REB ROGERS

       T.R. 'Reb' Rogers is a charter boat fishing captain.
       He is also loosely connected with the Federal Bureau for Internal Security (FBIS).
       Regarding that highly classified agency, we are told that some time after 9/11 the President's advisors convinced him that a black-ops department dedicated to hunting down any jihadist terror cells in the States was needed. This agency would be authorized to use any and all means to stop further attacks. Congress added the condition that the new FBIS would also aid in the war on drugs. Both branches of government knew keeping the FBIS secret was vital.
       Prior to either his current occupation as a fishing guide or his part-time work with the FBIS, Rogers was "a member of the 4th Scouts - an elite unit of special operators". He held the rank of Captain having earned his commission shortly before 9/11 by graduating from ROTC at Alabama College.
       Thanks to having dated for some time a British girl attending Alabama College who had lived in several countries with her diplomat father, Rogers had picked up a good deal of Pashto. Since Rogers had been born and raised on a farm in Alabama, his ability to ride a horse was second nature. Once the Army found out about those two details, "Reb became an active participant in America's war on terrorism when he was assigned to a Special Forces unit that was working with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan in the fight to overthrow Al Qaeda and the Taliban. When Reb wasn't acting as an interpreter, he found himself on horseback participating in cavalry charges against enemy positions in the wilds of Afghanistan in the early stages of the war."
       For eight years he served with distinction in the war in Afghanistan, earning the Silver Star along the way. Then came the events that unfairly earned him the nickname of Butcher of Lashwan. A small band of Taliban rebels attacked a schoolbus of girls and set it afire, killing all occupants. Rogers saw the horrific results shortly afterwards. He then learned the location of those perpetrators. He made his displeasure known. He also, apparently, broke new Rules of Engagement and received a reprimand and his time in the Army was over.
       
       So then came the new life with fishing and the FBIS. In the Taliban fight he had been joined by Jake Gant, then CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer with Rogers' outfit and he had saved Gant's life in the firefight. A bit after the event, Gant was offered a position with the FBIS and he took it. He also found a way to funnel more than enough money to Rogers for the purchase of his new boat and equipment, understanding that on occasion there would be a need to help out.
       Which brings us to the present and Reb Rogers enjoying his new life aboard Reb's Revenge, a 35-foot sportfisherman. And having the pleasure of the company of Honey Brown, a "statuesque six feet tall" model with "all of the right curves in all of the right places".
       An idyllic life. Except for the occasional foray back into the War on Terror and the War on Drugs and a band of Taliban sympathizers who still very much remember Reb Rogers.

       Judging a Book by its Cover Department: The covers of this series are a fantastic throwback to the wonderful, exciting covers of the 60s and 70s and I loved them. They made me sit up and take notice, which they are meant to do. Great job to whoever did them.
       As for the books, I am glad the covers made me notice because I like these a lot. The writing and the action is also reminiscent of the action/adventure books from the 70s with a hero who is not afraid to take a stand and who has a healthy (well, maybe a better word here is needed) desire for danger and excitement. Since I was a huge fan of such fiction back then and remain to this day, IMHO this is a very good thing.
       Mild warning: this series has no interest in being PC. Bad guys, clearly shown to be bad guys, are eliminated by Reb Rogers and friends without the least bit of due process. A lot of people would put that under the negative column. On the positive side of the ledger, they feed a good number of sharks.