What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dawn's Early Light
Terror, brutality, and death on a hijacked plane. How many lives will it cost to end it?
When an Islamist revolution erupts in Tunisia, the American embassy staff, and their families, must be evacuated. As sanctuary at last seems possible, a daring and imaginative terrorist plot catches the Americans off guard. A radical Hezbollah terror cell operating in Tunisia takes the Americans hostage. The innocent captives are about to face the most horrifying three days of their lives—one of the hostage-takers is a deranged and vicious psychopath.
Delta Force, the U.S. Army counterterrorist team, deploys to save them, only to encounter a trap set by a legendary and deadly Arab assassin. He plans to massacre Delta’s commandos as they launch their hostage rescue mission. The CIA chief of station in Beirut risks all as he hunts this master assassin, known only as the Scimitar.
One of the American hostages is Major Mike Elliot, an ex-Special Forces operative. Mike Elliot is a man with a dark past, where mistakes he made, cost him dearly. Now, history repeats itself, and he stands to lose all that he has left. He is determined to take matters into his own hands, but he doesn’t know that Delta Force is planning a rescue. Unfortunately, what Mike doesn’t know, could get him and everyone around him, killed.
As the commando’s mission unfolds, Delta’s commander struggles with his own past, and he deliberately disobeys the President of the United States. When dawn at last approaches, and Delta moves in for its long-awaited assault, the Scimitar himself closes in for the ultimate kill. It all comes crashing together in one tumultuous, roller coaster of a collision, and it all happens by the Dawn’s Early Light.
When an Islamist revolution erupts in Tunisia, the American embassy staff, and their families, must be evacuated. As sanctuary at last seems possible, a daring and imaginative terrorist plot catches the Americans off guard. A radical Hezbollah terror cell operating in Tunisia takes the Americans hostage. The innocent captives are about to face the most horrifying three days of their lives—one of the hostage-takers is a deranged and vicious psychopath.
Delta Force, the U.S. Army counterterrorist team, deploys to save them, only to encounter a trap set by a legendary and deadly Arab assassin. He plans to massacre Delta’s commandos as they launch their hostage rescue mission. The CIA chief of station in Beirut risks all as he hunts this master assassin, known only as the Scimitar.
One of the American hostages is Major Mike Elliot, an ex-Special Forces operative. Mike Elliot is a man with a dark past, where mistakes he made, cost him dearly. Now, history repeats itself, and he stands to lose all that he has left. He is determined to take matters into his own hands, but he doesn’t know that Delta Force is planning a rescue. Unfortunately, what Mike doesn’t know, could get him and everyone around him, killed.
As the commando’s mission unfolds, Delta’s commander struggles with his own past, and he deliberately disobeys the President of the United States. When dawn at last approaches, and Delta moves in for its long-awaited assault, the Scimitar himself closes in for the ultimate kill. It all comes crashing together in one tumultuous, roller coaster of a collision, and it all happens by the Dawn’s Early Light.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2015
28 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 23, 2017
Mike Elliot is evacuating personnel from the US Embassy in Tunis, among whom is his wife Lynn. When the plane is hijacked everything goes horribly wrong.
Introduction
Mike Elliot Thriller #1
Tunis is becoming disturbingly unsafe for foreigners and the US government has decided to bring 150 of their Embassy personnel to safety. Mike Elliot is responsible for the smooth evacuation and as the Air France plane is about to take off, Mike wants to say goodbye to his wife Lynn who has just boarded. He notices a nervous looking Arab and feels uneasy. His gut tells him there is something going on. The next moment the Arab and his companions violently hijack the plane.
Storyline
Before he knows it, Mike is fighting with the huge Arab but is hit over the head by Abdul. Mike is unaware of the fact, that all the passengers are bound to their seats, even the children. He himself is also strapped to a seat and it will take some time before he regains consciousness. Abdul, the leader of the hijackers, wants Mike to be killed but Abu Hassim, the huge Arab, told him “this man fought with honour… Our destinies are still crossed.” Mike has mental scars, so deep that it took Lynn all she had to help him. Now he is terrified he cannot help her and might even lose her, bringing back all his nightmares from the past. As he is bound to his chair he can only witness what is going on. The assumed Hezbollah hijackers are lead by Abdul and it is his “first major operation.” No wonder Abdul is very nervous. Abu Hassim, the giant bear with his explosive moods, is not making it easier for him and challenges his leadership with his demeanour.
