Threat Axis

Command and Control #4

by David Bruns, J.R. Olson

In the midst of a global manhunt, the leader of the world's largest private army sees his opportunity to upset the international order. Ian Thomas is supposed to be dead. An international terrorist responsible for the bombing of the US Naval War College, he's been deceased for three years. But Don Riley, head of the CIA’s Emerging Threats Group, is staring at a social media post showing him to be very much alive and on the run in South America. The video of Thomas sparks a global The Americans want to bring him to justice. The Chinese want him to disappear. And the Russians want to kill him very, very slowly. But the world's most powerful nations aren't the only ones pursuing the most wanted man on the planet. The manhunt attracts an uninvited Sentinel Holdings, the largest private military contractor in the world. Helmed by ruthless CEO Manson Skelly, Sentinel's lethal capabilities rival those of most countries. Sensing an opportunity to secure his place as a player on the world stage, Skelly uses his superior tech and global assets to insert himself into the chase...with catastrophic results. Now, Skelly has decided that the international order is up for grabs, and Don Riley will need help from all the wrong places to stop him—before it’s too late. Threat Axis is the fourth book in an explosive series co-written by former submarine officer David Bruns and retired naval intelligence officer J.R. Olson. Packed with heart-stopping action, ripped from the headlines combat scenes, and page-turning twists, this military techno-thriller is a must-read for fans of Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney. ___________________________ Praise for the authors and the COMMAND AND CONTROL “David Bruns and J.R. Olson deliver captivating and utterly authentic portrayals of modern day combat that compares with the best of the timeless classics by Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Stephen Coonts.” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical “A fascinating World War Three scenario, and an action-packed story. This is going to be an amazing series!” —Andrew Watts, USA Today bestselling author of The War Planners "With their background in the U.S. Navy, both Bruns and Olson have the right stuff to create a realistic military tale." ―Booklist “These two guys have lived it. Now they’re writing it. Taut, tense, and totally believable, you will be dropped into the midst of a world with which few of us are familiar. A fine thriller indeed.” —Don Keith, author of Only the Brave and Final Bearing “Command and Control is a masterpiece of a military thriller from the first page to the explosive ending…some of the best combat writing I’ve seen since Tom Clancy.” —Jason Kasper, USA Today bestselling author of The Enemies of My Country "Bruns and Olson deliver an action packed story from the first to the very last page. Torn from tomorrow’s headlines, loaded with intrigue and mystery, a must read for any fan of military techno-thrillers." —George Wallace, author of Warshot and Operation Golden Dawn ___________________________ What readers are ★★★★★ "...riveting!"
★★★★★ "...gripping..."
★★★★★ "...incredible plot twists..."
★★★★★ "...top notch military thriller..."
★★★★★ "Another Clancy-ish novel. Loved it."

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Military Fiction, Espionage

446 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2023

About the author

David Bruns (www.davidbruns.com) has served as an officer on a US Navy nuclear-powered submarine and traveled the world as a high-tech corporate itinerant. Today, he writes futuristic speculative fiction, contemporary thrillers, and everything in between.

He is the creator of the sci-fi/fantasy series, The Dream Guild Chronicles, the military sci-fi thriller Invincible, and co-author of The SynCorp Saga corporate sci-fi series. A graduate of the prestigious Clarion West Writer’s Workshop, his short fiction has appeared in more than two dozen spec fic venues, such as Compelling SciFi and Future Chronicles.

In his spare time, he co-writes national security thrillers with retired naval intelligence officer, JR Olson. Their next book, Rules of Engagement, will be released by St. Martin’s Press in June 2019.

Reviews

[Michael Billham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Command & Control series, it's a solid continuation of the story mainly focusing on the hunt for a global terrorist by the ETG and Sentinel.

A good mix of action and geopolitics, this series is a good read for fans of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan books, with David Bruns adopting a similar style of writing.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through Severn Publishing and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with an introduction of the 4 main characters each having a separate episode. These individuals are Ian, Rachel, Skelly and Don. Skelly has just arrived and is waiting for a meeting with a Saudi to gain a contract for his company, Sentinel. He has prepared an event that will show what his company is capable of and hope it will sinch the deal. Ian is traveling in South America trying to get to safety when he stops at a cafe for food and drink. While he is there he gets involved helping a group from some of Skelly's employees. As a result of this confrontation which some puts on the internet, he becomes the most wanted man in the world. Don, CIA, is at a meeting in the White House presenting information to POTUS that someone that was believed dead has been spotted and he needs the President to authorize assistance so that they can capture him. This individual was responsible for a bombing of the War College which killed many people. POTUS agrees and wants him found by Jan 20th, Inauguration Day. Finally, Rachel a member of Mossad has been stationed at a distant base where she is an instructor. She decided to go to the gym and workout when a couple come in and wind-up sparing. Th girl was a student of Rachel and Rachel eventually enters the ring to stand against the man, a CIA agent. They wind up each winning 2 matches and decide to go one more. In this match it is much rougher and as a result, Rachel breaks that guy's arm.

