Black Lion

"Black Lion" is a thriller/suspense novel that takes its hero (and the reader) around the world on a top-secret, deadly mission; the story is an entertaining blend of intrigue, romance, and action that moves along at a quick pace. Mike Harris is the commander of the elite Desert Lions, who work wherever they're needed to secure the safety of America. Their most recent order is from the President of the United States, who sends them to eradicate Al Qaeda. Soon Mike will face off against ruthless terrorists, including an unwitting lattie, and also find himself and his men in grave danger; however, on the personal front he'll also struggle with his own dark childhood, the absence of his father, and the dangers his beloved Marcie faces as a result of her relationship with him…. I liked the international flavor (from Cuba to Paris to Iran) of this book, and how the author weaves together short, punchy chapters from different perspectives to keep the pace quick. Mike is a strong and likeable hero with a good heart, and I found that a nice change from the anti-hero figures who populate many of other novels in this genre. His relationship with Marcie is healthy and true, if a little flat (theyre just a little too perfectly simpatico and in love), and adds a heightened element of tension to the book since it gives Mike something so valuable that he might lose. The action scenes occur frequently and are written sharply so that they stay exciting, and I liked how the book stays open to include future adventures with Mike. I'd recommended "Black Lion" to readers who enjoy thriller novels with an espionage/secret ops slant.

Major Michael Harris (aka, Black Lion) and his team of the inimitable Desert Lions - a U.S. Army Special Forces unit - are given an assignment to capture and transfer Hassan, the new Al-Qaeda leader, to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (or GITMO), where he will be interrogated. The mission goes awry when Harris learns that a GITMO naval officer, doubled as a lattie (an unsuspecting person programmed by the Al-Qaeda terrorists and then used as a weapon against his/her own country), was "activated" to kill Hassan, who had sensitive information about Al-Qaeda's strategic global terrorist attacks. The ruthless El-Sahari takes over as the next leader and keeps the Desert Lions hopping. And though Harris, a brave and fearless soldier, understands the danger involved in the various assignments to annihilate Al-Qaeda, he has no idea that his involvement in the mission would threaten the love of his life, Marcie Johanssen. In his debut novel, Viola grabs readers' attention from the very beginning by drawing attention to terrorism, a familiar issue that is still of great concern in the world today. And maximizing on this issue, he effectively uses the third person objective viewpoint to build tension by enabling readers to see the unfolding of terrorist and counter-attack missions before some characters know what really hit them. However, to create additional familiarity with his audience, he earmarks an American soldier, Harris, as the ultimate protagonist or quasi-super hero. By the time Viola mixes in unnerving events with Al-Qaeda's disturbing espionage infiltration system, readers may begin to wonder if this book is more nonfiction than fiction. But keep in mind that this is a super hero story and it is fiction! As with all superhero narratives, there is a strong emphasis on good and evil, and Viola does a superb job developing his main characters, Harris, Johanssen, and El-Sahari, accordingly. While both Harris and Johanssen embrace sturdy and almost pristine personalities, El-Sahari has got to be the most deplorable character imaginable. However, one of the best character dichotomies are found between the patriotic Harris and the Johanssen, who is a diehard pacifist. But Viola does not stop with his top three. He is careful to balance the narrative by creating a good handful of auxiliary characters who are caught in the crossfire, whether purposefully or in many cases grudgingly, and thereby illuminating readers with a mix of bad in the "good camp" and vice versa. This, for certain, is one of the ways the author keeps the plot fresh and constantly moving, as well as delicately interlacing relational and romantic segments within the many undercover work and warring tactic episodes. Black Lion, indeed, feels more realistic than fictional. Viola has created a story that is filled with unhackneyed diabolical twists and turns centered at the heart of two lovers (who, by the way, reflect the book's publisher - cute touch!) For readers who love a story filled with suspense, romance and a whole lot of patriotism, Black Lion is the perfect read. Anita Lock Book Reviewer

Great novel! A real page turner.