When a hitman murders a presidential candidate, a private counterterrorism agency called 'Meraki Government Solutions, Inc.' (MGSI) is called in to track down the assassin.
*****
U.S. Senator Joel Cameron, a political independent from Maine, is a viable third-party presidential candidate. Senator Cameron - a Marine combat veteran with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan - has a socially liberal but fiscally conservative platform. Cameron is pro-choice and supports LGBTQ rights, racial equality, veteran's causes, reasonable gun laws, universal healthcare, and a living wage.
Cameron opposes both the Democratic and Republican parties because they're controlled by lobbyists and corporations, especially the healthcare industry and the military-industrial complex. During campaign speeches, Cameron notes, 'The truth is the system is broken because they want it to stay broken. The RNC and DNC are corporations and they've weaponized funding to control policy, to maintain their grip on power. The rich get richer while the other people struggle to survive.'
A cadre of conspirators from the DNC, RNC, and defense industry are VERY disturbed by Cameron's increasing popularity.....and the senator's promises to shake up Washington. So the self-serving schemers, who are determined to maintain their power and wealth, hire an assassin named Steve Walker - a former U.S. Army sniper who's now a killer for hire. Walker's brief: Murder Senator Joel Cameron.
Senator Cameron, who has an active and adventurous lifestyle, is signed up for Greece's 44-kilometer 'Olympus Marathon' - a grueling race up and down Mount Olympus. The assassin makes careful plans, and when Cameron is descending Mount Olympus, the killer shoots him and escapes in the subsequent chaos.
The ensuing investigation, in Greece and the United States, pulls in multiple law enforcement agencies. However, FBI Director Jackson Dilbert and U.S. President LeAntha Adams suspect an inside job, and they bring in MGSI - which has previously exposed government wrongdoing - to conduct an independent inquiry.
The top operatives at MGSI are CEO Konstantinos (Kostas) Papadopoulos - a decorated Air Force veteran with expertise in weapons of mass destruction, security, and counterterrorism; and COO Jessica Sparrow - a decorated Army veteran, sniper, cryptologic linguist, and intelligence professional.
The two investigative partners can speak Greek, and they begin their inquiries in Greece, then return to the states.
The sniper tried to make Cameron's assassination look like a Russian plot, but Kostas and Jess immediately realize it was a home-grown crime. The partners suspect the conspirators have people inside the FBI and on Cameron's campaign staff, and the MGSI investigation is locked down tight with no leaks.
The conspirators get nervous and fear exposure, so they dispatch Walker to kill Kostas and Jess.
This leads to a cat and mouse game between the conspiracy 'bad guys' and the MSGI 'good guys'.
Luckily, the MGSI team, and their friends in high places, are clever and have skills.
In their personal lives, Kostas is married to retired Air Force lawyer Marika, and Jess is married to real estate attorney Tess, and both spouses worry about the dangerous MGSI work. Personality-wise, Kostas is a jokester, and Jess is often the (good-natured) target of his wisecracks.
The story is compelling and exciting, with enough suspense to keep the reader turning the pages. The ambiance of Greece is an added bonus, with snippets about Greek history, scenery, atmosphere, and food. I was envious of Kostas and Jess when they had Mythos, gyros, and fries.
Andoni Iapetus is the pen name of a retired United States Air Force Major and defense executive who served across the globe in high-stakes national security roles. The author draws on his knowledge and experience to write realistically about weapons, military details, and political intrigue.
I'd recommend the book to fans of thrillers and espionage novels.
Thanks to Netgalley, Andoni Iapetus, and Köehler Books for a copy of the manuscript.
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