Shadow Squadron is “- a top-secret special missions unit. Assembled by the United States’ Joint Special Operations Command, the unit was comprised of elite soldiers from the Navy SEALS, Green Berets, Army Rangers, and the Marine Special Operations Regiment…From one end of the world to the other, the team had showed up wherever the US government required military intervention but couldn’t act openly for tactical, political, or legal reasons.”  (p.12)

Carl Bowen sounds like he has a recipe for middle school-aged boys who want modern day adventure! The story is just shy of 100 pages, written in five chapters, has nine full-page color-graphic illustrations, uses military jargon / lingo – “boots on the ground”, and begins each chapter with what appears to be classified computer screen intelligence listed as “com chatter”.

As this book in the series begins, Shadow Squadron is introduced to its newest member of the team, who just happens to be a woman. They are briefed on a ‘blind’ mission which will be taking them to Northwest Africa to rescue Senator Barren’s kidnapped son. Once Shadow Squadron locates Jack Barron, they find out Jack has not been kidnapped, but instead wants to use money from his trust fund to pay protection money to keep a village safe. Shadow Squadron sends  Bubaga’s band of slavers away from the village. Fearing Bubaga’s retaliation on the village, Shadow Squadron makes a big show of leaving the area, only to ready themselves to defend the village and stop the protection racket. Once Bubaga is defeated at the village, the Shadow Squadron hands their intel over to the local Malian Army. The Malian Army will stop the slave ring and graciously take the credit because the Shadow Squadron was never really there.

Includes: Author Debriefing with questions and answers and a 12 page preview of another Shadow Squadron book – Dark Agent.