COLD FEAR

4.5 stars out of 5

After being enthralled by Steel Fear, the first book in this series, I jumped at the chance to request a review copy of this one that features a flawed military hero known only as Finn. I must say it didn't excite me quite as much as the first, but this remains a series I'm delighted to recommend. The setting this time is not a submarine but Iceland - and the authors certainly did their homework on this (to me) almost mysterious country in the northern Atlantic (if nothing else, I got an engrossing, in-depth history lesson).

As the story begins, Finn - a former Navy SEAL - is trying to track down three SEALS who were with him in Yemen when a monstrous tragedy happened that resulted in the death of numerous civilians. Ultimately, Finn was blamed for the disaster, and one - maybe two - of his buddies at the time has since been murdered. Finn has no memory of what happened and would like to clear his name, of course - and he believes the three he's looking for can clear the record and at the very least clear his conscience.

But early on, life gets in the way as he passes an obviously terrified young woman running toward the bay; while it appears she deliberately drowned herself, clues are murky and suggest the possibility of murder. Because Finn was in the area, he becomes a very unwilling person of interest to the local police. Complicating matters is that he's also a person of interest to his former employer and a contract killer (bringing a whole new meaning to the concept of "somebody's out to get me").

The rest of the book is a wild chase to see who will get to whom first; can Finn, who's taken an interest in the drowning case, solve the mystery surrounding the dead girl and extract the information he needs about what really happened on his military assignment before he's caught by the authorities (or worse)? You'll just have to read it to find out - but I will say it's a heck of a chase. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Cold Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann (Bantam, June 2022); 432 pp.