{Review} Targets of Revenge by Jeffrey S. Stephens

ISBN #: 978-1451688726

Page Count: 441

Copyright: February 19, 2013

Publisher: Gallery Books

Book Summary:

(Taken from inside jacket flap)

All the bureaucratic scolding in Washington cannot stop resourceful CIA Agent Jordan Sandor when he's hungry for revenge. This time he's on the hunt for the cold-blooded sociopath known as Adina, whose indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people, including Sandor's close friend, represents man at his worst.

Mobilizing a team of skilled and dedicated agents to carry out his secret operation, Sandor flies in the face of his superior's stern warnings - ultimately crash-landing in the heart of the Venezuelan jungle. Armed with little more than a combat knife and a deadly automatic weapon, he infiltrates Adina's camp and discovers that the ruthless terrorist is smuggling not only cocaine into the United States, but also a deadly substance that could cost tens of thousands of lives.

Sandor develops intel that leads him to Egypt and then Moscow as he fights to prevent this disaster, but after he lands on Interpol's list of international fugitives, the truth becomes clear: Adina's evil web extends to the far corners of the globe. Meanwhile, someone Sandor trusts could very well be feeding the agent dangerous lies as he struggles to stay on Adina's trail.

More focused than ever, Sandor refuses to end his perilous mission, even after he has been taken captive. In the end, when he uncovers the realities of Adina's deranged plan for a catastrophic assault on New York City, Sandor has no choice but to risk his life to protect his country's safety and freedom.

Mandy's Review:

From what I can tell, Targets of Revenge is the third installment in the Jordan Sandor series. As I was reading, there were spots that I felt I was missing the background story on. I'm sure they were in the previous novels, but since I haven't read the first two novels I can't be sure.

Jordan is one of those bad mamba-jambas that you don't want to mess with. He can figure a way out of every situation and is an impulsive risk-taker. He'll kill first and ask questions later. Jordan is one of those that always has an idea of what's happening or a thought that needs to be confirmed ... I'm sure you know the type I'm referring to, especially if you're an avid reader. I find myself slightly annoyed with these types of characters. Always has an inkling of an idea of what's happening when nobody else does. Always seems to be leading the investigation or team, but isn't one of the higher-ups in their organization. Basically, portrayed as arrogant and/or headstrong while their leaders are portrayed as not-as-bright.

The action in the novel was fast-paced. I appreciated the fact that there were technical terms or situations described yet a person not familiar with those situations could follow it rather well. I could easily see this novel as a movie, which leads me to believe the first two novels would read that way as well. Should Jason Bourne watch his back?

Overall, I think this series would be geared more towards the guys, but I did appreciate the quality of the writing and how the story unfolded.


*A hardcopy of this novel was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.