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Troy Pearce #4
Drone Threat
Enter to win one of 25 copies of DRONE THREAT.
On the eve of President Lane’s historic Asian Security Summit, a hobby-store quadcopter lands on the White House lawn carrying a package and an ominous threat: Fly the enclosed black flag of ISIS over the White House by noon today or suffer the consequences. The threat further promises that every day the flag isn’t flown a new attack will be launched, each deadlier than the first.
President Lane refuses to comply with the outrageous demand, but the first drone attacks, sending a shudder through the U.S. economy. With few options available and even fewer clues, President Lane unleashes Troy Pearce and his Drone Command team to find and stop the untraceable source of the destabilizing attacks. But the terror mastermind proves more elusive and vindictive than any opponent Pearce has faced before . . . and if Pearce fails, the nation will suffer an unimaginable catastrophe on its soil or be forced into war.
On the eve of President Lane’s historic Asian Security Summit, a hobby-store quadcopter lands on the White House lawn carrying a package and an ominous threat: Fly the enclosed black flag of ISIS over the White House by noon today or suffer the consequences. The threat further promises that every day the flag isn’t flown a new attack will be launched, each deadlier than the first.
President Lane refuses to comply with the outrageous demand, but the first drone attacks, sending a shudder through the U.S. economy. With few options available and even fewer clues, President Lane unleashes Troy Pearce and his Drone Command team to find and stop the untraceable source of the destabilizing attacks. But the terror mastermind proves more elusive and vindictive than any opponent Pearce has faced before . . . and if Pearce fails, the nation will suffer an unimaginable catastrophe on its soil or be forced into war.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2016
125 people are currently reading
421 people want to read
About the author
Mike Maden
28 books408 followersI grew up working in the canneries, feed mills and slaughterhouses of California’s San Joaquin Valley. A lifelong fascination with history and warfare ultimately lead to a Ph.D. in political science focused on conflict and technology in international relations. Like millions of others, I first became a Tom Clancy fan after reading The Hunt for Red October, and began my published fiction career in the same techno-thriller genre, starting with DRONE and the sequels, BLUE WARRIOR, DRONE COMMAND and DRONE THREAT. I’m honored to be joining “The Campus” as a writer in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Jr., series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 30, 2023
Book Review - Dr. Mike Maden's “Drone Threat” is the last of the four book Drone series. I absolutely love protagonist Troy Pierce and his high-tech drone technology team. This was a very enjoyable book, good story line, suspenseful action, abundant and creative technology details and villains/bad guys everywhere. From the very first Drone book, Maden has created an interesting premise in the techno thriller genre with the understanding that sometimes the most lethal Black Ops warriors are those that are just out of sight and sometimes not human. His stories using high-tech drones to fight terrorism, terrorists and just plain evil is mind-boggling. The drones and other related systems are real and truly technologically 'amazing'. Yes they may only be prototypes or research concepts but they make the story just that much more intriguing, interesting and provocative. Tie the well explained technology in with a well developed storyline, interesting characters and lots of action and you got yourself a "unputdownable techno thriller." There are only a few things in life that make me go "hmmmm" and all four of Mike Maden's Drone books made me do that, especially this one, Drone Threat. Definitely worth a read but I recommend starting the series from the beginning with the first book, Drone. Hope Maden continues the Drone series.
October 15, 2017
A great ending to the Troy Pearce series. Author Mike Maden has developed an interesting hero, wrapped him in a compelling story and surrounded him with interesting supporting characters. This series comes in for a soft landing after lots of world-crunching chaos. I can see why Mike was the choice to carry the Tom Clancy banner into the future. Grab the whole Drone series and enjoy these four books. While not necessary, they build nicely on each other and are holding up very well, given current events.
May 10, 2023
Wow. Sure took me awhile to finish this one. Not quite as engaging as previous books. 😩. A Drone Command as a separate government agency. Wow. But how far is that from really happening. As usual great characters but once again believability is not very strong. There cannot be that much corruption, deceit and greed at the highest levels of our government. Geez. I hope not. If this were true our country’s future is bleak. 😩
February 9, 2021
A Different Storyline Done Well
Very interesting story with a realistic and frightening scenario. The character development kept the reader tied to the plot with added interest. I liked the fact that this episode was concluded while still lending itself to further adventures. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.
Very interesting story with a realistic and frightening scenario. The character development kept the reader tied to the plot with added interest. I liked the fact that this episode was concluded while still lending itself to further adventures. I'm looking forward to reading more of the series.
