Hide and Seek by Jeff Struecker and Alton Gansky

Amelia Lennon no longer wears a uniform or carries a weapon. An Army trained Foreign Affairs Officer, she’s negotiating a dispute with the Kyrgyzstan government that threatens to leave the U.S. without an airbase in that region. She traded her gun for the power of words, but now she needs both.

While following her government contact – Jildiz Oskonbaeva, the lawyer daughter of Kyrgyzstan’s president – Amelia witnesses an attempt to abduct her. She manages to prevent the kidnapping, but now the two women are on the run in a city that’s erupting into chaos.

Master Sergeant J.J. Bartley is the Special Operations team leader tasked to rescue Amelia and Jildiz. With two new members in his unit – one with a secret that could endanger everyone’s life – J.J. must soldier his unit through crazed mobs intent on overthrowing the government. Back home, his pregnant wife is misinformed that her husband and the team have been killed. But before this is over, Bartley will find out that’s the least of his problems.

My review:

My one complaint about these books in this series, is they come out too far apart. Not only do I have a hard time remembering what happened in the other books, I have a hard time remembering the characters. That said, I really enjoyed this book. It was set in a totally different part of the world than I usually read about, so not only did I enjoy the suspense and military special ops actions, it was interesting learning a little about a new country and its customs.

There were a few new characters added to the roster of main characters, and they only added to the book. The authors have come up with some great characters, and especially in the new team leader, J.J., a former character who got a promotion. It is interesting to see how a soldier in such circumstances as he would be in, could be a Christian and still a soldier.

A lot happened in this book, and the authors brought it all to a satisfying conclusion. I am hoping there is at least one more book in this series and it isn't as long in coming as the rest of them have been.

About the authors:

Chaplain (Captain) Jeff Struecker is a decorated member of the United States Army's most elite fighting corps whose personal experiences in Mogadishu, Somalia, were written about in the New York Times bestseller and major motion picture Black Hawk Down. In thirteen years of active duty, he also fought in Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Iris Gold in Kuwait. As a chaplain Jeff has done multiple tours in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He uses his personal story of survival on the battlefield to tell others how they, too, can be prepared for any circumstances life may bring. Struecker and his wife, Dawn, have five children, and live in Columbus, Georgia.

Alton Gansky is the author of nine novels, including By My Hands, Distant Memory, A Ship Possessed, and Vanished. Alton holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Biblical Studies. His first novel, By My Hands, was published in 1996. He lives with his wife Becky in Phelan, California, where he is senior pastor of High Desert Baptist Church. The have twin daughters and a son. You can find out more about Gansky on his web site at http://www.altongansky.com/.

Hide and Seek is available from Broadman and Holman Publishing.

Thanks to Broadman and Holman for the review copy.