Review by Booklist Review
In the Seychelles, a woman is taken by Somali pirates. It soon becomes apparent that her kidnappers are no ordinary pirates: they seem unusually interested in the child she's carrying. And here's a further complication: the woman is the daughter of the U.S. president. Sigma Force, the special-ops arm of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), races into action, but they have no idea what they are up against, or what's at stake, until it's almost too late. As usual, Rollins mixes the action with healthy doses of historical mystery and modern-day conspiracy (this time involving the Bachal Isu, otherwise known as the Staff of Jesus, and the quest for immortality). Fans of Rollins' brand of adventure will completely enjoy the latest in the Sigma Force series, while newcomers attracted, perhaps, by the ripped-from-the-headlines Somali pirates element should immediately be swept up by his fast-paced storytelling style (short chapters, short paragraphs, minimal scene-setting narration, plenty of action). Rollins is a proven commodity, with a large fan base, and his latest hits all the right notes.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rollins' eighth thriller featuring the covert U.S. intelligence agency known as Sigma Force (after The Devil Colony) is of a piece with its predecessors-it's fast-paced, full of twists, and thick with intrigue. Beginning strong with an engaging preface discussing the shadowy history of the Knights Templar and 21st-century medical breakthroughs with the potential to make immortality possible, Rollins rewinds to the 12th-century recovery of the Bachul Isu, the staff of Jesus Christ. Just a few pages later, Rollins presses fast-forward again to "Five Days from Now," when Commander Gray Pierce of the Sigma Force has U.S. President James T. Gant in the crosshairs of his sniper rifle. The rest of the novel explains how things got to such a pass, starting with the abduction-apparently by pirates-of President Gant's pregnant daughter, Amanda, off the Seychelles. The narrow escapes and betrayals between Amanda's kidnapping and Gant's imminent assassination are unsurprising, but the momentum of the plot will carry along those looking for an exciting escape. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Rollins returns with another Sigma Force thriller. Rollins delivers more by-the-numbers mayhem. Cmdr. Pierce travels to Zanzibar to recruit Capt. Tucker Wayne and his war dog Kane, a Malinois. Wayne wants no part of Pierce, his mission or Sigma Force, a supersecret organization affiliated with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The mission: rescue Amanda Gant-Bennett, daughter of James Gant, POTUS. Somali pirates have taken Amanda hostage. Do the pirates know who their hostage is? What evil designs do they have on the baby? Are the British Special Forces on their side? The plot points appear with the regularity of mileposts. Love and gunpowder are in the air. Seichan, Asian assassin extraordinaire, used to kill for the Guild, a shadowy organization with ancient roots and ill intentions. Having defected to the good guys, she bats her lashes at Pierce and flashes dagger-eyes at the evildoers. The stogie-chewing, wisecracking Kowalski is the lovable oaf in residence. From Takoma Park, Md., and Washington D.C., to Somalia, Dubai, the Carolinas and points between, the team hurries, the time zones helpfully noted. A predictable tale in which the hits, and the blood spatter, just keep coming. ]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