Meanwhile in America, Delta, a team of highly qualified professionals, are preparing a rescue operation. In Beirut, CIA’s John Striker suspects the Hezbollah is responsible but his bosses insist on evidence, provided by his contact Cupid. Striker fears Cupid is compromised but has no other choice than to endanger Cupid’s life one last time because if Hezbollah is involved then their infamous leader Scimitar has ordered the plane hijack. Striker is desperate to catch the men whose cruel actions make him a sinister legend both to his own men as to his enemies. No wonder the hijackers want the plane to land in Beirut but the authorities refuse to coöperate, forcing them to fly on to Cyprus. With every hour the situation seems to spiral further out of control and the rising tension is almost palpable within the plane where the passengers, including Mike and his wife Lynn, have no idea whether they will survive their ordeal.
My Thoughts
This is a fascinating thriller. The events are shocking and almost procedurally written down. There is so much going on that it is sometimes difficult to keep pace with all the names of the characters, their roles and involvement with the hijacked plane. I feel the author wanted to cover all (too many) angles. In my opinion, the novel would benefit from letting go of some of the protagonists thus narrowing the focus and concentration onto a few selected characters. The author has a lot of potential and his choice to give each of the hijackers their own voice instead of regarding them as a homogeneous group of terrorists was, for me, simply brilliant, heightening the atmosphere of the plane scenes. The insights into the working of the various agencies from different countries and the likeable protagonists Mike Elliot and John Striker make The Dawn’s Early Light an exciting read and look forward to reading the next Mike Elliot Thriller!
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/dawns-...
Introduction
Mike Elliot Thriller #1
Tunis is becoming disturbingly unsafe for foreigners and the US government has decided to bring 150 of their Embassy personnel to safety. Mike Elliot is responsible for the smooth evacuation and as the Air France plane is about to take off, Mike wants to say goodbye to his wife Lynn who has just boarded. He notices a nervous looking Arab and feels uneasy. His gut tells him there is something going on. The next moment the Arab and his companions violently hijack the plane.
Storyline
Before he knows it, Mike is fighting with the huge Arab but is hit over the head by Abdul. Mike is unaware of the fact, that all the passengers are bound to their seats, even the children. He himself is also strapped to a seat and it will take some time before he regains consciousness. Abdul, the leader of the hijackers, wants Mike to be killed but Abu Hassim, the huge Arab, told him “this man fought with honour… Our destinies are still crossed.” Mike has mental scars, so deep that it took Lynn all she had to help him. Now he is terrified he cannot help her and might even lose her, bringing back all his nightmares from the past. As he is bound to his chair he can only witness what is going on. The assumed Hezbollah hijackers are lead by Abdul and it is his “first major operation.” No wonder Abdul is very nervous. Abu Hassim, the giant bear with his explosive moods, is not making it easier for him and challenges his leadership with his demeanour.
Meanwhile in America, Delta, a team of highly qualified professionals, are preparing a rescue operation. In Beirut, CIA’s John Striker suspects the Hezbollah is responsible but his bosses insist on evidence, provided by his contact Cupid. Striker fears Cupid is compromised but has no other choice than to endanger Cupid’s life one last time because if Hezbollah is involved then their infamous leader Scimitar has ordered the plane hijack. Striker is desperate to catch the men whose cruel actions make him a sinister legend both to his own men as to his enemies. No wonder the hijackers want the plane to land in Beirut but the authorities refuse to coöperate, forcing them to fly on to Cyprus. With every hour the situation seems to spiral further out of control and the rising tension is almost palpable within the plane where the passengers, including Mike and his wife Lynn, have no idea whether they will survive their ordeal.
My Thoughts
This is a fascinating thriller. The events are shocking and almost procedurally written down. There is so much going on that it is sometimes difficult to keep pace with all the names of the characters, their roles and involvement with the hijacked plane. I feel the author wanted to cover all (too many) angles. In my opinion, the novel would benefit from letting go of some of the protagonists thus narrowing the focus and concentration onto a few selected characters. The author has a lot of potential and his choice to give each of the hijackers their own voice instead of regarding them as a homogeneous group of terrorists was, for me, simply brilliant, heightening the atmosphere of the plane scenes. The insights into the working of the various agencies from different countries and the likeable protagonists Mike Elliot and John Striker make The Dawn’s Early Light an exciting read and look forward to reading the next Mike Elliot Thriller!
Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/dawns-...
May 27, 2018
Major Mike Elliot had drawn what seemed to be good duty, if one considers embassy duty in Tunisia good duty. At least he wasn’t a Special Forces operative anymore. He had enough of that, at too dear a cost.
Elliot had no way of knowing that organizing an evacuation of embassy personnel would lead to security breaches, dead Marines, a hijacking, and Elliot confronted with saving his wife, with him in Tunisia and now a hostage on the plane, while he remained bound and under the watchful eye of terrorists. He knows he has to act. But how?
