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Brannigan's Blackhearts #3
Enemy Unidentified
Terror strikes out of nowhere…
…And the Blackhearts might be the only ones who can act.
But who are they fighting?
In a single, blood-soaked afternoon, coordinated attacks kill hundreds across the Southwest. The attackers are trained, well-equipped, and coordinated. They issue no demands. No one takes credit.
But they have hostages.
With a standoff turning bad on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, players behind the scenes turn to John Brannigan and his deniable band of mercenaries to clear the terrorists off the platform. No one will know who did it, just like no one knows who the terrorists are.
It’s the amphibious raid from hell.
And the politics around it might be as lethal as the bullets.
Have the Blackhearts met their match?
…And the Blackhearts might be the only ones who can act.
But who are they fighting?
In a single, blood-soaked afternoon, coordinated attacks kill hundreds across the Southwest. The attackers are trained, well-equipped, and coordinated. They issue no demands. No one takes credit.
But they have hostages.
With a standoff turning bad on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, players behind the scenes turn to John Brannigan and his deniable band of mercenaries to clear the terrorists off the platform. No one will know who did it, just like no one knows who the terrorists are.
It’s the amphibious raid from hell.
And the politics around it might be as lethal as the bullets.
Have the Blackhearts met their match?
295 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2020
About the author
Peter Nealen
73 books108 followersPeter Nealen is a former Recon Marine, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and something of an aspiring renaissance man (emphasis on aspiring). He has long been a reader of history, philosophy, folklore, science fiction, and fantasy, and is the author of the American Praetorians series of paramilitary thrillers as well as the Jed Horn series of supernatural thrillers.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 19, 2019
Third and best so far in this series. An unknown terrorist group, equipped with surface-to-air missiles and drones, commit string of attacks that culminates with seizing an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Brannigan's mercenaries are brought in to re-take the rig and rescue the hostages, and lots of firefights and descriptions of violence ensues as the book follows Brannigan's team every step of the way as they plan and execute their mission. Most of the novel takes place on the rig, which is an original setting and the action scenes there are some of the author's best work so far. The terrorists present a competent threat and are not just cannon fodder. Also, not all of the regular cast of characters are guaranteed to survive, which adds a bit of realism. Death in these books comes abruptly and violently. Most interestingly, this installment introduces a new enemy for Brannigan and sets up a new ongoing storyline. This is shaping up to be a very entertaining series.
March 23, 2018
There are few things more satisfying than putting down a book upon completion and taking a deep breath to return to Earth, knowing you've been taken on a hell of a ride.
The third entry in Peter Nealen's Brannigan's Blackhearts series, ENEMY UNIDENTIFIED, is such a book.
A shadowy group coordinates terrorist attacks on both sides of the US/Mexican border, takes hostages, and stashes them on an oil platform offshore. This group manages to repel not one but TWO attempts by the Mexican Marines to retake the GOPLAT. The Mexican government refuses to ask the US government for help.
Enter Colonel John Brannigan (USMC, ret.) and his mercenary group of Blackhearts, currently 2-0 on impossible, deniable missions. They are tasked with retaking the GOPLAT and rescuing the hostages.
Fans of Peter Nealen will be used to cynical and pyrrhic endings if they have read the American Praetorian series or the stand-alone KILL YUAN. That has been largely absent from the Blackhearts novels.
Until now.
I can't say much else without spoiling it. I will say that there will be blood, and by the gallons.
Nealen has dialed it in and his shot group is tight. ENEMY UNIDENTIFIED is a compact thriller that glistens with blood and sweat. The reader can smell the cordite wafting from the pages.
The Blackhearts series is officially my current favorite series out there and I want the fourth installment, post-haste.
The third entry in Peter Nealen's Brannigan's Blackhearts series, ENEMY UNIDENTIFIED, is such a book.
A shadowy group coordinates terrorist attacks on both sides of the US/Mexican border, takes hostages, and stashes them on an oil platform offshore. This group manages to repel not one but TWO attempts by the Mexican Marines to retake the GOPLAT. The Mexican government refuses to ask the US government for help.
Enter Colonel John Brannigan (USMC, ret.) and his mercenary group of Blackhearts, currently 2-0 on impossible, deniable missions. They are tasked with retaking the GOPLAT and rescuing the hostages.
