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Pub date March 8, 2025

DC Gilbert & Associates

ISBN  978-1734602357

Price $19.99 (USD) Hardcover, $16.99 Paperback, $6.99 Kindle edition

Author interview

Gilbert delivers a high-octane blend of emotional depth, tactical precision, and unflinching realism in his latest installment in the JD Cordell series. When two young women vanish en route from Vietnam to America, their dreams are shattered by a trafficking ring in Manila’s lawless Tondo district. Retired Navy SEAL JD Cordell races to find them, relying on a fallen American sniper lost in a haze of booze, street fights, and regret. With time running out, JD’s team must survive a brutal city where justice is rare—and one wrong move could be fatal.

Gilbert writes with the precision of someone who’s been there. From high-level offices in Hanoi to the blood-slick floors of Manila’s fight clubs, every detail feels earned. But what elevates the novel beyond the genre’s usual offerings is its moral complexity. The story isn’t just about justice; it’s about the price of it. And whether in the aching exchanges between Taylor and Blessica, or the camaraderie and tension among former SEALs trying to navigate peace, Gilbert never lets the emotional stakes slip. The story spans multiple continents and interwoven plotlines but tight plotting and clean narrative transitions mean the narrative remains focused. Action scenes are frequent but never gratuitous, and character moments are given space to breathe. The climax is both emotionally satisfying and viscerally intense.

 A fierce, intelligent novel that proves the battlefield is only the beginning.

***