How are all of these people tied together, 3 of them start a search for Ian, the most wanted man in the world. Beside these 3, Ian also is being pursued by the Chinese. Eventually Ian is spotted and Skelly, Rachel, Gao, the Chinese lead, discover where Ian is hiding. Don in the meantime has been given false information by Skelly so he is not in the picture. The 1st person to arrive on the scene is Rachel and her attempt to capture Ian fails. While fighting Ian, Gao and his group arrive on the scene and both Ian and Rachel fight the Chinese threat off. Finally, Skelly arrives on the scene and starts his attack which results with Ian and Rachel escaping by a tunnel underneath.

Don soon learns of the deception and begins searching for Ian. Rachel eventually contacts Don for a meet where he learns about what the situation is all about. Follow Don, Gao, Skelly, Rachel and Ian as they attempt to prevent a major action that related to the War between China and Taiwan which happened earlier in the President's 1st term. Discover how Don was able to obtain help from Russia supporting America's hunt. Learn how Skelly is working in the background to upset the apple cart.

The ending wraps the story up quite well and will surprise you. Don't miss out on reading this.

[Darren Bourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in a six-book series (thus far) by David Bruns and J.R. Olson which examines the rather tumultuous presidency of President Serrano.

The story, told from several points of view, pulls readers into the hunt for the Naval War College bomber that everyone believed was dead. With the involvement of the President of the United States, the CIA, Mossad, China, and Sentinel, a private military contractor, politics plays a pivotal role in an intricate cat-and-mouse game.

In the midst of a global manhunt, the leader of the world's largest private army, Manson Skelly, sees his opportunity to upset the international order. Ian Thomas is supposed to be dead. A global terrorist responsible for the bombing of the US Naval War College, he was thought to be deceased for the last three years. But Don Riley, head of the CIA’s Emerging Threats Group, is staring at a social media post showing him to be very much alive and on the run in South America. The video of Thomas sparks a global The Americans want to bring him to justice. The Chinese want him to disappear. And the Russians want to kill him very, very slowly. But the world's most powerful nations aren't the only ones pursuing the most wanted man on the planet. The manhunt attracts an uninvited Sentinel Holdings, the largest private military contractor in the world. Helmed by ruthless CEO Manson Skelly, Sentinel's lethal capabilities rival those of most countries. Sensing an opportunity to secure his place as a player on the world stage, Skelly uses his superior tech and global assets to insert himself into the chase by recovering from the depths of the Pacific Ocean the payload of the JL-2 nuclear missile (a one-kiloton MIRV nuclear missile) that was aboard the sunken unmanned Chinese sub (a piece of tech that had been prevalent in the third book of the series).

For reference, this story takes three years after the Taiwanese conflict and moves from armed conflict to a high-stakes political and technological chess game that could change the world.

Now, Skelly has decided that the international order is up for grabs, and Don Riley will need help from all the wrong places to stop him—before it’s too late.

The race takes the reader through the US, South America, the northern Pacific, and ultimately Southeast Asia.

On a five-star scale, this book by the publishing team of Bruns and Olson is worthy of a vaunted five-star rating. Packed with heart-stopping action, ripped-from-the-headlines combat scenes, and page-turning twists, this military techno-thriller is a must-read for aficionados of the genre. Fans of Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts, Andrew Watts, and Mark Greaney rejoice, as this is not the end of the series.

As with all my literary ramblings, these are just my five cents worth.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Advance Reader eBook

Manson Skelly, head of Sentinel Holdings, is a private military contractor hoping to close a deal with a Saudi general.

Diego Montalban stops at a small bar in Santa Lucía, interrupting his travel for a meal and a beer, finds himself pulled into a brawl as he comes to the defense of a woman being dragged toward the door.

Rachel Jaeger, an instructor at Scorpions Ascent,

In Virginia, Don Riley, head of the Emerging Threats Group, studies a photograph, trying to determine the identity of the man.

In China, Senior Colonel Yichen Gao meets with the Minister of State Security, Yan Tao. He, too, has a photograph.

Soon these people will be involved in a manhunt, all seeking the capture of an international terrorist. But some have hidden agendas that may wreak havoc and threaten them all.

