Redwind Security CEO, a Colonel Dawson, summons his top operative, Dane Winter, regarding Winter's upcoming assignment. Another protection gig, this one in Mexico. A retail magnate, Gilberto Sanchez, is planning a run for governor of the (fictitious) Mexican state of Tlapetla. He's hosting a mega fund raiser for all the monied residents and business officials of the state at his home in San Yetaxa. His political platform is based on shutting down one of Mexico's cartels whose home base in in Tlapetla.


A team of 5 are assigned to support Winter. His research uncovers the layout of Sanchez's home. Big, pretentious, in the hills overlooking the city. Limited access to and from the home, local security on site so Redwind will be providing overwatch and backup if needed. Seems like straight forward duty. Discussions on how one might assault the home, duty assignments finalized to each of the team, and they are off to Mexico.

The party will be massive. Dozens upon dozens of limos, hired security, and hundreds of invited guests. If they all open their checkbooks, Sanchez's war chest  should be deep enough to propel him to election success.

The team takes up their positions right about the time an extremely large assault on the compound begins. The cartel has decided that a Gov. Sanchez wouldn't be good for business. The foundation of Winter's security plans is based around a safe and rapid evac of the guest in the event of attack. The plan works like a charm. All the guest escape safely, but dozens of Sanchez's local security guards are gunned down . . . including Winter's entire team, all 5 of 'em. 

Winter is wounded but manages to crawl out. One of the caterers is Maria, a cafe waitress that the team met upon arrival. In the confusion, she drags Winter off the property, patches him up the best she can, and hides him in her home where her MD-brother is enlisted to make sure he survives. 

As Winter heals, he replays the events at the party for clues to what went wrong. Obviously the cartel carried out the attack. But Winter is more interested in the cartel's boss, an Alfonso Berrera and a mysterious 'benefactor' who is the ultimate puller of strings known only as El Maestro. Winter isn't one to settle for just killing the foot soldiers, he wants Berrera and El Maestro and he wants to destroy their drug production processes and facilities. He is reminded by police and Maria that law enforcement has failed for years to take down the cartel, so just how does he think that he, a single man, can do what the cops can't. 

And here is where Winter goes full Jack Reacher on Mexico. Author Cogley develops a complicated and treacherous plan for Winter to go after the Cartel bosses, destroy a meth lab the size of an airplane hanger, maintain a working relationship with a local detective, find out why he has been targeted, keep Maria and her brother safe without getting himself torn to shreds by assigned assassins, cartel thugs, disloyal local cops.  

And it's a good, if a bit adventurous and audacious execution of an entire cartel in the Mexican desert. We do learn more about Winter's back story from his days as a squad Captain in the Marines in Afghanistan, the loss of men in his command and his girlfriend/almost fiance to get some sense of his motivation behind the use of his killing skills when wronged. Of course there are the requisite twists to the plot as Winter uncovers the layers of corruption involved. 

Cogley has penned about a half dozen thrillers, notably a 5-book Adam Knight series. If I read the book blurb, it looks like this is the first in  Dane Winter series. If the others are as rough and tumble as this, Cogley might be worth the effort. The one thing that kinda irked me is that the setting is Mexico, but (as written), everyone - Maria, brother, the detective, the cartel leaders, the assassins, a cafe cook and more - all speak English. Only once do I recall Winter eavesdropping on a Spanish conversation.  Yeah, I get it, but still, make it seem like the story involves a language barrier.

ECD