Fans of Peter Nealen will be used to cynical and pyrrhic endings if they have read the American Praetorian series or the stand-alone KILL YUAN. That has been largely absent from the Blackhearts novels.
Until now.
I can't say much else without spoiling it. I will say that there will be blood, and by the gallons.
Nealen has dialed it in and his shot group is tight. ENEMY UNIDENTIFIED is a compact thriller that glistens with blood and sweat. The reader can smell the cordite wafting from the pages.
The Blackhearts series is officially my current favorite series out there and I want the fourth installment, post-haste.
December 8, 2018
Another great entry in Peter Nealen's series.
This time the Blackhearts are hired to perform a hostage rescue on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, after a series of terrorist attacks in both the US and Mexico take place. The Mexican Naval Marine officer in charge loses troops to the well armed and prepared "terrorists", and so he turns to the Blackhearts.
They manage to board the oil rig, and discover the whole rig is set to explode, and that the hostages have already been executed. Despite their best efforts, and the lose of one of their own, the rig explodes, but the Mexican Navy tracks the terrorists escape submarine, and they take the Blackhearts with them as they land back in Mexico, in the middle of a narco-gangs area. Arriving at the farm, all the terrorists are supposedly killed by a huge explosion, but not before the bad guys kill more Mexican Marines and another of the Blackhearts.
It's all been a plot by a mysterious group, to test the world's responce, and you just know that the Blackhearts are going to cross paths with them again soon.
This time the Blackhearts are hired to perform a hostage rescue on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, after a series of terrorist attacks in both the US and Mexico take place. The Mexican Naval Marine officer in charge loses troops to the well armed and prepared "terrorists", and so he turns to the Blackhearts.
They manage to board the oil rig, and discover the whole rig is set to explode, and that the hostages have already been executed. Despite their best efforts, and the lose of one of their own, the rig explodes, but the Mexican Navy tracks the terrorists escape submarine, and they take the Blackhearts with them as they land back in Mexico, in the middle of a narco-gangs area. Arriving at the farm, all the terrorists are supposedly killed by a huge explosion, but not before the bad guys kill more Mexican Marines and another of the Blackhearts.
It's all been a plot by a mysterious group, to test the world's responce, and you just know that the Blackhearts are going to cross paths with them again soon.
April 30, 2018
This one strikes a bit closer to home and I expect something like this to pop up in my newsfeed any day now...back to the story, it is tight and moves quickly. The main reason it does is that the bad guys are not just cannon fodder but thinking men. Needless to say blood will be spilled...
Without giving away too much we have hostages, an inept Mexican government, a new shadow organization and more questions left to be answered by the end. It feels like the series is beginning to works its way towards something bigger.
We also get more character development in this part of the series which is not something you often see in this genre and it is appreciated. That and the intelligent bad guys lend itself to an excellent read and me waiting eagerly for the next one.
Without giving away too much we have hostages, an inept Mexican government, a new shadow organization and more questions left to be answered by the end. It feels like the series is beginning to works its way towards something bigger.
We also get more character development in this part of the series which is not something you often see in this genre and it is appreciated. That and the intelligent bad guys lend itself to an excellent read and me waiting eagerly for the next one.
March 21, 2018
Each book keeps getting better. Definitely full of surprises. Once I started to read this book I couldn't put it down. Can't wait till the next one.
July 18, 2018
Fun read
I am enjoying the series they are fun reads.
good characters and the reader is not sure who is going to make it through the adventure
I am enjoying the series they are fun reads.
good characters and the reader is not sure who is going to make it through the adventure
November 18, 2018
Some interesting players in this one. As usual, a ride through hell and back.
January 25, 2019
A decent action novel
Fairly believable with not a lot of beyond human capability action. A storyline that held together, decent characterization and intrigue with intensity
Fairly believable with not a lot of beyond human capability action. A storyline that held together, decent characterization and intrigue with intensity
March 28, 2021
Enjoyable
This was an enjoyable read in the Brannigan’s Blackhearts Series. I found it to be a flowing read. I’ll be downloading the next book shortly.
This was an enjoyable read in the Brannigan’s Blackhearts Series. I found it to be a flowing read. I’ll be downloading the next book shortly.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews