Clive Cussler Ghost Soldier by Mike Maden

 

An American flyer is captured and sent to a notorious Japanese biological research facility. Decades later, a notorious gun merchant known only as "The Vendor" is busy facilitating arms sales from the Taliban using abandoned American weapons to wreak havoc around the world. The Vendor is not only a weapons dealer, but he is also a brilliant weapons designer. Using AI, he has created some of the deadliest weapons ever to exist. 

An old friend from the CIA contacts Juan Cabrillo and asks him to find out who The Vendor is and how he is moving these weapons undetected. Cabrillo and the ship he commands, The Oregon, agree to take on the mission. The chase leads him from Afghanistan to Kuala Lumpur, and beyond. Along the way, the matter becomes highly personal. Cabrillo is determined to find and stop The Vendor, who is equally determined to put an end to Cabrillo. The Oregon and all her crew will be tested to their limits. Thousands of lives and a shift in the balance of power in East Asia hang in the balance.

Ghost Soldier has a villain worthy of James Bond and a group of protagonists worthy of Mission Impossible. Mike Maden is firmly in control of these characters. In the best Clive Cussler tradition, you start with an event in the past whose shockwaves are felt in the future. You have a strong group of characters, led by Juan Cabrillo, who are dogged in their pursuit of the villain and will do anything to prevent his devastating plans. The ship Cabrillo commands is a technological marvel. The action soars around the world in the air, on land, and at sea. The fight and combat scenes are edge-of-the-seat thrill rides and there are plenty of them. If you like thrillers with high stakes, colorful characters, and lots of action, this book is just what you want. One of my favorite reads of the year.

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