If you want authentic military thrills, Captain Jeff Struecker teams with author Alton Gansky to put together an intense story about a journey to Venezuela that morphs into something totally unexpected, acutely dangerous and, as things go terribly awry, with little chance of succeeding. Going from observation status to "certain jeopardy" involves the separate kidnapping of Hector Cenobio, a respected nuclear physicist, and his wife and two young children organized by Islamic terrorists from Iran and an upper minister in the Venezuelan government.
Six Special-Ops men get "the call". Team leader is at a civilian doctor's appointment, one team member is mountain biking with his brother, and one must leave his pregnant wife and young children, while the others all respond with the requirement to be at headquarters within an hour. They all arrive, joke around, receive their instructions, their comnmercial flights, and are on their way.
There's a secret meeting at a local family restaurant which results in a murder. When the murder is tied to the mission, the mission radically changes and everything ratchets up for the six Americans.
The discovery of a past failure of one team member's actions to get a critical instruction taken care of causes the danger to amp up and sends the group into premature actions, putting everything at risk. With death seeming like a real option to each member of the team, the mission requires constant improvisation and critical decision making on the fly.
Meanwhile back at home, the teenage son of the team's leader has a major chip on his shoulder and gives his mother grief after frequent arguments with his father, the pregnant wife of the assistant team leader is about to lose her baby and possibly her life, an argument with his ex-wife over child-support precedes the mission for another team member, and life strains at both ends for these families.
Certain Jeopardy is filled with tension, conflict, and the need for impossible decision making. Well-written and a genuine thriller, Captain Struecker and Alton Gansky make an incredibly cohesive team and present a believable scenario of Spec-Ops soldiers in horrific situations, doing all they can to make the mission work under impossible conditions.
I must admit as per my usual conduct where the military is involved, there were plenty of tears shed toward the end of this story. Christianity is presented perfectly as a way of life for individual characters with equal exposure given to those who don't believe. Resolutions of faith for the unbelievers were left open for another story.
Highly recommend Certain Jeopardy published by B&H Publishing Group for thriller readers – especially those like me who admire the military and Spec-Ops.
Father, thank you for teaming up these two wonderful men of faith. Thank you for the dedication and years of service to the military given by Captain/Chaplain Struecker, for the giftings to this soldier of bravery and courage, but most of all for his devotion to you, and thank you for Alton Gansky who has dedicated his gifts to you for many years. Please bless these men in their individual writings and their team stories. Keep the inspiration coming for them, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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