Running the Maze

By: Jack Coughlin

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

In the latest high-intensity thriller in the New York Times best-selling sniper series, Marine Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Swanson is sent into Pakistan, where an international team of medical workers has been executed in order to cover up a deadly terrorist secret.

In the aftermath of great floods, a doctor on a relief mission in Northeastern Pakistan discovers the remains of a collapsed bridge that reminds him of a bridge near his childhood home in Ohio. He snaps a cellphone picture and sends it to his sister just before his entire team is slaughtered. His sister is Beth Ledford, a Coast Guard sniper who suspects that the answer to the mystery of her brother's death is in that cellphone picture. No one believes her until she finds Swanson and the secret special operations team known as Task Force Trident.

When Kyle takes Beth into Pakistan to investigate, they find the true secret behind the mass murder - what may be the last, best hope of victory by al-Qaeda and the Taliban over allied forces. Now the two snipers have their sights set on one man, an American diplomat who has become the biggest obstacle to victory in the war on terror. The only question is: Which of them gets to pull the trigger?

©2012 Jack Coughlin and Donald A. Davis (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

I have a map...but

The violence continues, Double O s back, and introducing a new fem-fetal coast guard sniper...if you like smack talking women characters, people who aren't afraid to pull the trigger, and disobey orders....you have found a series of interest...if this does not interest you you'll be happier if you move on and save the credit

Kind of like a soap opera

A HVT with a split personality? Really! And then the whole dream sequence with death is kind of like a soap opera. Swanson’s continued dreams of the shadowy figure of death and the narrator’s portrayal is laughable. I wish the author would contrive a different method for Swanson to deal with his taking of life. Other than that the story was good.

Love these audiobooks

Great book highly recommend. I read this book out of order and it was still easy to follow and very entertaining.

Best Yet!

I love this series and I think this my favorite so far. The book gives Kyle a more personal side without him losing any of the toughness that make him such a great warrior. Looking forward to the next book.

Superb

I think this is my favorite series - and I have listened to many (Flynn, Child, Eisler, Thor, Fury, Baldacci, Battles, Don Mann, Brad Taylor ..). There is good character development and good descriptions of places and events. The story is well paced with plenty of action but not over the top. While events are sometimes stretching reality; events aren't that unrealistic that they are almost be believable. But what really sets this series apart from the others are the little touches (Kyle hugging and swinging Lady Pat and calling her mom), the humanity and clear yet subtle reverence/respect for the people in the military, especially the marines (talking to the young privates when he was on the range, or attending the retirement party and saluting the Arizona). These touches bring more depth to Kyle but also brings life to the brotherhood in the military. And while Kyle is the clear hero, he is a sensible hero tapping resources rather than being a complete super hero and going it alone - he is clearly part of a team - a military team. This novel in particular is a great ride, a real page turner and leaves you wanting more stories of Gunnery Sargent Kyle Swanson. The narrator Luck Daniels does a great job.

Downward spiral....

In an effort to comply with the trend of super women in the military, this novel works so hard to convince us that is possible that a real story is left behind. Taking anyone from coast guard or civilian policing to covert ops in a few weeks is just too much. Then add a 5' nothing female to the mix and the story ends before it begins. We are also asked to believe that the "black ops" task force trident remains a secret when Gunny Swanson does meet and greets on every base wearing Task Force Trident T-Shirts. Even the Mexican army knows about this top secret, reports only to POTUS "neon yellow ops" group. The series started well and dies a slow painful death with each new book. One more like this and we will root for the terrorists.

Weakest link.

Definitely not as good as the others. It even felt half hearted. I thought in the conclusion of the story the antagonist was going to tie the damsel to the railroad tracks loaded up with TNT while twisting his mustache.