Duffy places half the action is in Beirut at a time when it was the epicenter of worldwide terror watch, the other half in Cyprus, where he writes a nail-biting narrative too real to not be easily envisioned unfolding on cable news. He leaves no stone unturned: readers get a full dose of special ops, the chain of command, inter-service cooperation, international diplomacy, and the desperate, vengeful, hate-driven acts of terror that are a fact of life in our modern world.
Duffy is a former Army Green Beret and Ranger, and it shows. His attention to detail is extraordinary for any writer, but it’s what you’d expect from someone who wore the uniform and lived to tell tales. The Dawn’s Early Light grips your throat, shakes your attention, and doesn’t let go. Duffy provides enough military for the enthusiasts, enough tension for the thriller fans, and enough what’s-gonna-happen-next for anyone trying to outguess what Duffy has in store. Good luck with that.
The Dawn’s Early Light is the first book in the Mike Elliot Thriller series. Duffy has created a vivid character for our times. I can’t wait to read Book 2, Bombs Bursting in Air. I have to confess: I’ve had this ebook for almost two years in my reader. Everyone has lots to read and no time to read everything, but still. Shame on me for waiting so long. If you like military thrillers or want to take a chance on a new genre, read The Dawn’s Early Light. Don’t wait.
Elliot had no way of knowing that organizing an evacuation of embassy personnel would lead to security breaches, dead Marines, a hijacking, and Elliot confronted with saving his wife, with him in Tunisia and now a hostage on the plane, while he remained bound and under the watchful eye of terrorists. He knows he has to act. But how?
Duffy places half the action is in Beirut at a time when it was the epicenter of worldwide terror watch, the other half in Cyprus, where he writes a nail-biting narrative too real to not be easily envisioned unfolding on cable news. He leaves no stone unturned: readers get a full dose of special ops, the chain of command, inter-service cooperation, international diplomacy, and the desperate, vengeful, hate-driven acts of terror that are a fact of life in our modern world.
Duffy is a former Army Green Beret and Ranger, and it shows. His attention to detail is extraordinary for any writer, but it’s what you’d expect from someone who wore the uniform and lived to tell tales. The Dawn’s Early Light grips your throat, shakes your attention, and doesn’t let go. Duffy provides enough military for the enthusiasts, enough tension for the thriller fans, and enough what’s-gonna-happen-next for anyone trying to outguess what Duffy has in store. Good luck with that.
The Dawn’s Early Light is the first book in the Mike Elliot Thriller series. Duffy has created a vivid character for our times. I can’t wait to read Book 2, Bombs Bursting in Air. I have to confess: I’ve had this ebook for almost two years in my reader. Everyone has lots to read and no time to read everything, but still. Shame on me for waiting so long. If you like military thrillers or want to take a chance on a new genre, read The Dawn’s Early Light. Don’t wait.
December 5, 2018
You will this one.
Great story. Took while to get going, but once it did it went flat out!. Good writing, great characters - recommend this one. Looking forward to the next one and you will also.
Great story. Took while to get going, but once it did it went flat out!. Good writing, great characters - recommend this one. Looking forward to the next one and you will also.
June 6, 2016
This took a long while to get rolling, but once it did, wow.
All the set up was necessary to understand the final action, and was interesting from a very clinical point of view. I'm used to more emotion in the books I read, but obviously for this genre you just can't. Not for every character. I did, however, tear up at the end for something that happened to Mike, and I was definitely on edge for the climax of the story.
This is not my usual genre, so I don't know how it compares to other books, but I can say I enjoyed this one quite a lot.
There were a few technical errors in the text that I couldn't help but flag, but none that really grabbed me and took me too far out of the story.
Well done, Lee Duffy.
All the set up was necessary to understand the final action, and was interesting from a very clinical point of view. I'm used to more emotion in the books I read, but obviously for this genre you just can't. Not for every character. I did, however, tear up at the end for something that happened to Mike, and I was definitely on edge for the climax of the story.
This is not my usual genre, so I don't know how it compares to other books, but I can say I enjoyed this one quite a lot.
There were a few technical errors in the text that I couldn't help but flag, but none that really grabbed me and took me too far out of the story.
Well done, Lee Duffy.
April 17, 2017
This is not a normal genre for me and I received this as a free download through Amazon.
With that being said - this may now be a new favorite genre for me! This book was intense! There was a lot of detail and character building in this story.
I'm bummed that the second book in the Mike Elliot series hasn't been released. Will keep an eye open for it.
With that being said - this may now be a new favorite genre for me! This book was intense! There was a lot of detail and character building in this story.
I'm bummed that the second book in the Mike Elliot series hasn't been released. Will keep an eye open for it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews