Years ago, the Ghost of Anbar missed a critical shot, and it’s haunted him ever since…
Marine Scout-Sniper Jack Valentine is one of the best snipers in the United States military. On the hunt since the ripe age of twenty, Valentine has had an illustrious career. His repeated jaw-dropping shots have not only impressed his fellow brothers-in-arms, but his reputation alone strikes fear into the hearts of the enemy.
Nicknamed the Ghost of Anbar, Valentine is as lethal as they come, with one exception. Years back, he was instructed to take out a terrorist named Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. In a rare moment of inaccuracy, Valentine missed his target, and it’s gnawed at him ever since.
Now, set in 2006, Valentine is back in Baghdad where he’s leading a highly-trained unit, and he vows to right his wrong. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is said to be in the region, and Valentine promises to take out the al-Qaeda operative once and for all.
Again, though, things don’t quite go according to plan. Unbeknownst to Valentine and his men, a group of mercenaries has been providing enemy combatants with privileged information. This act of betrayal allows the terrorists to stay a step ahead of the American forces, putting their lives in extreme danger.
To finally kill the terrorist who slipped through his fingers before, Jack Valentine will have to risk his life and beat the odds once and for all.
Henderson’s story is fast-paced and features plenty of action, but the secondary characters are a little weak. Setting the story back in 2006 is actually a nice change of pace from similar thrillers coming out right now. While everyone else is focused on ISIS and Russia, Henderson went back to another familiar group of terrorists, al-Qaeda, to serve as the bad guys here.
This is also a very personal mission for Valentine, which raises the stakes for the entire feel of the book. For a man as good as Jack is at his job, he doesn’t dwell on his success. It’s his one glaring failure that stabs at him, and his quest to fix that is powerful and compelling. That said, the book feels a tad too long. There’s another side plot involving the love interest of Valentine, but it’s nothing veteran readers of this genre haven’t already seen many times over.
In the end, if you’re a fan of military thrillers, Terminal Impact delivers the goods you’re looking for.
Book Details
Author: Charles Henderson
Series: Jack Valentine
Pages: 464 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1101988126
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: November 1, 2016 (Order Now!)