The Elimination Threat by Michael Laurence
This is a continuation of a saga on the thirteen, a cabal whose intention is to kill off most of the world’s population and start over. The cabal considers themselves as the intellectual and physical elite destined to rule the world. An assortment of agents and private citizens are striving to thwart them.
The book stands alone okay. You would be better served reading The Extinction Agenda (2019) and The Annihilation Protocol (2020) first.
The theory that the Federal Reserve is an instrument of the cabal is promoted. The theory is supported by historic quotes by notables since the Fed’s inception.
I found the explanation of petrodollars, energy consolidation and co-opting governmental personnel and agencies a bit laborious. I thought the first explanation would have been sufficient, but the same info seemed to be repeated.
I found the book thought provoking.

Decent thriller - the final 20% was definitely the best of the book! I didn't enjoy the more technical aspects of how nuclear bombs and other science things work. Some may find that fascinating! It was also a little tiring... after all, how many times can we save the world??

*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

For centuries, a mysterious syndicate known as the Thirteen has staged a silent coup, infiltrating governments and manipulating the course of world events,

After narrowly preventing the release of a toxic chemical weapon, FBI Special Agent James Mason and his longtime friends find themselves pitted against their most terrifying adversary yet: a mass murderer with a twisted signature and a true believer in the cause of the Thirteen known only as the Dragon.

Michael Laurence has created a thriller series with nonstop action, twists and turns, with villains to hate, and really good guys to root for. Recommended.

"The Elimination Threat" was a good addition to the series. A terrorist with a portable nuclear bomb is somewhat cliché, but the intention to utilize the device to create a nuclear fizzle, with its long-term ramifications, was a creative twist. The additional element of a handheld direct energy weapon used to assassinate targets was a nice touch. I especially liked that the author had characters explain how a direct energy weapon worked, how the device portrayed in the book might have been created, the appeal of a nuclear fizzle device, and how the necessary nuclear material might have been obtained/refined/created. The Dragon made for a good villain with a creative backstory. The author did a good job of linking the Dragon to some of the major characters from the second book.

Conspiracy theorists and individuals interested in global finance will enjoy the discussion of national and international monetary policy, the petrodollar and the importance of keeping it in use and viable, and the various international events, such as the invasion of Iraq or the civil wars in Libya and Syria, that, according to the plotline in the story (as well as real life conspiracists) were manufactured/initiated either to protect or destabilize the petrodollar/international finance.

The story reveals more details about the hacker known as "Anomaly", who is connected to The Thirteen, but also providing assistance to Mason and his team. The author continues the practice of having Mason and his team thwart or at least partially thwart the main threat that is the focus of the story, but also having some of the plans of The Thirteen (or elements of the Thirteen) succeed. This book ends with some rather significant successes by The Thirteen and promises of serious consequences still to come.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The Dragon Will Stop At Nothing

The Thirteen, a group so powerful that they are above the law. At least they have been, so far, but James Mason and his cohorts are after them and they don’t plan to quit. Having failed in their attempt to annihilate the populations of major cities with a chemical nerve agent, the Thirteen brings in its newest threat, the Dragon. Using nuclear energy as his weapon and the nation's capital as his target, the Dragon plots his revenge. Mysterious fires, burning not only buildings but people and vegetation, are cropping up near the Mexico border, a new threat or coincidence? Mason’s team is pulling out all the stops to find out how everything ties together. The answers, as well as the solutions, remain frustratingly out of reach.

An excellent "Deep State" story with myriad references and recollections of past incidents regarding government conspirators and foreign spies kept me anxiously glued to the pages in anticipation of the next event. Bit by bit, evidence is collected but the end game is elusive. Is it possible that people within our own government are complicit? A true page-turner, this novel should not be missed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of The Elimination Threat.

The Elimination Threat by Michael Laurence is a well-written and engrossing read with well developed characterizations. Well worth the time spent reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book. This is not a paid review.
This third book in the series, following The Extermination Agenda and the The Annihilation Protocol is another nail biter full of history and the evil that men can do.
It is so hard to review books that you don't want to spoil.
So, in this spirit I am going to give the bare bones version.
The books concern a cabal of 13 ultra wealthy families that are in the business of ruling the world. I all and any way possible they will accomplish their agenda, even if it means large swaths of the population may have to die. FBI Special Agent James Mason has been their since the beginning where he and his team discovered the Thirteen's heinous plans. Interspersed throughout the book is much real history which lends authenticity to this thriller and make the pages fly by.
More people need to discover this author. He is that good!

Ho Lee Schitt! WHAT A RUSH! With this book, Laurence again ups his game and introduces a weapon that is arguably scarier than any he has unleashed yet... particularly since it seems plausibly real. The action, stakes, and sheer terror here are all off the charts, and Laurence pulls no punches. That so much of the backstory is based on documented real world events is arguably among the scariest elements of this book, even if at least some of it is in fact fictionalized so that Laurence can craft the story the way he wants. With all of this noted, this isn't one of those books that you can just pick up this Book 3 in the series and go, you really do need to read both Book 1 (Extinction Agenda) and Book 2 (Annihilation Protocol) first. At which point you're immediately going to want this book anyway. And when you finish this one, you're going to want Book 4 immediately... which is going to make you rain curses of mild inconveniences down upon Laurence as you will likely have to wait a bit for it. :D Very much recommended.