Tom Clancy is the master of strategic military fiction. I'd like to introduce you to the mistress of tactical military fiction. You will appreciate how Adair paints a true portrait of the Special Operations world without drowning you in technobabble. Like the operators she writes about, Adair is up front and to the point. Shadow Game is a swift read and reminds us all what a "thriller" is supposed to be. Adair's writing is a refreshing glass of water in a desert of comic book hero fantasy. It's clear that Adair has actually carried gear on a flight line, cleaned her own weapons, and dealt with the unspeakable horrors of human conflict. Shadow Game is not a clean story with a reminder to drink your hot coco at the end.

Shadow Game takes you to the gritty sands of Iraq where CIA operative Elle Anderson hunts down terrorists and eliminates them. Elle does not work from behind a computer screen. The action is personal as Elle removes evil without the antiseptic layer of satellites and smart bombs. Elle literally does the dirty work of killing with her bare hands. The action is described in a way that is real rather than choreographed. The reader is warned that this is not a book for the gentle of heart.