Apex (Black Flagged, #3) in SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group

Aug 05, 2013 Samuel rated it it was amazing

BLACK EYE

[4.8 stars rounded up to 5]

Water utilities. They are one of the most important pieces of critical infrastructure, but one which we all inevitably take for granted. Back in the 1970's during the Chicago American Democrat party convention, a rumor spread which suggested some hippies would be paying a visit to a nearby reservoir with the intention of spiking it with LSD. This led to one of the biggest police responses up until 9/11 and the Occupy movement. In the third entry of the black BLACK EYE

[4.8 stars rounded up to 5]

Water utilities. They are one of the most important pieces of critical infrastructure, but one which we all inevitably take for granted. Back in the 1970's during the Chicago American Democrat party convention, a rumor spread which suggested some hippies would be paying a visit to a nearby reservoir with the intention of spiking it with LSD. This led to one of the biggest police responses up until 9/11 and the Occupy movement. In the third entry of the black flagged series, author Steve Konkoly has dreamed up a truly well thought out, plausible worst case scenario. It might not be able to happen in real life but in "Black Flagged Apex", the factors, resources and logistics terrorists would need to sabotage a developed nation's water supply are explored in detail. With a gradual growth of Clancy style influences seeping into the series, the stakes have dramatically risen from the first and second entries, with all the gunfire, backstabbing, techno wizardry and morally ambiguous decisions dialed up to maximum. Now the the review. What happens when enemies foreign....get screwed over by enemies domestic?

The story begins early in the morning in New Jersey. Two FBI agents, bored out of their minds are on stakeout, conducting surveillance on suspected Islamic extremists. Suddenly, the Islamic Extremists are bush-whacked by unknown gunmen who break into their apartment. Meanwhile, in Washington DC at the White House situation room, we get reintroduced to the biological weapon which is the main subject of the core story arc. In a nutshell, it drives its victims into a homicidal rage after some very painful headaches. And having already seen the results back in the previous book from a Russian city, the American government will do anything in its power to recover samples of the biological weapon which were smuggled into the country. Meanwhile at Black Flagged, General Terrence Sanderson is busy with cementing the new relationship he has with some recently acquired friendly enemies in Washington and sends a representative to work with American Law Enforcement on the biological weapon problem. Meanwhile, main protagonist Daniel Petrovich is conducting a snatch and grab op in Berlin which starts with a false alarm but ends with a lead on a new conspiracy which has horrific implications for American politics. All these threads come together in a brutal race against time where the angels are forced to make deals with the devils they know to preserve, protect and defend their country from a greater evil.

In terms of plot, Black Flagged Apex continues to impress. These books are a bit more complex than Brad Thor and Vince Flynn. They're set in a world where everyone has an agenda, where the line between good and evil is truly difficult to discern and where you can be a terrorist one day and a hero the next. The settings and action are also very fun. From a violent gunfight through the corridors of a Atlanta hotel, a colossal attack on a remote terrorist training camp which rivals any good war film for sheer destruction, and ending with a brutal, bloody climax in a Pennsylvania Mansion, the author put the men and women of Black Flagged through a Sausage grinder in this entry and lets them show us readers what they're made of. The research done in this book is also a particular highlight. From the assortment of exotic weapons, sniping/infiltration/combat tactics and exploring the very complex logistics any terrorist group would need if they really decided to target a developed nation's water supply, Konkoly has established himself as an American Frederick Forsyth.

Now, characters. There's slightly less focus on Mr and Mrs Petrovich this time around but that doesn't mean they've gone soft. We get a lot more character development for Jessica, and explore how damaged and broken she still is. She and her husband also get to show their stuff when a large number of shooters interrupt them during an interrogation and their team is taking casualties. Next we have the FBI men such as Agent Sharpe and Director Shelby. Both of them start as holier than thou by the book cops who moan about the Black Flagged program. Sharpe however despite his desire to hold the moral high ground with a death grip eventually comes to an understanding with the Black Flagged program while Shelby's arc in this book is a little more surprising. Then we have Aleem Fayed and the Middle Eastern operators of the Black Flagged group. For the first parts of the book, they're doing the fieldwork and perform spectacularly. They also managed to steal the show, from General Sanderson in my opinion.

Overall, Black Flagged apex is an excellent act two in the "core story arc". Competent, well rounded anti-heroes and villains, enough firepower to make a fan of Brad Thor novels salivate and a well plotted walk through the darker, brutal parts of counter-terrorism. It's all there and a whole lot more. The Black Flagged books are some of the most brutal Post 9/11 spy thrillers that I've read, and they should not be missed by any fan of the genre.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ...more

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Sep 23, 2019 Greg Oaster rated it really liked it

Good story

With a threat to the nations water supply, a radical group of American terrorists called “true america” are causing mayhem across the country.

It was a good story but for me I had trouble keeping track of all the characters. I did see at the end of the book a list of who is who. That would have been better in the beginning. It got confusing as to who everyone was.

Other than the multitude of characters it’s a good read and certainly a believable story.

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