Left for Dead by Sean Parnell (Review by Lara Ferguson)

Rating: 4/5

Special Ops Alpha Eric Steele has professional and personal unfinished business. But in the world of dark ops, there is always another mission.  When a secret bioterrorism laboratory is vaporized in China, and a long-dead operative resurfaces other related tensions begin to rise and Eric must put his plans away and gather a team to thwart the plans of a group led by the last descendent of the pre-Communist Chinese Emperor, determined to start a war and reclaim the Chinese throne.

This fast-paced, twisting military action thriller does an excellent job of laying the groundwork for each of the characters and situations so that the reader is quickly pulled into the action and fascinated by the twists and turns of the plot.

Using his experience and knowledge of the true workings of the military machine, Sean Parnell builds a series of events, that takes advantage of the heightened awareness of viruses due to the current COVID pandemic to intensify the tension in a real, true-to-life way, making the plot more believable.

This book is a non-stop, nail-biting ride that is difficult to put down once begun. The characters and their relationships are complex and varied, from President Rockford to Eric’s estranged girlfriend and mother. Each player is developed and has their own essential part to contribute. Parnell has given us another book that clearly reminds us of the struggles of those who serve their Country. Sometimes the right path is not morally easy or good and good men and women put themselves on the line every day to keep the rest of us safe.