EMBEDDED

In Lansing’s thriller series starter, an ex-Army ranger infiltrates a white supremacist group.

Dakota Judd is six years into a seven-year sentence for a violent act committed against a commanding officer, and he’s about to get more time for almost killing a fellow inmate during a prison fight. Now Dakota has a price on his head and few options left, so he jumps at an unexpected offer from the FBI to go undercover in a white supremacist organization that may be plotting an insurrection; in return, the government will shorten Dakota’s sentence and wipe his record clean. With support from his tough but loving Aunt Billie, a former cop, and FBI agent Jean Steele, Dakota begins the dangerous task of infiltrating the Wolf Pack, a violent hate group; his mission soon leads him deeper into the inner workings of Blackfox, a highly organized and well-funded security outfit that has white nationalist ties. As he earns the trust of Blackfox’s leader, he becomes a key player on international missions with a team of specialists, all the while feeding intelligence back to the FBI. Meanwhile, Dakota must confront demons of his own past, including the man whose abuse of authority landed him in prison and who still commands the loyalty of dangerous men; at the same time, he must confront the growing threat to people he cares about. Lansing’s thriller is brisk and relentlessly suspenseful, and wastes no time; it effectively grabs readers’ attention from the very first page and doesn’t let go. The story also features a solid cast of characters, with the familial bond between Dakota and his Aunt Billie as a standout: “Aunt Billie could spin ideas like a Rubik’s Cube master and helped Dakota discover new solutions to youthful problems, and another important skill set, how to tie off a hook and rig a fishing pole.” Overall, readers will find this to be a gripping and highly readable tale of redemption, deception, and the high cost of going undercover.

A fast-paced crime drama with engaging characters.