Review: Danger Close by Cameron Curtis

Danger Close (Breed Thriller, #1)

by Cameron Curtis

Release Date: February 7, 2021 (Part of boxed set released February 23, 2025)

2025 Inkubator Books

Ebook Edition; 294 Pages 

ASBN: 979-8703664940

ASIN: B0DWFWZQFB

Audiobook: B09NCB5YBG

Genre: Fiction / Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher 

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Ex-Delta Force sniper Breed has spent most of his life at war and now he’s trying to make some time for peace. But when a veteran from his old unit is murdered in El Paso, Breed feels duty-bound to bring the killer to justice. A feeling that only grows stronger when his friend’s widow and son are also murdered.

As he uses all his specialist skills to uncover the truth, Breed finds himself working with some unlikely allies - a devious CIA operative, and a determined Latina reporter. Together, they uncover a conspiracy to launch a massive attack on US soil.

The terrorists are confident – they have powerful friends in the Mexican cartels and US law enforcement. But they have reckoned without one thing—Breed. 

 

My Thoughts

Danger Close is the first book in the Breed Thriller books and they really hit the ground running.  I thoroughly enjoy this book and liked the fact the story was a nice blend of action and plot whereby the action didn't really override the plot.  Sometimes the story can be so full of twists and turns and action that character development as well as plot development is left by the curbside, but I didn't feel this in this book.

 

Set in Texas and Juarez, the descriptions of the places made me feel like I was right there. With Juarez ripped apart by the drug cartels and Texas dealing with the fallout, it was the perfect setting for a crime dealing with sex traffiking as well as guns and drugs traffiking.  The action scenes are quite good and while this is not quite the death culling that I have read in some books, the casualties were still high. However, my heart nearly broke when Breed learns the personal story of one of the sex traffikers who escaped her situation and the horrible treatment she received. I mean, we are talking about children being kidnapped and forced into this situation.  While not as graphic as some I have read, sometimes leaving it to the imagination can be worse as my imagination can think up all sorts of horrible things without having the descriptions. The sense of danger hanging over Breeds' head the entire time was so visceral, I kept waiting for the metaphorical axe to fall every chapter.  I have to also say, the plot of this book actually made me cold considering how realistic it is in today's world. 

 

Breed is a great main character and I enjoyed learning about him throughout the book.  While the story is quite heavy on the action side, it does allow time for some character development and gives you some sense of Breeds's character.  While they are only glimpses, it has made me curious to learn more about him and what drove him to the Special Forces as well as what drives him now. I love the camaraderie that exists between Breed and his fellow ex-soldiers, and I understood the anger in him when one of them was shot down in cold blood.  I felt like the relationships were real.

 

Verdict

Danger Close was a really good first book in the Breed Thriller series. There are some trigger warnings to this book as it does contain discussions around sex traffiking, sexual abuse (towards minors as well), drugs, gun traffiking, and general violence and upheaval. It also contains themes about family, loyalty, friendship, secrets, trust, and betrayal.  Quite a bit to pack into a shorter book, but it works quite well. There were some twists and turns that I did not expect which is why I read the whole thing in one night as I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to the next book.