Book Reviews and More: Too Secret Service Part One - Declan Finn

Thursday 22 December 2022

Too Secret Service Part One - Declan Finn - Williams and Miller Book 1

Too Secret Service Part One

Williams and Miller Book 1

Declan Finn

(Omnibus Paperback 3 in 1)

ISBN 9798676902520

(eBook Part 1)

ASIN B07XTRM27H

I have read 23 books by Declan Finn and 22 of them in the last 8 months. I have greatly enjoyed books in several other series. This is one of three in the Williams and Miller series, or Too Secret Service series that I am aware of. These were published a few years ago. Both the Saint Tommy and the White Ops series are greatly entertaining, and I cannot wait for the Pius trilogy of 5 books to be back in print. I am now working through his back catalogue. This was a surprising story, I had not read any description or reviews before picking it up. I am currently cycling through a few of his series and just decided this one was up next, do not even have one chose for on deck when I started this one. The description of this story is:

“Wayne Williams is a Secret Service agent sentenced to the outer darkness because his family pissed off the wrong president.

Catherine Miller is a CIA assassin who specializes in becoming anyone.

When terrorists threaten to nuke every spot on the President's world tour, they are both called in to handle the threat.

To stop World War Three, they must travel from Ireland to Rome to Israel. They will have to face terrorist gunmen, professional assassins and nuclear suicide bombers... and perhaps even a threat from within.

But first, they must survive each other.”

I will be up front; this story ends on a cliff hanger and really leaves you desperate for the next volume. Two agents at the top of their field. Both apex predators. One CIA one Secret Service. Both tasked with the same mission, both given discretion about the other. 10 suitcase bombs missing and a threat to hit every city on the president’s itinerary. From the bayou down south, to multiple assassination attempts in Washington, to a trip to the emerald Isle. The two cover a lot of miles, encounter various obstacles, and are doing their best to save the day yet again. Can they complete their task or will they end up killing each other in the process. To find out you will need to read this gripping first installment in the saga of Williams and Miller. From the Prologue we are informed that:

“As of January 1st, 1997, there had been more than twenty thousand backpack-size tactical nukes missing from the weapons stockpile of the former Soviet Union. Each of them had the power to vaporize midtown Manhattan. By January 1st, 2005, half of them had been located and neutralized. They were merely misplaced by the stupidity that came with every bureaucracy, with the extra dose unique to the Russian Empire: they had been labeled radioactive, so, many had been, quite logically, shipped to a radio station in Siberia.

Ten THOUSAND had vanished.

In an all-out search for the weapons, international search and destroy missions were launched by governments looking to either remove the bombs from the global market, or to obtain the weapons for themselves. In the frantic search, Russian Mafiosi, Middle Eastern terrorists, and United States strike teams came into conflict. Almost as frightening as the original disappearance were the two hundred found by the Federal Bureau of Investigations on United States soil. Fortunately, those who owned them were stupid enough to have tried to have passed them off as coffeemakers.

By 02 January 2006, nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety of the backpacks were accounted for, ten remained missing.”

This story takes place between November 6th-10th 2006. It is action packed. The characters are written in a wonderful manner. The pace is breakneck. The plot both plausible and possible. It is infused with Finn’s typical humour.

This was a very entertaining story with Finn’s usual twists! I really enjoyed this offering from the pen of Finn. It is a great read. And leaves you wondering what happens in book 2, but be warned until I researched for this review, I was unaware it is a trilogy. The three are available separately as eBooks, and as an Omnibus print edition. It also appears to be related to the Dances with Werewolves books. Another great read from Finn’s masterful pen.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Declan Finn:

Love At First Bite Series:

Short Stories:

Blood Stained Cliffs of Dover

Bad Date

Mad Dog Moon

…

Novels:

Honor at Stake

Demons Are Forever

(Murphy's Law of Vampires)