January 29, 2023
I’m upset! Not because the story was bad..but because the Troy Pierce series has no more book! What a GREAT series! For my money, these rank right there with the John Clark/Jack Ryan series under the Tom Clancy name. I really wish there were more books in this series!
Great read and highly, highly recommend!
Great read and highly, highly recommend!
January 15, 2017
Drone Threat (Troy Pearce #4) by Mike Maden is an interesting thriller. It is book 4 of the Troy Pearce series. It is technology oriented but keeps your attention.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads giveaway.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads giveaway.
December 2, 2018
Best one yet!
Satisfying. Maden captures the possibilities in foreign policy and the chaos that the U.S. has created in the middle east. Russia. Why is it always involve Russia???
Satisfying. Maden captures the possibilities in foreign policy and the chaos that the U.S. has created in the middle east. Russia. Why is it always involve Russia???
September 25, 2020
In a swift departure from the earlier titles, the style of this book simply was neither what I anticipated nor delivered in a style I enjoyed. Just me ... but I found it to be a disappointing conclusion to the series and, should a #5 be written, would approach it with more than mild hesitation.
May 9, 2021
Whilst I again enjoyed the story I did find the ending unsatisfactory. The ending may reflect political realities in Washington in terms of what happens to the main character, but novels are all about escapism and I would have preferred something more positive.
January 22, 2022
technically coherent
As a retired aerospace executive, the technology described is real and the story engaging. Mike is good writer, I enjoyed the entire series and hope Mike writes additional sequels
As a retired aerospace executive, the technology described is real and the story engaging. Mike is good writer, I enjoyed the entire series and hope Mike writes additional sequels
October 23, 2018
Killing off the hero and former president was a bad ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2018
Great
Really good one from the Author ... I really enjoyed while reading the book and definitely recommend this book to all my friends...
Really good one from the Author ... I really enjoyed while reading the book and definitely recommend this book to all my friends...
July 19, 2019
If you are a fan of the Troy Pearce novels this is a good one with a decent storyline. My only negative would be that a book called Drone Command might have a little more drone activity.
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August 23, 2019Ego' corrupt .
Another excellent action and political thriller about political agendas and dangerous allies. I highly recommend this book and all of the other books in the series.
Another excellent action and political thriller about political agendas and dangerous allies. I highly recommend this book and all of the other books in the series.
April 9, 2020
Gripping and heroic drama
The unsightly deeds of a gutless cast of bureaucrats is must read. Thoroughly enjoyed. Can’t wait to experience more Pearce heroic saves.
The unsightly deeds of a gutless cast of bureaucrats is must read. Thoroughly enjoyed. Can’t wait to experience more Pearce heroic saves.
October 26, 2020
Too much lecture, not much action. Explains why now he is writing the Clancy books
January 19, 2021
Troy Pearce is the best!
I certainly hope there eventually will be more books in the series. Troy still has to catch up with Clay.
I certainly hope there eventually will be more books in the series. Troy still has to catch up with Clay.
November 28, 2023
a great story and series.
February 27, 2024
Not as good as the previous one that I read.
February 22, 2017
This was the first Troy Pearce story that I have read but I never felt lost or confused by not having more of a background on the main characters. Mr. Maden gave enough information to fill me in and keep me reading. Drone Threat was well researched and although there is a lot of technical information I never felt overwhelmed by it. This book is full of twist and turns, political intrigue and subplots. It is also just plain scary knowing that the whole premise of the book is feasible. The ending got tied up a bit too quickly and though there is no real cliffhanger you do wonder what happens next.
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February 23, 2017While I liked this book and the story line, I was somewhat disappointed by the ending. It left me feeling as if the author had grown tired of the story and just ended it.
November 15, 2016
Except for brief cameos, most of the team that series hero Troy Pearce worked with in the first book of Mike Maden's "Drone" series is absent from its fourth novel, Drone Threat.
Which leaves the engine of the book resting on Pearce's shoulders as he navigates both Washington insider politics and his chosen specialty of electronic drone warfare to hunt down a new threat to the United States. A drone somehow managed to breach White House security, land on the lawn and bear a message: Fly the ISIS flag over the White House or face catastrophic retaliation for every day the demand is not met. Troy, as a newly-appointed administration official creating policy for drone warfare, needs to engage in threat-thwarting while also trying to pin down its source and survive the even more hazardous world of White House infighting.
