Black Flag by David Ricciardi

The third outing from David Ricciardi finds hero Jake Keller fighting piracy in Somalia in Black Flag. This is a new type of piracy that's gotten more sophisticated and more lethal. The pirates are no longer a bunch of desperate AK-47 wielding Somalians. They are professional mercenary crews and they don't just hijack the ships, they kill the crew and steal the cargo.

Jake is partnered with Pickens an old school CIA operative who's been embedded in Mogadishu for several years. The pairing with Pickens is a good match as he is old-school and relies on connections and human intelligence whereas Keller comes from a more analytical background relying more on technology. Their investigation leads them to two main suspects. Badeed and Yaxaas; rival warlords who cut a bloody swath through Somalia.

Keller's analysis leads him to a shipping magnate and his very attractive daughter. He strikes up a friendship but whether that will help end the threat or merely put more people in danger is the question.

Ricciardi does not gloss over the violence and deplorable conditions in Somalia, the ineffectiveness of its government or the ruthlessness of the warlords and arms dealers that ride roughshod over the population. As Keller closes in on a suspect his mission is further complicated by agendas coming out of Washington DC. This conflict leads to some introspection on Jake Keller's part as he reflects on his job, his duty, and the consequences of his actions.

Ricciardi does an excellent job of laying the foundation for the investigation setting up multiple conflicts between both international and local players. Once everything is laid out, the action spins up to another level and races to an exciting, action-packed conclusion.

Ricciardi has definitely arrived on the thriller scene and the Jake Keller thrillers are a must-read. Black Flag does not disappoint and is one of the best thrillers of the summer. Ricciardi checks all the boxes and is sure to have thriller fans rushing out to read this and each new Jake Keller book. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

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