Unforgiving Savage: A Peter Savage Novel

Dave Edlund, Light Messages Publishing (OCT 26) Softcover $15.99 (320pp), 978-1-61153-410-8

Dave Edlund’s compelling action thriller Unforgiving Savage takes a personal turn for its hero, Peter Savage.

Peter invented the perfect assassination device: a pulsed energy weapon that’s unaffected by typical sniping conditions. In a previous book, the weapon was stolen, used in attacks designed to decimate the US government, and then lost. Here, it reemerges: just as the president is awarding Peter and his beloved guard dog with medals, two men shoot it from an ultralight plane, making an attempt on the president’s life.

Several people die in the course of the attack, and Peter’s fiancée, Kate, is nearly among them. In an emotional confrontation, Kate forces Peter to understand that his legacy is going to be shaped by the weapon’s potential for violence and death. Validating this, a deal is made with a cell of North Korean operatives who want the weapon. Peter becomes overwhelmed by the number of lives taken because of his device. And then the operatives target him and his loved ones.

As it focuses in on the personal struggles and moral qualms of Peter, a technological genius, Unforgiving Savage proves to be a compelling entry into the Peter Savage series. Taut action sequences are juxtaposed with scenes of contemplative intensity. Peter is determined to protect innocent lives, but his entire career has been about manufacturing weapons of death. Old friends and allies return to help him handle the North Korean operatives and his upcoming wedding to Kate. There’s a fun series of callbacks to previous books, but all is relevant to the current adventure.

Unforgiving Savage is a harrowing thriller anchored by its everyman hero, who grapples with the moral implications of making weapons. JOHN M. MURRAY