July 5, 2021
The takeover of the American embassy in Tehran by Iranian revolutionaries on Nov. 4, 1979, propels Stejskal’s fine sequel to 2020’s A Question of Time. After 52 Americans are taken hostage, the U.S. government immediately begins preparing a rescue mission involving Special Forces “A” teams based in Berlin led by Army Master Sgt. Kim Becker and Staff Sgt. Paul Stavros. Meanwhile, Jonny Panagasos, a CIA agent stationed in Tehran who was away from the embassy at the time of its seizure, must avoid capture and get a tactical nuke, which was to be used to interdict the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, out of Iran before either the Iranians or the Russians can steal the weapon. Stejskal expertly weaves the two story lines together, leaving readers guessing whether the nuclear weapon plot could have been as real as the hostage-rescue operation. The action ramps up, along with the suspense, after Becker and Stavros and their units enter Iran and link up with Panagasos. This is a treat for fiction and nonfiction fans alike.
July 30, 2021
Fans of espionage and military tactics thrillers should revel in this absorbing, nervous-making novel, the second volume in Stejskal's Snake Eater Chronicles. A snake eater is a member of the Army's Special Forces, as in Green Berets. The fact that Stejskal himself was a snake eater in the Army, and, later, was recruited by the CIA to operate as a senior case officer gives his novels a thick, needed layer of credibility when it comes to military and espionage operations. The fulcrum for the plot is the start of the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran. Stejskal expertly juggles a variety of entities that worked on crafting a response that would free the hostages (including the CIA and the Pentagon), but the thriller's main focus is series hero and Special Forces Master Sergeant Kim Becker, who pulls together a ragtag but talented team to try to rescue the hostages. Fascinating details re: military training and planning make up for thin characterization (characters range from gruff to gruffer). Well worth-it for military and spy ops readers.
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