Target Deck: A Deckard Novel

...but always have a sniper on overwatch. Action packed would be an understatement, and that holds true for the whole series. Definitely my favorite of the Deckard Novel series. Title for my review has a dual-meaning that you can discern after reading the book.This was particularly interesting for me because it applied experienced (para)military professionals to take down bad guys like drug lords and cartels in Mexico, yet without government consent or knowledge. However it also delves into how cartels operate, and why they've been able to do so, with that being part of the story. On top of that, it also demonstrates how overlapping circles of military, intelligence, politics, terrorism and crime in the real world. What sets this book apart from other action books is the military and even intelligence perspective it takes on complex and convoluted issues that are still currently problems in the real world. At some points it can be hard to follow because there are multiple things happening in the book, and you're trying to figure out how they relate, but even the main character feels that way, which leads him hunting for heart of the problem and for the hands that control the puppet strings.I read it once on Kindle (where some parts did drag out for me), the second time on paper, and Target Deck now stands as my favorite "action" novel of all time. Operations conducted by Deckard's PMC are detailed, well explained, and therefore believable. Not simply following one "no helmet hero" as Hollywood does. There was what I thought was an epic ending, but then it didn't end there, the story kept going....to another epic ending. Once again, Sean Deckard series helps you question narratives in the real world and cause you to second guess what you hear in the news today.Bottom Line: Very interesting and relevant subject, action packs a punch, as do the hauntingly real and diverse group of bad guys in play.

Jack has ratcheted things up a little in this latest installment of the Deckard novels.The aftermath of the bloodletting in Reflexive Fire has Deckard's PMC, Samruk International, pared down to little more than two platoons. Those two platoons open the book with a successful strike on a south Mexico cartel leader, followed by signing a contract with the surviving police chief in the area to take care of the cartel problem. It's sort of a "sign this, now," sort of arrangement, but she doesn't seem to mind later on, as Deckard and his boys start savaging the cartels in southern Mexico.A lot of what is happening as background for the book will be familiar to anyone who has kept an eye on the deteriorating situation in Mexico. While Deckard's operation is in the south, in what is presently disputed territory near Guatemala, the Zetas and Sinaloa cartel are featured prominently in the background. The Zapatista rebels in Chiapas even make several appearances. Jack even brings Fast and Furious into the mix, along with questionable black operations being run by shadowy individuals in the corridors of power.The action sequences are frequent and well done. The carnage in places is pretty intense, though anyone who's been keeping even one eye on the war in Mexico would know that it's by no means in excess of what has been happening down there.Deckard is getting reckless, fueled more by his own sense of rage and justice than anything else. He almost goes down a couple times in this book, just from pushing himself past the limits of his endurance. It's going to be interesting to see where Jack is taking this.

Target Deck is the second entry in the Deckard series being penned by Jack Murphy, an american Ranger and Special Forces veteran who is making use of both his experience in our armed forces and the education he has acquired afterwards to create novels that are must read for those interested in action, intrigue, and violence placed in the current world. This book is much more current the first in the Deckard, which I also recommend everybody read. ( Reflexive Fire (A Deckard Novel) The book picks up shortly after the end of Reflexive Fire, which also leads to one of my criticisms, which I will address below. Deckard's Samruk battalion has been devastated by the closing action in Reflexive Fire, and he's in need of cash flow to pay his men, so he goes to Mexico. The story is set in the Mexican drug war, and Jack does a phenomenal job building the scene and describing the ground as it exists now during the narco-insurgency. He involves all the various parties, and rips things from the headlines to give the narrative the authentic flavor. You will come away from the book knowing things about Mexico only those who pay close attention to the war down south have been aware of, along with some new flavor and analysis on the situation.He arrives and jumps right into the action to conduct a rescue of his employer, and then goes to prosecuting targets (giving the book its name). We see characters from the previous book return (Pat, Kurt, Frank, Nikita), and are introduced to new ones (read the book, it's worth it). The action is non-stop, the pacing is phenomenal, and there is nobody writing right now who has the same way with words of violence that Jack Murphy has. These are men, doing the hard thing, in difficult circumstances, tied together by their belief in an inspiring leader and their willingness to follow him. This is the essence of the modern fighting man, Jack knows this, and he can take the reader there regardless if they are a hardened combat vet or inexperienced civilian.Much has been made by the author of "how this is two books in one, how the action continues where most books stop." This is why I only give the book four stars, where I gave Reflexive Fire five. If you walk into Barnes & Nobles, or look around Amazon, most stories with an underlying conspiracy (especially those involving military actors) have a plot arc that ends somewhere with nefarious actors in the United States Government. Deckards backstory reveals itself slowly throughout the novels, and we know that he has a prior history with the Central Intelligence Agency. This comes back now, as he needs them to create space for his operation, and they need him to take down a target. This is a unnecessary diversion in the plot, and only has value because the villain used here bounces around until the end of the book. There are scenes written from headlines that are in the book only to reveal the brutality of the cartels, but do not advance the story (specifically the disposal of bodies through acid). But the biggest drag to me was that the conspiracy does not flow through the book. Jack knows how to do it, because it does it better than most in Reflexive Fire, taking just about every major conspiracy theory about one world government/secret societies/mysticism and weaving them together into a compelling story you cannot leave. Here, the conspiracy is an add on ungracefully tacked a top a great story, with actors, dialogue, and plans that do not fit together. He is reaching for the grandeur of the first triumvirate (to include creating a new one based on some real people consumers of modern news will recognize), but falls a bit short.Jack is a modern author who interacts freely with his fans through his own website (ReflexiveFire.com), as well as SofRep.com, where is an editor. I would also say he is the best writer the site has to offer when it comes to describing things and placing the reader in the action. He is on FaceBook, and sometimes uses Twitter. He often will posts exeprts of upcoming books, and will respond to your comments and questions. This creates a sort of connection that was not possible in previous generations, and he makes use of this better than most. Of course this also allows one to look to far behind the curtain sometimes when things shine through that you may not like about the author, or where you might disagree. Jack is such a good writer that you look past these things to enjoy the final product regardless of everything around it.The book is available in both paperback and Kindle, with the Kindle version including hyperlinks to Wikipedia for many of the pieces of technology and such. This is another innovative use of technology by the author, even if it is not always mature enough to support his final intent. I read the book on a Kindle Touch, where Wikipedia does not look all that great, and the touch conductivity and response is not all that great. These are separate Kindle issues, but they mean one might not take full advantage of the features.Overall, this is a book you will want to go back to several times, harmed slightly by the fact that his first book was so amazing, and that the PROMIS series is outstanding. I purchased it as soon as it was available on Amazon, and read it in two sittings because I could not put it down. Since then I have hit up several sections several more times, because the language just speaks to me. Jack Murphy makes me glad I own a Kindle because I can take all his books with me when I travel for work, and I look forward to further entries from him in the PROMIS and Deckard series. You will not regret picking up any of his titles.

An absolutely and thoroughly enjoyable read from the beginning to the end. It maintains absolute technical accuracy whilst leaving the story in tact and doesn't go off on a tangent as happens with other authors which in turn leads to the dreaded page skipping. Anyone who enjoys military fiction, a little light conspiracy and wall to wall action will not be disappointed.Murphy is well on his way to an excellent future as a Scribe which will leave those of us who enjoy his books always looking forward to the next.

Well researched and a fast moving book a good book to get you engrossed in it and keep reading to the last page