From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Since 9/11, even the best thriller writers have been constricted by stock heroes (mostly ex-military white Americans) and villains (mostly Arab terrorists) who make it hard to tell one book from another. Leave it to Mills (
Smoke Screen) to solve that problem in an exciting, original way. His Salam al Fayed (aka Fade), an American agent of Arab ancestry and a former navy SEAL, is as tough and loyal as they come. But when his latest mission ends in failure and his government employers treat him badly, Fade becomes increasingly bitter. So when his former friend and colleague, Matt Egan, is ordered by the head of a secret agency of the Department of Homeland Security to persuade Fade to put aside his anger and join an undercover team in the Middle East, Fade has a one-word answer—in English as well as Arabic. Egan, who's almost as interesting a character as Fade, is full of guilt for what happened to his old friend, but he also knows that his boss is right: Fade is perfect for the new assignment. In fact, all the government people are fully credible within the boundaries of their responsibilities. Mills's prose is crisp and his action skills are top-notch. In Fade, he has created a true thriller hero for the present and the immediate future.
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Product Description
The government abandoned him. Now they're asking for his help.But they're not going to like his answer.A secret department of Homeland Security is recruiting agents to work undercover in the Middle East, and the director wants his second-in-command, Matt Egan, to bring aboard an old friend, Salam Al Fayed-better known as Fade.He seems perfect for the job: A New Yorker and ex-Navy Seal, he is the son of immigrants and he speaks perfect Arabic. Trouble is, he's "retired;" he got shot in the back in the line of duty, and the U.S. government refused to pay for the risky surgery that could have helped him. Now Fade lives the life of a hermit, walking around with a bullet lodged near his spine and liable to shift at any moment, and the last thing he wants to hear is that his country needs him-least of all, his ex-best friend Matt Egan, whom he sees as responsible for his present condition.Against Egan's wishes, the director forces the issue and tries none too subtly to "persuade" Fade to join the team. But Fade, angry and hopeless, is prepared to fight back at any cost; the ensuing confrontation is a bloody one. And the chase is on-will Matt be able to find his friend-turned-fugitive before Fade can take the ultimate revenge?Fade is a remarkable, take-no-prisoners read from an unparalleled writer at the height of his talents.
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