'A' for Argonaut

Mack Maran, the most skilled op his nation ever had, stands outside the courthouse at Ft. Bragg, home of his "non-existent" unit. America's unsung hero has been betrayed, ambushed, and disgraced in a mission to rescue young American idealists held by African terrorists. His enemies, led by a major illegal arms dealer in league with Islamist terrorists, are cunning and treacherous. But they don't count on Maran's tenacity. He plans to hunt down the enemies who butchered his men, hobbled his health, and defiled his honor-and then kill them. He sets up his own spy firm and finds he's not a lone victim. The strong and independent diamond courier, Amber Chu, leads Mack on a race to free her kidnapped son and destroy their common enemy. Together they plunge through a maze of danger and intrigue to unravel a massive diamond scam that takes them from the U.S. Diamond Board, to the gemstone cutting tables of Antwerp, to the Congo-and back to the nation's capital. Maran's probe exposes the dark side of unbridled idealism at the highest levels, where the thirst for wealth and power meet.Review"Stedman's prose rips along at a keen pace over the novel's 300-plus pages... And few writers in this field even bother with the sort of polished travelogue set pieces found here. In a perfect world, an ageless Bruce Willis and an eternally comely Zhang Ziyi would star in the sort of big-screen summer blockbuster adaptation that critics spurn and audiences (and Netflix subscribers) devour." -Kirkus Reviews"Following a grisly prologue that hints at a very gritty thriller, Steadman's novel rolls out an action hero who has an unusual pedigree,... sadistic villains and a hero seeking redemption." -Publishers Weekly