer series and in my opinion the character has developed nicely. It's quite a good story, I think, that Jack keeps moving because he has no one to stay anywhere for - it also makes him impossible to be blackmailed by criminals through threats to family, since he has no one. This adds to his mystique, not only for the women he meets but also to the reader. This story focuses on an organisation that starts with young men snatching phones as a gang, to a suicide, and eventually to a very large scale project where almost no level realises how they're being manipulated by those above them. Jack Mercer is the all round action hero, with no special powers except the skills learned in the FBI and the army. This is a Robin Hood, Good v. Bad, story that focuses on real problems in society and turns them into a page turning, action packed thriller with the kind of hero who is enigmatic enough for readers - like me - to keep wanting more

[D.P. Martínez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely, fast-paced thriller

A fast-paced and gripping thriller that kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed how a seemingly small incident quickly develops into something much bigger, with plenty of twists along the way. Jack Mercer continues to be a great protagonist, and the themes around personal data, manipulation, and online influence make the story feel particularly timely.

Probably my favourite of the series so far. A very entertaining read.

[Ika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book by Lane Carey I think it’s the best one so far
An action packed page turner The story is an intriguing insight into a topical subject at the moment so-called alpha celebrities pushing a disturbing narrative.
A fascinating read. Highly recommended

[Tim Goff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former operative Jack Mercer watches a woman abruptly commit suicide…

…And chooses to investigate. With the assistance of Keller, a local police officer, he discovers that the woman was the victim of a complex identity theft ring, but that is only part of what is going on.

Mercer came across as an almost colorless ‘hard guy,’ decent but difficult to sympathize with. He also skated through several episodes that should have landed him behind bars. Still, the action and investigative sequences were well written.

‘Dark Control’ is the third in a series, but stands on its own. Recommended for fans of thrillers and tough-guy detective stories.