Reading Ahead: December 2015, part 1

It's that time again! I have to say that pickings look a little slim for December books right now--apparently publishers think that people have other things going on next month?  Whether you do or you don't, here are a few titles you might want to add to your reading list.

The Forgotten Soldier, by Brad Taylor. Latest in Taylor's Pike Logan series (the series starts with 2011's One Rough Man), The Forgotten Soldier pits Logan against a most deadly adversary: a Taskforce Operator gone rogue.  For years, the extralegal counter-terrorist unit known as the Taskforce has worked in the shadows, anticipating and preventing attacks around the globe. Created to deal with a terrorist threat that shuns the civilized rule of law, it abandoned the same, operating outside of the US Constitution. Though wildly successful, it was rooted in a fear that the cure could be worse than the disease. And now that fear has come home.

The Bone Labyrinth, by James Rollins. In this new installment in his long-running Sigma Force series (if you're new to the series, consider starting with book 1, Sandstorm), Rollins takes us to humankind's next great leap, but whether that will be a leap forward or straight into our demise remains to be seen. And in the search for truth, Commander Gray Pierce of Sigma Force must look back 50,000 years into the past. As he and Sigma trace the evolution of human intelligence to its true source, they will be plunged into a cataclysmic battle for the future of humanity that stretches across the globe . . . and beyond. Rollins has a solid following--if you're not among them, you might want to reconsider. I recommend him to readers who like Dan Brown and Clive Cussler.

Tom Clancy Commander in Chief, by Mark Greaney. Clancy fans have spoken, and the consensus is that Greaney is doing an admirable job with Tom Clancy's (1947-2013) Jack Ryan series. Here, only one man recognizes an ominous pattern in the reports of terror from around the globe. U.S. President Jack Ryan sees a guiding hand in a rash of worldwide chaos, but before he can act he needs proof. While his intelligence agencies race to uncover the truth behind the global attacks, the President struggles to unite a fractious and distrustful coalition of Western nations against the schemes of a Russian dictator. If you're missing Clancy but haven't given Greaney a try, what are you waiting for?