August 25, 2014
Techno thriller fans will welcome Maden’s episodic second Troy Pearce novel (after 2013’s Drone), which combines grunt-level action, advanced cyber warfare, and plenty of high-tech weaponry. Troy, the CEO of Pearce Systems, a company specializing in drone operations, is more comfortable in the field than behind a desk. His work takes him to a number of hot spots around the globe, in particular to Mali, where the Chinese plan to gain control of important rare earth elements. His trip to Mali at the behest of former U.S. president Margaret Myers, a friend of Troy’s, to rescue a wounded American on a secret mission there, lands him in the middle of a nasty fight between rebel forces led by Mossa Ag Alla, the Tuareg known as the Blue Warrior, and highly trained Chinese soldiers led by the ruthless Guo Jun. Maden handles cutting edge technology and the ancient Tuareg culture with equal dexterity. Author tour. Agent: David Hale Smith, Inkwell Management.