Author TR Gabriel is back and brings with him installment number three in the Dogs of Warr military action series, Chasing the Ghost. For those who haven't followed the series up to this point, the Ghost being chased is a stealthy Russian terrorist named Nikolanovic and is likely to be the only living human on planet Earth who proves himself capable of being a step ahead of Colonel Nathan Warr. In book three, Gabriel has the Ghost permeate the heart of The Dog's operations through the soul of The Kennel. A prominent character is removed from commission (don't worry, it isn't Maxxum but it still hurts) and that feeling of violation you presume overcomes a person when their home is robbed is the least offensive way of describing how The Dogs feel. Plus, one of their own is down for the count which means Warr, The Dogs, and the 'he can't even buy beer?' UFO dork are champing at the bit to hit back the second they've finished licking their wounds.

I think I'm all out of puns but nobody can be certain until the last line. Dogs of Warr: Chasing the Ghost might be TR Gabriel's best book in the series yet. The cycling of characters keeps everything fresh and adds to the suspense because in the backs of our minds, and at the pace of the story moves, the possibility of a new spanner in the works messing something up is usually high. The point of view perspective alternates between Ghost and The Dogs, affording us a sliver of agency in imagining the next action on either side. Personally, what first endeared me to the series is the camaraderie of The Dogs and the banter between them and Warr. A climax in the plot begins to swell when Warr and his team make an audacious move into the viper pit that has intense cinematic descriptive quality. If the Ryanverse and Zero Dark Thirty made a scene baby, it would look like this. I could live without about 75% of the protracted explanations on the why's and how's, and I'm not smarter than 75% of the genre's readership, but this is forgivable when taking into account the number of fist pumps afforded throughout the novel. Overall, Chasing the Ghost is a stellar read.

Dogs of Warr III: Chasing the Ghost by TR Gabriel is a military thriller and the third book in the Dogs of Warr series, preceded by book one of the same name, and book two, By Executive Request. The series revolves around a singular, ultra-elite group of fighters under the command of Colonel Nathan Alexander Warr. The team operates out of a covert base within Nevada's Area 51 that they call The Kennel. The series' antagonist is a former post-Soviet special operative named Colonel Gregor Alexi Nikolanovic, coequally known as the 'Devil's Ghost'. The Ghost is able to accomplish the impossible by infiltrating The Kennel, unleashing an ambush that seriously handicaps Warr's team, called The Dogs, and their stronghold. The impact and loss are debilitating, but when a reassembled team with some new additions is ready to strike back at The Ghost, the old adage of an eye for an eye isn't quite strong enough for the reckoning Warr and The Dogs have in store.

“...who in their right mind would be ballsy enough to try and infiltrate the lair of the Devil’s Ghost? Mad men, only mad men.” Dogs of Warr III: Chasing the Ghost by TR Gabriel is an all-systems-go brand of military fiction where readers are immediately dropped into the action and it does not cease until we barrel to the end. There are a great many technical components that are carefully implemented so as to not overwhelm readers with jargon. As someone who knows exactly zero when it comes to weapons, I found this helpful, and Gabriel also has some creations of his own that heighten the experience. Occasionally the narrative and dialogue can run into the weeds with information drops that can sometimes go on for paragraphs, but as a whole, I found the balance between action and the background elements to be well managed. My favorite character is a brilliant scientist brought in with the nickname Kid, and a particular scene where the link between the notoriety of Area 51 and someone, or something, he is speaking to is of questionable origin. All said, this is an engaging and fast-moving story with an excellent plot and a well-developed cast of characters. Recommended.