Nightshade

KENDIG, RONIE
NIGHTSHADE

Soldiers all across the globe are returning home to their families after brutal tours of duty. They are discharged from the service. . .and on their own. Meet Max Jacobs, one of these discarded heroes, as he faces a wall of failure—in his career, his friendships, and his marriage. Failing again—this time to end his life—he is offered a thread of hope. Are covert government operations the answer for him, or will they only bring more danger and dissension upon his broken family?

My Review:

First published in 2010, Nightshade began the popular Discarded Heroes series and, yes, I'm just getting around to reading it now. So many books so little time!

Nightshade is the tough and uncompromising story of a man who has lost everything that has meaning for him. That loss of purpose leaves him adrift while fueling a destructive anger he can't always control. It isn't a pretty story, but it is a real one. Kudos to Kendig for baring true to life experiences that are all too common for many of our returning heroes.

But this is a work of fiction after all, and Max is recruited to serve in a covert group made up of like-minded men. Global missions, brutal combat scenes and a tense plot kept me cringing. Nightshade missions are not for the faint of heart. I found it to be a pretty intense read from beginning to end leaving me in a quandary. I couldn't put it down, but I wanted to read a lot of it with my eyes closed. LOL.

 There is a secondary romantic thread -- not enough for me to identify this book as a romantic suspense though, It too is as gritty and raw as the relentless danger dogging their heels. In the midst of all the strife, Kendig weaves an incredible redemptive thread. Such a contrast to the circumstances surrounding Max. A difficult message for him to grasp which made it even more touching.  All in all, a pretty compelling read, though it was a bit too graphic for my personal taste.