They strike without warning, in key locations around the world. In Russia, a Soviet-era storage facility is raided by terrorists. In the Phillipines, an important international conference is under siege. In the United States, Dan Morgan is stalked by Russian agents. And at Berkeley, Morgan’s daughter is kidnapped with other students and taken to a remote laboratory. The attacks are neither coincidental nor random. They are part of a carefully orchestrated plan by a new and merciless organization. As Zeta Division struggles to make sense of the international chaos, Dan Morgan races to stop a deadly biochemical weapon—one that Morgan’s daughter is being forced to help build…
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Leo J. Maloney, and Lyrical Underground for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Leo Maloney is back with another novel in the Dan Morgan series, pushing the limits while enthralling the reader with this high-impact story. The Zeta Division has changed significantly over the last number of years, particularly with some of the hard work that Dan Morgan has put in to make this elite organisation extremely effective while remaining covert. Choosing to take a well-deserved holiday with his patient wife, Morgan counsels Alex, his daughter and one of Zeta’s newest operatives, to watch herself over the next little while. Alex Morgan may be young but she is prepared to handle any situation tossed at her. When Zeta learns that a biochemistry professor, nicknamed Dr. Armageddon, has been espousing a virus that kills the entire human population to create a ‘reset’, Alex is sent to infiltrate the group and learn all she can about any future plans. While she soaks up the college life, her parents are chased down by a group of Russian operatives, whose target is surely Dan Morgan. While he expects trouble, this is an old friend/foe seeking Morgan’s help with a piece of highly delicate intel. It would appear a Chechen terrorist group has gathered old Soviet documentation on a biological weapon that could wreak havoc on large portions of the population. These terrorists must be stopped at any cost or things could go sour quickly. Just as Alex seems to be making headway posing as a college student, the Chechens arrive on campus to force Dr. Armageddon and a group of students to work on the Soviet weapon or die trying. Morgan must keep his cool while waiting to hear what is going on, knowing that Alex’s life could be in extreme danger. If this were not enough, a terror group in the Philippines has stormed into an international gathering, seeking to maximise the body count to make a point. Maloney has done it again with this stellar read that pulls the reader into the middle of this entertaining piece. Those who enjoy the Dan Morgan series will surely want to get their hands on this novel, as will readers who enjoy stories that mix espionage and political intrigue.
I am always in the mood for Leo J. Maloney’s work, as it weaves an exciting story and does not let the reader breathe until the final sentence. Maloney has a way not only with words, but is also able to engage the reader with strong writing and believable dialogue. Dan Morgan takes a backseat in this novel, forced to wait as his daughter tries to extricate herself out of one of the most harrowing experiences in her young life. Alex proves to be not only an endearing character, but also has the grit needed to make it in the Zeta Division. Her passion for the work and ability to blend in proves to be the perfect mix. Alex comes out of her shell and proves that she can emerge from the shadow cast by her father, surely a formative point in the series. There are other strong characters whose secondary role help push the story forward while ramping up the action as well. Working two key plots in tandem, Maloney forces the reader to pay close attention, as each storyline has its own importance to the overall advancement of the series. The novel moves away from some of the traditional ‘terrorist’ pieces, turning not only to a Russian enemy, but also new forms of weapons. Looking towards biological warfare, Maloney hints at what might be to come, if not in reality, then at least in this genre that is jam-packed with authors striving to ascend to the top of the pack. Maloney is there and with more stories of this nature, he is sure to remain there for the foreseeable future.
Kudos, Mr. Maloney, for another great novel. I cannot say enough about your writing and hope others will discover you soon!
In Leo Maloney's Dan Morgan series, Morgan is part of Zeta Division, a secret private intelligence organization that is called in only when circumstances are dire. In Threat Level Alpha, #6 in the series, we meet these alpha agents as they are stealing a top secret Russian fighter jet with high tech bells and whistles--possibly better than America’s. And they snatch it from its own well-defended hanger deep in enemy territory. Before they have time to fully celebrate, terrorists steal the formula for a virus that is easily deployed with a 100% mortality rate. It is so dangerous, Russia stopped investigating it and destroyed everything about it--but apparently not well enough. To use it, the new owners must figure out how to turn the formula into an active virus. No problem. They kidnap a radical group of University biotech grad students, themselves intent on saving the world from mankind, and set them up in a secret lab as prisoners until they build the virus. Once that's done, it will be deployed in the USA. What they don't know is that two Zeta agents are embedded in the group and one of them happens to be Morgan’s daughter.
This is my first novel from Maloney and good grief! What a way to start. The surprises and suspense only get bigger and better with every twist and turn. Maloney fills the action with weaponry and special forces details that make everything feel as authentic as if I'm right there:
“It will get easier when we hit our altitude. Not enough air at 40,000 feet to make turbulence”
"...the people of Tibet had no more control of their sky then they did over their land. They’d lost that control to the Chinese army in 1950."
