If you are looking for books for guys, get these Riley Covington thrillers by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn. I just finished reading the three books I purchased last week (Blackout is the third, so far, in the series) and I'm bummed there isn't, like, twenty more to go! The main character is a Christian, so if men or women openly discussing their Christian faith and praying for strength to do what is right offends you, you probably aren't going to like these books.

Elam, a former longtime NFL kicker for the Denver Broncos, brings authentic behind-the-scenes detail to the main character, a pro football linebacker and former special ops guy who is also a solid Christian. The first two books ("Monday Night Jihad" and "Blown Coverage") were very good, but "Blackout" was simply amazing!

While each book is considered a stand alone plot, I recommend reading them in order, since quite a few characters are the same and you will have a firm understanding/bond with them by the time you reach Blackout. The plots of muslim extremist terror attacks are definite page-turners, with gripping suspense, explosive and sometimes graphic military action and sparkling dialogue. Seriously, the witty banter between characters will make you laugh out loud in some parts.

Like I mentioned before, Blackout is the best of the three, although the other two are solid. The plot of terrorists using EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) weapons against the U.S. is plausible and gripping. The details of our society dealing with a total loss of technology are stark and believable. If you don't experience involuntary orbital sweat (us guys don't call them "tears") during one sequence involving a rookie linebacker caught in the aftermath, then you just don't have a soul (*another reason I recommend reading the books in order - you will be firmly bonded with that character by then*).

I can't say enough about the dialogue. It can be tricky to write, but Elam and Yohn do it in spades. The banter between characters is funny and witty. Competitive guys talk like this and when stress gets ratcheted up in their lives, so do humorous insults and laugh out loud one-liners between each other while they work to reach a goal. The female characters also join in and deliver great dialogue of their own. Nicely done.

The military action is explosive and detailed, with most of it being the "black ops" variety, which lets it loose from chain of command details and other intricacies that might bog down the plot. I haven't enjoyed tearing through a series of books since I devoured a number of Clancy novels years ago, and I can't wait for the fourth book due out late this year.

This book turned out to be better than I thought it was going to be. It begins with Muhammed Zerin Khan, Colorado Mustang's football player, visiting his father in prison, where he tells Zerin to be prepared, something 'big' was going to happen. Then you read about men from North Korea, who become traitors to their country because they share information, and Ayatollah Allameh Beheshti from Iran, who sets the whole plan into motion. Riley Covington, football hero and FBI Special Forces, then comes onto the scene when he finds out he is being traded to another football team. He is stunned because he is a star player. To get over the news, Riley goes to Alaska with his Bodyguard, Skeeter, to relax. Their time is cut short when a plane is waiting for them and takes Riley, dirty clothes and all, off to an important meeting.


Riley meets with his friend and fellow colleague, Scott Ross, where they then go to meet with the President of the U.S. to discuss Electromagnetic Pulse Bombs, which Riley has some experience with since studying and doing a thesis in college. They aren't taken too seriously until the day when all the lights go out and planes start dropping from the sky in New York City. Then it's a race to try to find the other bombs before the U.S. is destroyed. The action scenes range from fighting aboard a ship, to fellow football players fighting for their lives trying to bring back food in NYC. There is a little faith, humor, a few sparks in the romance category, plenty of action, and a believable plot to destroy the U.S.