SPECTRE RISING begins in Basra, Iraq in 2009. During combat, F-16 pilot Cal “Spectre” Martin disobeys orders for the greater good. His brave but misguided misstep leads to his discharge from the military and years of haunting memories. In the present, his doomed engagement to Chloe, still an active fighter pilot, draws him back into the military world when she goes missing on a training mission. Cal is the only one who doesn’t believe she crashed and sets out to prove things are not what they first seem.
On his way to inform her family about the incident that lead to Chloe losing contact, Cal stumbles right into a kidnapping that is too much of a coincidence to be unrelated. He ends up uncovering an international terror plot which he refuses to believe is the plan of the ex he still loves. Only now he is on the outside looking into the military and no one is quick to believe the disgraced ex-pilot. He must rely on his civilian boss, his remaining friends and some sympathetic federal agents to help him prove he is not crazy and save both national security and Chloe’s character.
A former F-16 pilot (also in Iraq) himself, author C.W. Lemoine infuses the narrative with his own extensive knowledge of the military, the equipment and similarly driven soldiers. Though technical at times, there is enough action and character driven progression that the story is not impeded. The final pages reveal SPECRTE RISING to be first book in an intriguing series; and Cal Martin is a likable and smart protagonist who is driven by a staunch belief in taking care of the people he loves at all costs and protecting the country he once served and may soon again.
SPECTRE RISING is a fast-paced thriller with a great protagonist who thoughtfully pushes the plot forward with integrity and ingenuity.
Reviewed by Kat Toland for IndieReader