Anna Royko, an American citizen of Ukrainian descent, is headed to Ukraine from her home in Chicago, where she works as an attorney. Because of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Anna can only get a flight as far as Poland. She does all she can to make connections and hook up with a humanitarian organization that can get her into the heart of Ukraine.

"No one in the business does political thrillers quite like Thor.... DEAD FALL is an important, intensely brutal and exciting read that is not to be missed."

Anna has learned about specific horrors of war that cannot be tolerated. Not only have the Russian army hordes been ravaging the countryside, towns and villages of Ukraine, they are targeting women and children for barbaric acts. Russia is even providing their troops with Viagra to make sure they’re ready to go when the opportunity to sexually terrorize Ukrainians presents itself.

This is the timely and intriguing setup for the great Brad Thor’s latest effort, DEAD FALL, the 22nd entry in his Scot Harvath series. No one in the business does political thrillers quite like Thor. Once Harvath and the U.S. government become aware of the atrocities that good people like Anna want to stand up against, nothing will prevent America’s top spy from getting involved.

This is perhaps Harvath’s most dangerous mission yet as the Russian army has put together a particularly lethal mercenary unit that has gone rogue. Its members are prisoners, sexual deviants and men from the worst mental asylums in the country who have been set loose on the Ukrainian countryside. This is all taking place in the midst of an already bloody and lengthy military skirmish.

Rather than wait for reinforcements and a fully planned-out mission, Harvath inserts himself into Ukraine with extraordinarily little support and goes in search of those who are personally responsible for the most violent and disgraceful of war crimes against women and children. With another team of Russian soldiers looting famous works of art and priceless cultural treasures in churches, museums and homes, it is almost too much for him to take on alone. Yet he has a personal score to settle, and if anyone can get the job done under these circumstances, it would be him.

There are few fictional characters I would rely on more if I were in trouble than Scot Harvath. If I ever needed assistance on a global scale, he would be the first name on my list to have my back when the situation gets too hot. DEAD FALL is an important, intensely brutal and exciting read that is not to be missed.