Hasan Makari and his son Najib, both Lebanese nationals, have dreamed of the day they would experience the shining freedom of America. But when they arrive in the US, they are arrested, accused of terrorism, and incarcerated at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba, all on false charges. Suddenly, they face the nightmare of death by execution.
Their only hope is Navy JAG Officer Matt Davis, who has been assigned to the case of his life--to defend the Makaris in court at Guantanamo Bay. Matt believes his clients are innocent but faces monumental opposition--not only from powerful federal prosecutors with a huge agenda and an unlimited budget, but also from the woman he loves who, as a fellow JAG officer, has been ordered onto the prosecution team to convict the Makaris.
As the drama unfolds in Cuba, Emily Gardner, a top-ranking TSA lawyer, has just received a larger-than-life nomination as General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. While preparing for confirmation by the US Senate, she discovers a shocking scheme that will turn her life upside down. Can Emily expose the truth in time to save the lives of those being accused--and escape with her own life? Somewhere between the war-torn plains of Northern Lebanon and the secret torture chamber of Guantanamo Bay lie the keys to justice.
My review:
From the first book I read by Don Brown, Treason, I have been hooked on his novels. I enjoy different genre's of books - some more than others - and military suspense is up near the top. Don Brown's books are all about the Navy and he is one of the best military fiction authors I have read. I have enjoyed all of his books, especially his Navy Justice Series, but I would have to say this one is his best one yet.
I thought the plot for this book sounded great, and I was not disappointed. Two innocent men, imprisoned without warning, and shut up in the infamous Guantanamo Bay Prison in Cuba. Knowing what I know about the author, I am sure he has a lot of knowledge about how things are done, and also did a lot of research. I am thus confident that although the events of the book are fictional, the way things are done and might happen in such circumstances are not fictional.
I really liked the characters in the book. Matt, the defense, thrown into a less than ideal trial and threatened and confounded at every turn. Hassan and Najib, Christian men who love this country that has suddenly turned against them.. and more. I was happy a couple of characters were brought back from the first series Brown did, and enjoyed the role they played in the books.
There is something Brown does in his books that more authors need to do when switching locations. Every time he chances location or starts a new chapter, he posts the where, when, and other details. It makes it a lot easier to keep up with what is going on where.
Even though I have enjoyed all of Brown's books, some of them have been a slower read. I don't mean that in a bad way, some of them have taken more thought and time to digest. This book was a fast read for me. It had a lot going on and it grabbed me from the start and I didn't want to slow down or put the book down.
And yet this book was more than an entertaining read. It was a fascinating look into how accused terrorists might be treated and the process that is gone through to try them. It is a warning of what could happen if one of our too many government agencies gets too powerful and doesn't have enough oversight.
If I have any criticism of the book, it would be that the end seemed rushed. I still loved the ending, but it seemed to come too fast after the build up.
This is the first book in the Navy J.A.G series, and I am looking forward to reading more of this series and about the characters that have been introduced in this book.
Don's books are ideal for male readers, but women who enjoy military stories will also like them.
About the author:
Don Brown is the author of Thunder in the Morning Calm, The Malacca Conspiracy, The Navy Justice Series, and The Black Sea Affair, a submarine thriller that predicted the 2008 shooting war between Russia and Georgia. Don served five years in the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, which gave him an exceptional vantage point into both the Navy and the inner workings "inside-the-beltway" as an action officer assigned to the Pentagon. He left active duty in 1992 to pursue private practice, but remained on inactive status through 1999, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He and his family live in North Carolina, where he pursues his passion for penning novels about the Navy. www.donbrownbooks.com Facebook: Don-Brown
Detained is available from Zondervan Publishing.
Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for the review copy.
