The Annihilation Protocol by Michael Laurence

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Michael Laurence delivers The Annihilation Protocol, the follow-up to The Extinction Agenda, in a series described as “Jack Reacher falling into a plot written by Dan Brown” (James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Crucible).

For centuries, a mysterious syndicate known as the Thirteen has staged a silent coup, infiltrating governments and manipulating the course of world events. It’s more powerful than any nation, deadlier than any army. The time has come for it to emerge from the shadows and claim the entire world as its own. And only FBI Special Agent James Mason and his longtime friends stand in its way.

After narrowly preventing a global pandemic, Mason and his team discover an even deadlier threat has already been set into motion. An unknown adversary has produced enough of a lethal nerve gas to wipe every major city off the face of the world, and their only clue to finding it lies in a cryptic message written in the blood of a man found entombed behind a concrete wall. It isn’t until another victim appears—right in the heart of Central Park—that Mason realizes the murders are personal in nature, and figuring out the connection between them is the key to averting catastrophe.

Eight million lives hang in the balance and their only chance of surviving lies in the hands of Mason, his old friends, and a new partner he’s not entirely sure he can trust. Can his team track down a sinister agent codenamed Scarecrow before toxic gas fills the streets of New York City, or will the true power pulling the strings from behind the scenes—the Thirteen—succeed in enacting its genocidal agenda?

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

REVIEW

The Annihilation Protocol by Michael Lawrence is one thrilling ride.  You follow Mason and his team as they attempt to thwart the newest threat from the Thirteen.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  After Extinction Agenda, I was eager for Mason to deliver the justice that the Thirteen deserved.  If you have not read Extinction Agenda, I would highly suggest it.  Annihilation Protocol can stand alone, but the background found in the first book of the series provides motivation and solidifies relationships.  

The multiple mysteries of Annihilation Protocol keep the reader invested.  I was on the edge of my seat in several instances.  By the conclusion, I was excited by the prospect that I had not figured out the entire story midway.  The author does an excellent job of keeping you guessing.

One thing I will say is there is a ton of moving pieces going on in this story.  A lot of investigating.  A lot of exposition.  It is wonderful that we get all of the information relevant to the goings-on, but boy was it a lot.  I'll be honest I tuned out quite a few times. And you know what?  I still followed along.  Some people will appreciate the abundance of facts, but for me, it was a bit much.  Despite that, I would still recommend The Annihilation Protocol by Michael Laurence.

The Extinction Agenda by Michael Laurence

ABOUT THE BOOK

An FBI agent fights to stop a conspiracy to unleash a deadly virus on the world in this propulsive, exhilarating new thriller.

The discovery of a deadly virus being smuggled across the border pits FBI Special Agent James Mason and his strike force against an unknown adversary hell-bent on humanity’s destruction. In a desperate effort to contain the pathogen, they launch a predawn raid, only to find that their enemy knows they’re coming…and it’s not about to be taken alive. An explosion rips through the building, killing the majority of Mason’s team, including his partner and mentor.

Tormented by guilt, Mason returns to his home division, but he can’t seem to let go of the tragedy. He remembers seeing something inside the building before it went up in flames, something that convinces him that not only is the virus still out there, it’s merely the first stage of an even more nefarious plan. Obsessed with unraveling the plot, he launches his own investigation and uncovers a shadow organization on the brink of enacting its genocidal agenda, one carried out by a sinister mass murderer who’s been photographed at the epicenter of seemingly every historical pandemic…without appearing to age. An evil man who attempts to derail Mason’s investigation by murdering his wife.

With the help of his longtime friends—Gunnar Backstrom, a corporate espionage gun-for-hire, and Ramses Donovan, a sin merchant of questionable morality—Mason’s hunt for his wife’s killer leads him from a dark union at the dawn of the twentieth century to a network of Nazi collaborators and a conspiracy against mankind more than a hundred years in the making. Fueled by anger and driven by the promise of vengeance, he must overcome a monster preparing to unleash his virulent wrath upon an unsuspecting world if he’s to have any hope of exposing a deep-state entity that’s rooted in every facet of our society, an entity known only as…The Thirteen.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

REVIEW

I enjoy conspiracy theories, and the best is when the villain's crime incorporates reason behind it. Extinction Agenda's intrigue contains feasible logic, and the players involved are far-reaching. It surprised me a couple of times the size of the syndicate at work, a few of the twists I did not anticipate. James Mason's quest kept me emotionally involved while the events unfolded around him. The group surrounding him was adept at what they were doing. 

Regrettably, the story did suffer from a bit too much bulk. There are so many players involved, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but massive amounts of sidebars and background tales started to weigh the book down for me. I stopped paying attention at times. I prefer a less is more approach, more action, and fewer backstories. I will admit, it took me a great deal of time to get into this story. I contemplated at one point stopping. About midway through the novel, I was gratified by not doing so. 

The Extinction Agenda by Michael Lawrence is the first in a series. I enjoyed reading this early copy enough that I will be checking out the next one.