Of all the cases of people inside the United States being charged for illegal activities on behalf of ISIS, 78 have been US citizens. Eight were lawful permanent residents, five were refugees, and of those with no U.S. residency, most were on student visa. Almost a third had at least some college education, 87% were male, and the average age was only 21. Seventy-two percent of those caught by the FBI for working with ISIS had absolutely no prior criminal history.

If readers of these statistics find them alarming, then they have had the intended effect. These are actual figures that are used in this novel to paint a picture of the in-country terrorists who we should fear more than those abroad. Is the average American citizen cognizant of this data? Probably not. One person who is very well aware of the impact of these stats is the book’s villain, Musa al-Matari, aka Mohammed.

"TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE is a political thriller but may very well be a horror novel based on the sleepless nights it should produce."

TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE is a political thriller but may very well be a horror novel based on the sleepless nights it should produce. Author Mark Greaney once again takes the reigns and breathes life into some of the late Tom Clancy's well-known characters along with a slew of new ones totally of Greaney's creation. The book begins with a U.S. Navy war hero, Scott Hagan, being shot at in a crowded New Jersey restaurant while eating with his family. When the wounded Hagan eventually subdues the shooter, he discovers that the assailant is the brother of a Russian soldier killed by Hagan's warship.

A pattern quickly emerges as similar public attacks begin occurring around the United States. Unlike those on 9/11 and the Boston Marathon, the attacks here are all targeting U.S. intelligence officers rather than innocent citizens. With a target fully on the back of his most vital soldiers in the war on terror, President Jack Ryan must call on the elite group run by his old pal, John Clark, known simply as The Campus.

Ironically, President Ryan's son, Jack Ryan Jr., is a member of The Campus, and his role in TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE is significant. The trouble is that there is a leak somewhere, and The Campus must figure out who is responsible for the data breach by a Russian hacker (sound familiar?) who later shared this top-secret information with al-Matari. What makes this subject matter so frightening is that it is not only plausible but seems to be literally stripped from our current daily headlines.

What I found most unsettling about the book is the gang-style initiation process utilized to select and train U.S.-based ISIS cells. Random, completely innocent people are targeted for death as the initiation rite for these deadly groups. Those passages are enough to make the staunchest, peace-loving type shiver with anger. The novel is a lengthy one, but Greaney manages to imbue chapter after chapter with enough suspense and mayhem to keep the pages turning.

I had the opportunity to meet Tom Clancy some years ago as part of his book tour for his nonfiction work INTO THE STORM. I found him to be very shy to the point of coming across as aloof. When he spoke about his book, though, he came to life, and the detail he had jammed into his brain about modern warfare and war strategy was incredibly impressive. I hail Mark Greaney for keeping Clancy's vision alive and enjoy seeing how Clancy's first character, Jack Ryan, is faring as POTUS during one of the most volatile periods in U.S. history.