She Treads Softly: Shadow Strike

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Shadow Strike

Shadow Strike by Brad Taylor
4/21/26; 448 pages
William Morrow
Pike Logan #20

Shadow Strike by Brad Taylor is a highly recommended political/action thriller. This is the 20th book in the series featuring Pike Logan.

The Ghost, or Abdul Rahman, escapes when a routine prisoner transfer is ambushed. Pike Logan and his team are called in to find the Ghost but the mission quickly escalates into something bigger than just an escaped prisoner. It is determined that a rogue group of Iranian regime officials want him to assassination the Israeli prime minister. The team tracks the Ghost from his escape through Mexico to Argentina, where they have good intel about the plan and the world-wide wide scope of it.

As expected the action is non-stop and covers a lot of territory as they race against the clock to stop the attacks planned. The plot is compelling and full of geopolitical intrigue and maneuvers. Admittedly, I haven't read every book in this series, but I was still able to follow the action and the various characters so I think it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel for anyone looking for a action-packed thriller. Those following the series will know all the characters. Those new to the series won't see a lot of character development here, but should still be able to distinguish all the individual characters from each other.

There was one drawback for me, one that Brad Taylor himself marginally addressed in the afterword when he wrote about real life events resulted in the novel requiring earlier editing. With current events now, way-past the margin available for editing, you will have to set even more disbelief aside than would normally be required.

Shadow Strike is highly recommended for fans of the series and those who like political/action thrillers. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.