Warning Light by David Ricciardi

If the rest of the thriller debuts this year are going to be this good, it’s going to be a great year. Warning Light introduces us to CIA analyst Zac Miller. Miller has to step out from behind his desk and go in the field when an op he set up is about to be cancelled. No one else knows enough about it or believes in it enough. All he has to do is take a couple of pictures. Easy, right? Except the pictures are in Iran and the Iranians aren’t buying that the plane Zac was on “just happened” to have flight problems near a highly restricted area and that Zac was just snapping photos of the sunset.

Colonel Arzaman of the Revolutionary Guard separates Zac from the rest of the passengers and he’s escorted into a windowless room. Soon the rest of the passengers are back on another plane and Zac is escorted deeper into Iran where Arzaman is determined to find the truth about what Zac is up to. As the beatings and torture begins, Zac realizes that the only way he’s going to survive is by relying on himself. He manages to escape, but that only leaves him alone in the middle of Iran. What follows is a chase across Iran all the way back to England. The chase takes place across desert, mountain, ocean and a slew of friendly and hostile countries in the Middle East and Europe. Arzaman keeps up a relentless pursuit throughout.

Breathless is the best way to describe this novel. The action starts on the opening pages and doesn’t stop until the last one. Intrigue both within the Iranian political establishment as well as the CIA help keep the tension high. I cracked this book open on a Saturday and didn’t stop until I was finished on Sunday. Zac Miller is far from superhuman, but he is clever and resourceful. Others have compared him to Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan and I can’t disagree. David Ricciardi has the goods and they are on full display in Warning Light. Look for a sequel. It’s time to see more of Zac Miller in the field.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

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