One Rough Man: A Pike Logan Thriller

"One Rough Man" is the first of Brad Taylor's "Pike Logan/Taskforce" series. I have read every novel in this series, and they are uniformly excellent reads. So many authors who produce books in this genre of Special Operations thrillers either are technically accurate but can't write for beans, or are proficient writers who get everything really, annoyingly wrong! Brad Taylor is the rare exception; his plots are finely-crafted, clearly well-researched and believable, characters are complex and human, and the Spec Ops stuff is dead solid perfect. He takes appropriate liberties with actual history, much like the late Tom Clancy did so exceedingly well, but the result isn't jarring at all. While there's some political commentary, it's minimal, appropriate, and not at all strident like some other authors (Brad Thor.) There are ZERO clunkers in the bunch, and that makes this series a rarity. I highly recommend that you start here with "One Rough Man", and clear your reading calendar for the next month or so. I only have one minor complaint: I bought the last two in the series, with every intention of saving them for an upcoming vacation with very long flights...but do you think I could exhibit enough willpower to just leave 'em be? That'll be a big fat nope. But no guilt, so there you go.

I ran across another of Brad Taylor's Pike Logan books and liked it so much that I wanted to back track to the beginning of the series. This makes one of the best first novels that I have read in a long time. Taylor has a close expertise in the deadly world of special operations and he shows that in his descriptions of hand to hand combat. More than that, he gets us inside the head of his hero as Pike Logan tries to figure out how to stay alive and how to prevail in his many fights. The fights are top of the line thriller fodder, they make the book. He has invented a quick moving plot that we can not only follow but that we can believe. He takes us from Central America to Norway to Bosnia with enough description that Taylor might have been at these locations. He surely did his homework if he hasn't been there in person. We suffer no ambiguity in this story. The good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. We do receive a nicely calibrated dose of bad guy motivation, which is nice to have. The baddies might be totally bad but they are not simple cartoons. They do what they do for their own reasons and we know and understand those reasons without having to agree with them. The good guys are not all drawn with as much care. We don't know much about the team mates, including knowing what they look like. In a fast paced thriller this might not be necessary but it prevents the coveted five star thriller rating. On the strength of reading the book further along in the series, I ordered out three or four more Pike Logan thrillers. I expect to devour them as fast as I did One Rough Man.

This is my first novel written by Brad Taylor.I enjoy this genre above all others but have found it often difficult to find a author who sustains my interest . The biggest fault I find involves stories that take forever to develop and hold my interest .I give most books about 30 percent ,kindle time , to grab my interest .If the book has not grabbed me by that point I usually retire it for good . I am a very impatient reader who can not stand to have my time wasted .Vince Flynn was my favorite author ,and the most reliable at holding my interest ,he was a great loss to reading public .That said this book caught my interest quickly , sustained my interest and near the end forced me to finish reading it at two in the morning.I love that type of book. I do not go into details retelling the story line in reviews .This story is full of action, has a romantic sub plot, and only one stupid component involving the hero and how he is tracked . the ending is somewhat predictable but getting there was fun and exciting.I can't wait to read this authors other three books now and only hope they are as good as this one .BUY IT. .

Well written entertainment. Kept my attention without having to work too hard to suspend my persistent sense of disbelief. Could read a Pike novel once every few years. As good as YouTube for mindless diversion.

Protagonist Special Forces Commander Pike Logan is a member of the highly secretive Project Prometheus which is governed by thirteen persons of the Oversight Council. While absent on an overseas mission, his wife and young daughter are brutally murdered. Pike grieves deeply, blaming himself, and, drops out of the military. Meanwhile, archeologist Professor Cahill has discovered an ancient temple in Guatemala protected by an unknown "weapon of mass destruction." His niece, Jennifer, inexplicably, bumps into Pike who saves her life. Thereafter, Pike is constrained by a sense of duty to protect her. Unexpected twists and turns as they seek to find the ancient weapon, and also, to protect their lives from mysterious assassins. The characters are believable -- a sense of empathy (e.g., simpatico) -- catapults to a charismatic emotional resonance. Fast paced nonstop suspense. Enthusiastically recommend. In the thrilling tradition of renowned author Frederick Forsyth.

Great read looked for another author and happy I have found this one, kept me awake at night because I couldn't put it down

A little hard at first to get into (stick with it) gets better an better as the story unfolds. Can’t wait to get started on book 2

Pike Logan, ehemaliger Task Force Operator, nun ein gebrochener Mann, psychisch am Ende und kurz vor einem Blackout, hat nichts mehr zu verlieren. Seine Family wurde ermordet. Sein Leben zerstört. Seine Zukunft in ein einziges tiefes pitch-black verwandelt. Erst eine diffuse terroristische Bedrohung und Jennifer "Koko" Cahill, die ihn, dem großen Pike Logan in einer Bar das Leben rettet, bringen den besten Mann der Task Force wieder ins Spiel. Pike und Jennifer werden ein Team im Team. Zusammen gehen sie auf die Jagd. Brad Taylor schreibt in der ersten Person, verbindet so den Leser mit Pike auf eine meisterliche Art und Weise. Pike Logan ist ein Mann, der auf der einen Seite durch Wände marschiert, aber auf der anderen Seite einer Frau die Tür aufhält. Er ist stur, verletzlich und kompromisslos, weiß, wie man Terroristen aufspürt, beschattet und mit Erlaubnis seines Chefs Kurt Hale auch endgültig von dieser Erde befördert. Wer einen realistischen, schnellen und punktgenauen Stil mit einer guten Portion Irony und Witz mag, ist bei Brad Taylor absolut richtig. Die Story ist gut recherchiert, die Surveillance trocken "All elements ..." und die Story führt den Leser in eine brutale Welt, in denen ein Menschenleben wenig und tote Frauen und Kinder viel bedeuten. Für mich ist dieses Buch ein gelungenes Debüt, sehr empfehlenswert und ein nächtlicher Pageturner.

Great read

Good first novel. Fast. Though the first person singular narrative is somewhat jarring