As in previous books, Maden's knowledge of drone operations and electronic warfare is top-rate and he explains it well within the narrative, rarely veering towards plot-stalling infodumps. He's less capable at characterization, but since this is the fourth book in the series he's been able to sketch his main players fairly well by now. The sidelining of the team detracts from some of the fun of the series at the start, as Maden tries to do some more exploring and building with Troy himself. It's not awfully done, but it's not his strong suit either and combined with a plot that yanks back and forth in annoying rather than mysterious ways it helps drag Drone Threat to the bottom of the Pearce series. Without the extra team members and their dynamics to flavor the story, we're left with cut-and-paste set pieces that retread ground the earlier books have already worn smooth. Something really unusual will be required to give this series some oomph if it returns for a fifth outing.
Original available here.
Which leaves the engine of the book resting on Pearce's shoulders as he navigates both Washington insider politics and his chosen specialty of electronic drone warfare to hunt down a new threat to the United States. A drone somehow managed to breach White House security, land on the lawn and bear a message: Fly the ISIS flag over the White House or face catastrophic retaliation for every day the demand is not met. Troy, as a newly-appointed administration official creating policy for drone warfare, needs to engage in threat-thwarting while also trying to pin down its source and survive the even more hazardous world of White House infighting.
As in previous books, Maden's knowledge of drone operations and electronic warfare is top-rate and he explains it well within the narrative, rarely veering towards plot-stalling infodumps. He's less capable at characterization, but since this is the fourth book in the series he's been able to sketch his main players fairly well by now. The sidelining of the team detracts from some of the fun of the series at the start, as Maden tries to do some more exploring and building with Troy himself. It's not awfully done, but it's not his strong suit either and combined with a plot that yanks back and forth in annoying rather than mysterious ways it helps drag Drone Threat to the bottom of the Pearce series. Without the extra team members and their dynamics to flavor the story, we're left with cut-and-paste set pieces that retread ground the earlier books have already worn smooth. Something really unusual will be required to give this series some oomph if it returns for a fifth outing.
Original available here.
November 4, 2016
Drone Threat really makes us think about how drones can be a serious threat to our national security. I really enjoy books that are fiction but strongly hint at possible real-world issues. This book does this well. I get chills when I read books that could as easily be fact as they are fiction. Mike Madden does a nice job of crafting a story that starts out with a full-on action story-line and keeps it moving. This book is not the first in the Troy Pearce series, but I did not feel that I missed anything by not reading them first. It does well as a stand alone book, but I think that reading the other three in this series would give you a better understanding of the characters. .We see people flying drones as a recreational hobby, but as this story tells us they have many more sinister uses. We hear of drones taking pictures and doing surveilence everyday on the news never thinking of the evil that can be done with them. Troy Pearce and his team are drone experts who work with the government to find out who is behind the drone attacks and to try to put a end to them. This book has suspence, politics and enough twists in the story to keep you reading to find out what is happening next. The writing flows along even with a few technical terms and government acronyms tossed in here and there. Sometimes when you find an author that is new to you it can be a dissappointment, but I am happy to say I really enjoyed reading Drone Threat and look forward to reading his other books.
I want to thank Penguin Random House and First to Read for giving me an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
I want to thank Penguin Random House and First to Read for giving me an advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
November 22, 2016
Full & detailed review: http://cynthology.blogspot.in/2016/11...
This was Book 4 of a series so I was prepared to be slightly lost. What I wasn’t prepared for was how far this book veered from the promise it began with. The first few chapters of the book bring out the modus operandi of the ISIS. But the focus changed completely.
The writing wasn’t pretty. It tells it like it is, conjuring the heat and dust and the fatigue and horrors that cling to conflict ridden regions.
The book helps us to understand the lives of the people on the killing grounds, no matter which side of the conflict they may be on. The author tells it like it is. How nations pursue their own agendas leaving the world a mess.
In the beginning, the author builds up his story well, bringing out the simmering politics played by vested interests. How tyrants are cultivated to suit certain needs.
While the understanding of the politics behind war was sound and the research on drones and related technology was explained well, much about this book was slapdash.
Much as Drone Threat began well, it didn’t end quite smoothly. There was no effective resolution, and I got a sense of undue haste as the author sought to bring events to a close.
This was Book 4 of a series so I was prepared to be slightly lost. What I wasn’t prepared for was how far this book veered from the promise it began with. The first few chapters of the book bring out the modus operandi of the ISIS. But the focus changed completely.
The writing wasn’t pretty. It tells it like it is, conjuring the heat and dust and the fatigue and horrors that cling to conflict ridden regions.
The book helps us to understand the lives of the people on the killing grounds, no matter which side of the conflict they may be on. The author tells it like it is. How nations pursue their own agendas leaving the world a mess.