This is one of the fastest moving, intricately plotted thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommended for those who love this genre.
Incredibly worthwhile read. Leo J Maloney has definitely hit the mark with this very clever and well written story. I really enjoyed the plot, especially since it had me guessing with what was going to happen from one moment to the next. Alex Morgan is the sort of character that you can’t help but like. He’s the ultimate tough guy, with some incredible skills. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series. Alex Morgan finally received her first mission since starting with Zeta, after what seemed like an eternity stuck in training. It sounded like a straight forward mission to pose as a student at Berkeley and see exactly what one of the professors was up to. Especially since the professor in question was openly advocating the death of all human life on earth, to save the planet from being destroyed. Unfortunately, a group of Chechnya men had other ideas for the Professor and his students, and they weren’t going to take no for an answer. Luckily for Zeta Dan Morgan has come into contact with the Russian operator Valery Dobrynin. He is sure that the Chechnyan group are here to make a bio weapon that was initially invented years ago, that could have very devastating consequences for the world’s population. I really look forward to more from this Author in the future. Do yourself a favour and read this book, you won’t be disappointed.
I have to preface this review by saying that I’m a HUGE fan of Mr. Maloney’s Dan Morgan thrillers, I mean a huge fan...it amazes and befuddles me that his work is not more widely regarded as an absolute powerhouse in the thriller genre with the likes of Flynn, Thor, Coes, etc. His dedication to character development and his incredible level of detail from start to finish is a work of art, and the plots he comes up with are chair-gripping’ly good. If there’s ever an author to “fanboy” over, aside from the usual’s with thousands and thousands of followers- it’s Leo J. Maloney. I take literally every chance I get when asked for recommendations to turn people on to this series. And, just like that last 6-7, I flew through the pages from beginning to end, in record time, all the while trying to avoid checking the page number as I’ll then realize that it’s nearly finished and in comes rushing the dreaded “have to wait for the next installment” anxiety begins to set in.
This book was one of my favorites, and my only real bother was that it wasn’t longer, lol. But, casting my own selfish qualms aside, I must admit that it was the perfect length, and anything longer would’ve only served to dull the story down. In this book, we’re given two separate, unrelated story lines as Maloney chose to split up the main protagonists, Conley & Morgan, and force them to handle their individual adventures on their own, rather than as a team as we’ve seen in books past.
After the first dozen chapters I found myself wondering when he’d draw the two stories together and intertwine the plots. Not so much because of what was happening, but because, as any enthusiast of these books will tell you, when Conley & Morgan are together, they’re a true force to reckoned with, and their synergy and banter and proficiencies working together on missions is one reason why the series is so appealing. But the more I read, and the deeper the plots got, it became apparent that not only was Maloney going to split them up, but he was going to give us readers a rare treat in fully developing two completely different and unrelated stories...I mean, if that’s not another reason for Maloney being considered one of the best- the fact that he essentially gave us 2 books in 1, I don’t know what is. And to top it all off, he couldn’t have finished the book any better than by offering up some subtle morbid, playful banter/ribbing between the two agents at the end when telling each other/commenting on their individual experiences. If anything, this book made me love the team of Morgan and Conley more than ever, and the two never even interact until the final few pages. And THAT my friend is why I’ll remain a faithful Maloney fan until the very end!
Pros: Upbeat and the plot moves along quickly. Some characters development for Alex, Karen, Jenny, and Peter Connolly.
Cons: Alex and Jenny’s plot lines feel stereotypical and forced. Peter’s new love life feels formulaic. Nothing on Scott and Lily much less on Dan insofar as character development.
Plot summary: Karen’s algorithm shows signs of potential disturbances happening at UC-Berkeley and also in Manila. Peter goes to Manila and falls in love with a Chinese finance minister, Dani, who is there for a conference and tells Peter she wants to defect. (But how does she know to go to Peter, who says he’s a professor?) She also turns out to be Chinese intelligence when a terrorist group attacks the hotel and she and a Peter. She ends up defecting and the working for Zeta. Alex and Karen go undercover at Berkeley and end ip kidnapped by Chechen terrorists trying to create a end of the world virus. Alex falls for her RA, Jason, and he gets kidnapped too. In the end, Karen and Alex created a disturbance but Jason gets killed…and Dan and his friend Russian Valery show up with Zeta right as the fight gets hot. The story ends with Zeta being challenged to figure out who is beyond all these upticks in terrorism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.
Author Leo J. Maloney is a mastersmith of words. His plots deliver a dose of high-octane thrill that will satisfy any adrenaline junky. In his latest book, Threat Level Alpha, Zeta Agent Dan Morgan is faced with nothing less than the destruction of the world. From the very first pages when the reader finds Morgan stealing a Russian Jet, to a terrorist invasion of an old, out of date, military facility in the Philippians, then the abduction of a whack job professor, who espouses the end of human kind, and his students, including Morgan’s daughter, who is undercover for the first time, this book will demand you read and read far into the night. When foes become friends, and an all-hands-on deck call out to every Zeta agent, this plot will not disappoint.
