by Brad Thor
First published 2010
Gretchen Casey leads Delta Force's newest operators through the streets of Rome. Her team consists of Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper, four women trained to the same lethal standards as their male counterparts. They belong to The Athena Project, a classified program that has just received its first major assignment. A terrorist bombing has killed over twenty Americans in Rome, and the four women must track down the Venetian arms dealer who supplied the explosives. Their hunt takes them deeper into a conspiracy that spans continents. In South America, an intelligence officer discovers ancient Runic symbols surrounding a disturbing find. Meanwhile, a foreign operative works to uncover secrets buried beneath Denver International Airport. As Casey and her team close in on their target, they realize the Rome attack was only the beginning. A larger operation is already underway, and the most dangerous enemies may be within their own government.
Genres: military-fiction, adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Denver, Rome, South America, Venetian
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Atria
Content warnings: violence