In the beginning, the author builds up his story well, bringing out the simmering politics played by vested interests. How tyrants are cultivated to suit certain needs.
While the understanding of the politics behind war was sound and the research on drones and related technology was explained well, much about this book was slapdash.
Much as Drone Threat began well, it didn’t end quite smoothly. There was no effective resolution, and I got a sense of undue haste as the author sought to bring events to a close.
September 4, 2016
I received this book free of charge from First to Read in exchange for my honest review.
This was the 4th book in the series by this author and it stood up well as a stand alone book. You had enough background information to feel connected to the characters and it made me want to go back and read the other three books.
I enjoyed this book. I thought the subject matter of drones and how they are used in war and civilian life is a timely topic. The twists and turns in the book kept me interested and wanting to read more. I would have liked to see what happened to the Vice President and his chief of staff. and see them fall from grace. Maybe that is in the next book. Who knows?
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, which I hope there is.
This was the 4th book in the series by this author and it stood up well as a stand alone book. You had enough background information to feel connected to the characters and it made me want to go back and read the other three books.
I enjoyed this book. I thought the subject matter of drones and how they are used in war and civilian life is a timely topic. The twists and turns in the book kept me interested and wanting to read more. I would have liked to see what happened to the Vice President and his chief of staff. and see them fall from grace. Maybe that is in the next book. Who knows?
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, which I hope there is.
September 25, 2016
I received this ARC from the First to Read program. Even though it wasn't necessary, I feel like I might have enjoyed this book more had I read the earlier books in the series. It took me quite a while to get into the story. I didn't feel a connection to the characters and the story seemed slow to start. The story jumped around quite a bit, which is fine, but it seemed quite illogical at times. The story eventually got interesting, but each perilous situation was wrapped up too quickly each time. I wanted to like this, but honestly I struggled to enjoy it very much until about the last quarter of the book.
October 19, 2016
Troy Pearce is a former CIA agent. In civilian life,
he is an expert on drones. When the US faces
a threat from ISIS, Troy and his Drone Command
are called on by the President to investigate the
threat and put an end to the threat.
Action packed, intrigue, suspense and thick
tension make this a good read.
The research on drones was impeccable. The
array of characters were well defined, interesting
and well developed.
This was book #4 in the Troy Pearce Series. It can
be read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read this Advanced Reader Copy.
Thanks to First-to-Read for the eBook. My opinion
is my own.
Great read!!! Bought the book to re-read.
he is an expert on drones. When the US faces
a threat from ISIS, Troy and his Drone Command
are called on by the President to investigate the
threat and put an end to the threat.
Action packed, intrigue, suspense and thick
tension make this a good read.
The research on drones was impeccable. The
array of characters were well defined, interesting
and well developed.
This was book #4 in the Troy Pearce Series. It can
be read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read this Advanced Reader Copy.
Thanks to First-to-Read for the eBook. My opinion
is my own.
Great read!!! Bought the book to re-read.
September 14, 2016
This was the 4th book in a series -while I would have loved to have read the first three to get me up to speed, it wasn't truly necessary. Feel fairly confident that you can read this as a stand-alone. The characters are well fleshed and the back-ground was filled in just enough for me.
This issue is an important one in this day and age and the idea certainty gave me the chills.
This book seemed to be well researched and it was certainly very well written, it kept me on the edge of my chair and, was for me, very satisfying.
*ARC supplied by publisher
This issue is an important one in this day and age and the idea certainty gave me the chills.
This book seemed to be well researched and it was certainly very well written, it kept me on the edge of my chair and, was for me, very satisfying.
*ARC supplied by publisher
September 23, 2016
This was the 4th book in a series featuring Troy Pearce, former CIA and current expert civilian of drones. In this military thriller, the US faces a terrorist threat from ISIS. The plot has lots of action, intrigue, and political maneuvering which was frustrating, but captures "real life" situations. I did enjoy the drone angle (which also made me suspicious of my neighbor who was playing with his drone this past weekend).
Thanks to First to Read- Penguin Books USA for the free copy of this book.
Thanks to First to Read- Penguin Books USA for the free copy of this book.
October 1, 2016
I won this book on Goodreads. I have not read the previous books in the series, so the characters were unfamiliar to me. I was impressed by how many tangential plots were in the story and woven well into the main narrative. The main character Troy Pearce does not change much, but he does struggle with his own past as he tries to move to a better future. I thought the ending seemed rushed but acceptable as the author did tie up most of the loose ends.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews