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. … 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?
more
Another winner from Laurence who is one of the best in the business. I can’t get enough of his books!
The Annihilation Protocol by Michael Laurence is book two in his The Extinction Agenda series.
FBI Special Agent James Mason is once again investigating the shadow group known as The Thirteen. The plan has changed from global pandemic (scary in the time of COVID-19) to chemical annihilation, still with the intent to decimate the world’s population. The Thirteen have been bent on world domination for centuries; their thirst for power knows no bounds. Mason and his group of talented friends stopped them the last time. Can they do it again, in the face of an enemy that always seems to be one step ahead?
The Annihilation Protocol proves that Michael Laurence is still in the business of writing masterful thrillers. The characters are well-rounded with complete backstories. The scenery and background details are vividly described and seamlessly incorporated. In fact, I felt like I was there, scarily. The plot is complex but brilliantly compelling. There is some violence and gore that may be inappropriate for sensitive readers. This is still a 5 out of 5 star read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.
My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
This was an excellent entrant to this series, and one that potentially allows Laurence to pivot the series a bit if needed. Laurence shows excellent creative work in coming up with some very interesting chemical weapon delivery mechanisms, to the point that I would not be surprised to learn he has drawn the attention of various alphabet soup agencies while researching this book or at least once it publishes and they begin reading it. Interesting use of a long-known-yet-still-not-officially-acknowledged bit of world history to further this saga, and particularly well executed there as well. While I very much hope Laurence is allowed to pursue the initial direction of the series, this book sets up a pivot into a short Black List type tale with much more at stake than that show ever really had going and that pivot could be very nearly as interesting given Laurence’s storytelling abilities. Very much recommended.
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 ANNIHILATION PROTOCOL by Michael Laurence is a thriller with a conspiracy angle. It is the second book in the Extinction Agenda series and picks up immediately after the end of book one: THE EXTINCTION AGENDA. This series should be read in order. FBI Special Agent James Mason and a multi-jurisdictional team are after someone with enough nerve gas to kill millions. Who can be trusted? Who is behind the threat? Where is the nerve gas? Who will survive?
This book has a bit of historical fiction in it that adds to its appeal to me. Additionally, the story line was very complex with several sub-plots and some very graphic, horrifying scenes. James Mason was a fascinating character and we saw little more depth and insight into his personality. The supporting characters were an odd assortment that enhanced the story line and the addition of a new FBI partner with a larger role added a new dimension to the book. There was enough at stake to keep me engaged throughout the book. The world-building was absolutely fantastic and gave a clear sense of time and place. While the main mystery and issues were resolved in the book, there are several open threads for future books in the series.
Overall, the plot was absorbing and well-paced with lots of action and a twist at the end. I would recommend it to those that enjoy complex conspiracy-driven thrillers. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Michael Laurence for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.