Deployed by Mel Odom

Sergeant Lance Corporal Bekah Shaw joined the United States Marine reserves to help support herself and her son when her ex-husband, Billy Roy, decided they were no longer his responsibility. But when her team is activated and sent to Somalia on a peacekeeping mission, Bekah struggles with being separated from her son and vows to return safely.

Once a successful Somalian businessman, Rageh Daud has lost everything. Determined to seek revenge on the terrorists who killed his wife and son, he teams up with a group of thieves, killers, and others displaced by war. Despite his better judgment, Daud becomes the protector of a young orphaned boy—who becomes a pawn between the warring factions.

To defeat the terrorists and bring peace to the region, Bekah and her team must convince Daud that they are on the same side.

My review:

I could get in trouble for saying this, but I almost didn't get this book because the main character is a female marine. I may be alone in my views, but I don't think women belong in the military. However, I read a series of books by Mel Odom a few years ago, NCIS, which was a terrific series, which unfortunately only had 3 books in it.

Once I got past the idea of a female marine, I really enjoyed the book. I liked the characters, and I enjoy a book with military action. This book is pretty fast-paced and is the kind you don't want to put down, so I didn't. I've never been in the military, nor in countries like the setting for this book, but it seemed to me that the author did a great job of portraying life in the military and the actions they would take. I did wonder about a woman being involved in the endeavors the main character was in - I thought they weren't allowed in combat, but what do I know.

This is a book more for men, though women who enjoy military action books will enjoy it also. It is a very entertaining read, yet is a great reminder of what our military goes through.

About the author:

Mel Odom is a full-time writer with many published works to his credit. Mel has been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame and received the Alex Award for his fantasy novel The Rover. Mel has published the Apocalypse series and the NCIS series with Tyndale House. Mel resides in Oklahoma with his wife and five children.

Deployed is the first book in the Called to Serve Series, and is available from Tyndale Publishing. Thanks to Tyndale for the review copy.