If you are into the kick ass,forget to breathe type of book , then THREAT LEVEL ALPHA BY LEO J MALONEY is right up you alley! From page one to the very last page,the book moves along at a steady pace. Everything from kidnapping to C4 explosives,from shootouts to Russians, THREAT LEVEL ALPHA has it all.
This is the first of Mr. Maloney's Dan Morgan books I have read and I am pretty sure it wont be the last. Morgan, meek mild mannered classic car dealer/collector is really a kick ass kinda guy who not only takes his government spy job seriously but his role as a husband and father. And whether he is on a case, in a third world country or out on vacation, Morgan is ready and willing to fight .
I recieved this e book free from goodreads in exchange for a review.
Although this is Maloney's sixth thriller featuring Dan Morgan, it's the first Leo J. Maloney book I have read, but it certainly won't be the last.
I found the characters believable, the plot was well thought out and kept me on the edge of my seat. The good guys were likable, and amusing, but not perfect. The story was fast paced, and kept me coming back for more.
There were a few typos/grammatical errors, but not too many, and I didn't find them distracting. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good thrill ride that keeps you guessing.
I was given an ARC of this book from netgalley, but the opinions are my own.
If you enjoy Matthew Reilly, chances are you will also enjoy the Dan Morgan series, especially Threat Level Alpha. And if you're like me, you'll stay up until 1am to finish the book instead of sleeping.
At the time this review was written, the book has yet to be made available to the general public. With that in mind, I did not deduct a star for the grammatical errors which will hopefully be fixed before the book's release.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Dan Morgan finds himself being stalked by Russian agents while his college daughter ends up being kidnapped with other students and held in a laboratory. Internationally a Russian storage facility is raided by terrorists as a conference in the Philippines is under siege.
All these incidents are connected as Dan must use his knowledge to make the world safe and find his daughter in a safe manner before she help builds a biological weapon.
Author Leo J. Maloney has done a terrific job of mixing plot-driven and character-driven components into this action-packed novel. Dan Morgan and his wife try to get away for a long-awaited vacation when they find themselves being chased by Russians. Meanwhile, fellow Zeta operatives Alex (Dan’s daughter) and Peter Conley put their skills to work to prevent catastrophe in California and Asia.. Those who love non-stop action will love this story and look forward to the Zetas In Maloney’s next book as well. I received an advanced digital copy through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I won this book from goodreads (kindle version) for an honest review. This typically is not the genre or type of book I would choose to read however, I am glad I won it because it was a very interesting and exciting book to read. I found myself braced on the edge of my seat to find out what would happen next. A good thriller/mystery that keeps you really hanging on to find out what is going to happen next. I highly recommend this read to anyone looking for a thrilling roller coaster ride of a story.
Normally love the Dan Morgan series. Not this one. This is more about making the Wife, daughter and partner heroes than Dan. He sees action in the first and last chapter of the book and the rest of the time seems to be a secondary character. I can only assume they are trying to give Alex (His daughter) a push to give her own book series. Not horrible but not what I wanted or expected. I hope his next book returns Dan as the main character.
There is a lot going on in the book and I needed to focus on what I was reading so I could grasp everything. I didn’t really get some of it but maybe I needed to read the other books prior to help put all the players and pieces together easier. This book has plenty of twists and turns and surprises and is very enjoyable to read, just make sure you’re paying attention to all the details! Thanks to netgalley.com and the publisher for a copy of this book.
From a joint operation to individual simultaneous field events, Morgan and Crowley keep readers on the edge of their seats. If you haven’t exercised your thriller reading mind in some time, you’ll find yourself out of breath with every reading season devoted to this black ops thriller.
This is the first book in this series that I’ve read, but it won’t be the last.
The story was good enough. The editing was shoddy. Most notable was the repetitious use of “Tach team” instead of tac team. It’s a tactical team, not a tachometer team. There were also several places with lousy continuity.
I won’t bother with anything else by this author. Your mileage may vary.
Yet again the author brings together various characters and plots that completely have you wanting more. This is the work of a master story teller who can make all the different parts of the storyline come together and leaves you wanting more.
Received an arc from netgalley. Really enjoyed this book. This is the first in the Dan Morgan series that I have read but felt like I didn't really miss anything. Definitely recommend the book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; a real Thriller. It's well written, and the characters are engaging,. I especially enjoyed the plot twists throughout the book. Definitely worth reading.
Another excellent tale of the Zeta crew by Mr Maloney. Featuring a quick heist, taking down a terrorist attack, Alex's first solo mission and a potential world altering event. Well done sir
A pretty good page turner. Two terrorist events that initially looked bleak turn around with heroic actions. Pretty decent with language, however a pretty high nameless body count. A couple surprise events and I totally misjudged one character's motives. I would have no problem reading more by this author.