Review: Gut Instinct -- if you want people to bet on you, then you gotta be willing to bet on yourself
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 25, 2013
I read GUT INSTINCT in one sitting and really enjoyed it. If you read Brad Taylor's earlier novel ALL NECESSARY FORCE then you might recall that it ends with Jennifer in a confrontation with her ex-husband. Her character had been wrestling with moral questions regarding the use of violence -- additionally, she'd been a victim in the past but now was coming to terms with her role as a defender and protector.GUT INSTINCT begins with the confrontation between Jennifer and her ex-husband. She's no longer a victim, for sure, and when her and Pike later travel to the Philippines to assist in an ongoing operation we get to see her character grow even more as she works to earn the respect of other Task Force members. In the earlier books and in the opening scene here that corresponds with ALL NECESSARY FORCE we witnessed Jennifer prove herself physically and in some respects emotionally -- here she gets to prove her mettle analytically and in an operational sense. She's willing to go against the prevailing opinion among other Task Force members because she believes her gut instinct is right -- and with a terrorist attack imminent, none of them can afford to make a mistake.This Task Force story is obviously a promotional tool for the author's soon-to-be-released new novel in this series -- it comes with an excerpt from THE WIDOW'S STRIKE -- however, it shouldn't be dismissed because of that. It's a great story in its own right and I highly recommend it to anyone who has previously read and enjoyed the Pike Logan / Task Force series.If you're new to Brad Taylor and this series then I'd probably temper my expectations a bit -- not because you need to have read the earlier work to understand or enjoy this story, but simply put I think people who are already immersed into the world of these characters will be more likely to jump right in and appreciate this short but action-packed mission.