Phoenix Project

Max DuMonde is a man who has grown up without the most important male role models in his life. He believes that his grandfather and father were both lost in US Military operations which took place two decades apart, leaving him with an inbuilt commitment to the US navy and a desire to follow in their footsteps and emulate their heroism. Recovering from an injury, Max receives a package from his father, who it seems died only a few weeks before, in France. Following his father's instructions to the heart of his inheritance unleashes a whole world of trouble for Max, involving unexpected dangerous liaisons. The storyline is complex yet gripping, keeping the reader's attention as it crosses time and character to offer a view into the lives of both Max's grandfather and father during the most intense periods of their careers. Robert Blanchard will bring the whole thing full circle in a way that cannot be foreseen. What is the Phoenix Project and what gives it a dangerous seventy-year reach?

This novel is well written and insightful. The character of Max is heroic without being the usual brand of bad-boy-principled-soldier. He is endearing and simple in a masculine way, rugged but plausible. Robert Blanchard uses the ingenious ploy of a social gathering to introduce many of his main characters, the heroes as well as the protagonists, and it offers a suitably perplexing backdrop to the action when it all begins to become clear. Whilst the author employs the obvious necessities of military paraphernalia, the reader is able to follow their use through careful descriptions of the weapons and equipment without feeling as though it is overdone or superior. We are 'in the know,' feeling as if we are also there in the action. This is thanks to Blanchard's skill in reeling the reader in and making them feel as in danger as his characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

From beginning to end you can't stop reading!! Great book!!