=========

The story, told from several points of view, pulls readers into the hunt for the Naval War College bomber that everyone believed was dead. With the involvement of the President of the United States, the CIA, Mossad, China, and Sentinel, a private military contractor, politics plays a pivotal role in an intricate cat-and-mouse game.

Well-defined, believable characters and a strong sense of place define the telling of this suspenseful tale; readers will find that there is sufficient backstory for the book work as a standalone if they have not read the previous stories in the series. [But it truly is best if read in order, so do read the earlier books in the series.]

The fast pace of this action-packed military thriller keeps readers on the edge of their seats; mounting tensions and suspense build as each group puts its own plan into action, vying for control of the escalating situation. The unfolding story, focused mainly on the global manhunt, is both, complex and intriguing.

Readers are sure to find themselves turning pages as fast as possible; unexpected plot twists lead to a surprising denouement. Add this book to your must-read list.

Highly recommended.

I received a free Advance Review Copy of this book from the authors and Severn River Publishing and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Scott Vout · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one through the Netgalley program. It is my first time reading these authors. It is as it turns out book four in a series so I am dropping into the middle of the story as it were and was a little lost on the backgrounds of the characters. There are references to previous events that did leave me feeling a little lost but that is on me for not doing my research and starting at the beginning.

I wanted to give this one a 3.5 rating but as we all know, Goodreads does not allow for that. A rating of 7 out of 10 is much more revealing than a 3.5 out of 5.

So I am an avid spy, espionage reader and this one sounded like one I would enjoy. The characters for the most part are engaging. In fact there are two that I took to and will need to go back to book one to find out how they got to where they were in this book. There should be some very interesting character growth there.

The "bad guy" in this one I had no trouble at all disliking. So kudos to the authors for painting so well with the black hat brush. Cheering against him was not an issue.

There is an interesting grey area character here as well that I found myself hoping the best for. Again I don't know if he is in the previous books but if he is I will be scrutinizing him very closely.

The storyline itself I found interesting. There are a lot of moving parts in the beginning. A lot of characters introduced and I originally thought it way to busy but the authors do a good job of sorting it all out, explaining who everyone is and moving the events along. There is a longish stretch in the middle where two of the characters I liked seem to disappear. I found myself wondering if they were done and gone. They do reappear in the end game and become important again but for me it was a bit long with them absent.

Overall I did enjoy this book. I will be going back to book one at least to see how the characters started out and I will be watching for book five.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Bruns and Olson never fail to entertain and to educate, and their new novel, Threat Axis is a political thriller of the highest calibre. Although it takes place within a short time after the Tiwanese conflict of the last novel in the series, the story has moved from armed conflict to a high stakes political and techonological chess game that could change the world.
The players haven't changed much though. Much of the action centres around Riley and his Emerging Threats Group, friends from the previous novels, but there are other old acquaintes, friends and foes, from the earlier story lines, some of which we will come to know much better and view quite differently.
Even though there's less military hardware in this book than the last two, techno-geeks will still find plenty to whet their appetite and give them a glimpse of the latest toys for the international military set, and the spy craft is well written and believable.
All in all, Threat Axis is another jewel in the Command and Control saga's crown and a book you'll be likely to spend a few long nights, desperate to find out who lives, who dies, and what this fictional modern world will look like tomorrow.

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth book in the Command and Conquer series. The bomber from the horrific US Naval War College is presumed dead, Dan, Riley‘s team uncovers some footage of him in South America. Dan‘s team are task with finding him, but they are not the only ones looking. A private US Military contractor Sentinel Holdings decides to join the chase for their own gain. The search evolves into an even higher stakes endeavor when a Chinese Submarine is missing and it is discovered it had a nuclear missile on it. Can Don and his team save the world once again before it is too late.

This is a good series that has the large scope Tom Clancy type feel to it. Mason Skelly, the CEO of Sentinel Holdins, is an excellent villain. There is a lot going on, so the book never drags. I enjoy the large scope, but you definitely have to pay attention to what is going on or you will get lost.

Not sure if this is the last in the series or not, but if there will be more count me in. If you like wide ranging military thrillers you will throughly enjoy this book.

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to the Command and Control series!!!

While the war is over, peace hasn’t broken out for everyone. This installment in the Command and Control series takes a different but no less exciting track than its predecessors. A global manhunt doesn’t prove to be a straightforward as the principal hunters expected and when a few wild cards are introduced it seems to go off the rails or does it – you will have to read the book to figure out what the result of the manhunt turns out to be. Once again, the authors have woven technology with good old fashioned human capability and duplicity to create one wild ride of a tale that is not just well worth reading, but an excellent addition to the overall series. I received an advance reader copy of Threat Axis from the publisher and chose to provide this review.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Threat Axis (Command and Control Book 4), my sixth read from author David Bruns with collaborative effort of J.R. Olson. Outstanding, a great page-turning thriller that could be torn from the world’s current headlines. Well-written with well-developed, memorable characters. Strongly reminiscent of the writing of Tom Clancy & of the best work of Andrew Watts. An exciting, enjoyable read. I received a free Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." I can’t wait to read the next book. The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[Richard Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Global Manhunt

A race is on to find the Naval College bomber about whom almost nothing is known. Don Riley and his team at Emerging Threats is once again called in by President Serrano.

