Pandora's Legion

There is more to this story than a thriller. But, before getting into this, I commend the authors for accuracy. Spreading biological agents into a Western population is difficult. Pandemics only occur when environmental conditions are right. Most bio-agents have a very short life once released into the atmosphere. Anthrax is the exception to this rule. I especially enjoyed the story because it is factual. The real bio-agent threat is crop diseases: wheat and rice rust. Hoof and mouth disease for cattle is next. There are several subtle messages buried in the story. Our self induced vulnerability--no profiling--in order to be politically correct is one. Another is our insane fear of offending Muslims. Today, just as portrayed in the story, the U.S. can't send troops into the tribal regions of Pakistan to hunt down and kill the Taliban and al-Qaeda personnel. In the story, the government hides all information pertaining to the Marburg attack. Instead of releasing all of the gory details and scaring the pants off our complacent citizens, the government covers up the facts to maintain the notion that we are safe from attack. Unfortunately, this is probably what would really happen. As the author's say in their Author's Note, "The fact that no overt act of terrorism has occurred since 9-11 must be attributed at lease in part to a great deal of good luck. Of course, that situation could change tomorrow morning. And some morning, it will" In this they are correct. I am afraid we will not come to our senses until we suffer an attack many times worse than 9-11. Strategic Solutions, Inc., is a fictional Professional Military Corporation, hired by the government to do what the CIA and military should be doing, but can't because of our obsession with political correctness. Unpleasant things have to be done when at war, who does them only matters from a perception point of view. The story does a splendid job of pointing this out.

I haven't read Coyle before, but I've read several of Tillman's aviation books. His trademark is meticulous research to get the technical stuff right. There is no nonsense about silencers and safeties on revolvers, no foolishness about medical procedures. If Tillman writes that this is the way a Hind helicopter works, then that's how it works. If he says this is how Marburg disease is spread, you can trust him. As a former drum corps player, I can verify that he even got that little part right! Admirable attention to detail. The male characters seem like action heroes, but in fact, the guys in this business really are action heroes. I, too, wish the female protagonist had been merely good at her job; it was not necessary for her to be a hot babe. (For example, was the Derringer character handsome or ugly? We don't know, or need to, because it doesn't matter to the story.) OTOH, there is no ridiculous Penthouse letters-type sex "to help sell the book." (Tom Clancy's gratuitous sex scenes are so embarrassingly awkward, you have to wonder if he's ever been on a second date!) The plot is plausible and clever. The dialogue (usually) rings realistic. One thing I really appreciate is that luck plays a big part in the plot, as it does in real combat. Sometimes the good guys lose and the bad guys win. That helps sustain the suspense. Right up until the end of the book, you still think there is a possibility that the good guys might lose. (It's a book -- the good guys are going to win, right? But... Better keep reading!) I presume Coyle's job was developing the story line. Whatever role each of the authors played, the collaboration works. This book is a breath of fresh air for the genre -- actual intelligent story-telling, instead of just brainless shoot-em-up drivel. Bravo!

An enemy so evil they are willing to infect their own people with a deadly virus and send them out as weapons against the infidel. How does a nation faced with dwindling resources, a lack of political will and concensous as to the right thing to do fight such an enemy? In steps the a Professional Military Contractor, Mike Derringer and the staff of Stratigic Solutions, Inc. See how Derringer's company of experienced men and woman, soldiers of fortune all, move in the nether world of the war on terrorism to meet and stop a threat that is beyond politics, or social correctness. Able and willing to go where armies, and government can't, SSI moves to protect a great nation from it's tied hands. Fact or fiction? Read Coyle and Tillman's work, then you decide.

I listened to the unabridged audio edition of this book and I found it a fast-paced thriller with an intriguing suspenseful plot. What if a madman decided to use human carriers to deliver a deadly virus to the states? How would the USA respond? This was a great book with some fun characters. I particularly liked the interaction with the men in the desert and hostage scene early on. I was on the edge of my seat! Peeves: I did feel the author could've ratcheted up the suspense a bit by actual having a plague outbreak early on. Also, I wish the contagion was something a bit less gory. The scenes where the disease was described made me gag. I also wondered, wouldn't the terrorist be smarter to release something the carrier was immune to like smallpox? This would widen the impact of the threat and potentially be more devastating. Overall this was a good novel, look forward to more.

It is just a matter of time until a dedicated and dangerous enemy like "Doctor Ali," actually does manage to infect a large population of innocent civilians with a deadly virus. Coyle and Tillman's scenario is entirely believable, and unlike many examples of so-called "Men's Fiction," I found this one to be readable with believable and multi-dimensional characters. The begining scene reads more like a good women's mystery novel than a techno-thriller. I do admit I was soon thumbing through the book looking for familiar acronyms like AK-47, 9mm, 7.62mm, G-3, 40 SW, and MP-5. Readers like me, who expect realistic, rather than Hollywood gun handling from these two authors will not be dissapointed. Now combine that with a microbiologist who can shoot! The authors description of Para Military Contractors (PMC) will be surprising to many. They are intelligent, successful, and much more mature than their younger counterparts who still serve in uniform. With something like 800 PMC's Killed In Action in Iraq in the last 4 years, Pandora's Legion should be an important novel for anyone interested in Military affairs. Pandora's Legion appears to be the start of a series of books about PMC's for Coyle and Tillman. I am actually looking forward to the next installment!