The race takes the reader through the US, South America, the northern Pacific and Southeast Asia. Throughout the book tension rises until eventually those who were enemies become allies and those who were allies become dangerous enemies in the global hunt for first one then another and then a third culprit.

[Andrew Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping storyline

Another excellent storyline following the exploits of Don Riley and his team who are trying to stop another world war breaking out,Don has to make sense of what is happening in the middle of an ongoing crisis which involves missing nuclear weapons and ultimately trying to prevent them being used by a deranged madman. The only way to prevent a disaster is for him to involve an Israeli spy and the most sought after terrorist in the world to prevent the end of the world by nuclear war.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wars are sometimes preventable by taking action a priori. Threat Axis is a must read for every national security policy wonk. Although fiction, it presents real life scenarios that mirror the world today. Additionally, it’s a compelling read.

I had the honor of reading this ARC, and would highly recommend it’s reading

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking good read! The pace is terrific, with every chapter pulling you on. It would be easy to read the whole book in one go if you could make the time. The authors’ usual mix of global conflict, local politics and dramatic tension makes this another very successful military thriller. I look forwards to their next book.

[Jim Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review. This a book in a great series. It would be best read in order but, it could be read as a stand alone book. The story will pull the reader into it and keep you reading. There is lots action and enough plot changes to keep you interested and guessing. I hope that this series continues.

[Mike Beason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite there

Let me say up front that I have loved all the previous books these guys have written... But this book didn't seem to have the punch of the previous books. I haven't figured out what it is that I'm missing... Maybe not enough technical wizardry, maybe not enough action... I don't know. Sorry guys, I'm looking forward to the next one.

[William McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. Fourth in a continuing series of national security thrillers written by a pair of USNA graduates. In this one, China has a nuclear device stolen and it doesn’t know it’s missing. When it becomes known, an international race to recover it ensues to keep its multiple warheads from being sold to nations or organizations or individuals with ulterior motives.

[Lois Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Threat Axis

This is another outstanding book by the Two Navy Guys. There is action all over the world, and there are surprising twists that keep you turning the pages long after your bedtime!! Although each book is a complete story in itself, I can't wait to read the next one!! Gotta love these two authors!!

[Christmas Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, believable, and thought-provoking adventure into a meeting of might - China, Russia, and the United States. Burns and Olson know how to spin a tale. A spine-tingling journey.
Highly Recommended.

[Allen Kuhns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

Another Great Book in the Command and Control Series. Lots of action. Hard to put down and easy to follow. Its going to be a long wait for Book# 5, Covert Action, to come out.

[Mark E Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent story by Bruns and Olson. I have read all the stories in this series and, although fiction, I suspect they're based on a fair amount real-life happenings. And I always like the little tidbits of fact thrown in.

[Ric Ulloa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great job, as always. Well written and full of intrigue, kept me riveted from the start to the very end. I cannot wait for the next installment and really like the way Bruns presents his story's. Awesome! Thank you.

[Mark Baller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story

A good story with a lot of possible plots happening, Pretty exciting too it's a good read and gets you involved to the point that you find yourself Immerse totally in the book.

[Donald Hossli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of Action

This read was filled with action on many fronts. It was not difficult to stay engaged and I felt myself drawn to keep picking it up to read just a little more. Very enjoyable

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Action and suspense

Just like his other books nonstop action and suspense tied together with top not h characters that get you hoping they win and the others lose. Masterful story telling.

[Tony Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

While there were some points in the book where the storyline got irritating as it followed too obvious a path, and other parts of the story that just didn't mesh with the characters in my opinion, generally a good book.

[David Baitinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hard to.put down book

This book is an excellent book 4 in the series and I am looking forward to reading book 5 "Covert Action".

[William F Kimpflein · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review

Another great read from this author. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. This is a spellbinding read.

[Terry Rigney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read! Hard to put down

Looking forward to next book. Another weekend poolside enjoying the well put together story and cast of characters. Sunscreen anyone?

[hernandez perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ending to the Manson Skelly character ..page turner with twist and turns ..good read

[stephen conn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Threat axis

If you like Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler you will like this book as it has all the twists and turns of betrayal of these authors