Publishers Weekly
05/30/2022
Set in the early 1980s, Stejskal’s subpar third entry in his Snake Eater Chronicles (after 2021’s Appointment in Tehran) takes U.S. Army Special Forces Staff Sgt. Paul Stavros to Northern Ireland on an undercover mission to locate a former Green Beret comrade of Irish descent, who’s been recruited by sympathetic U.S. partisans to lend his skills as a demolition expert to the IRA’s guerilla campaign against the occupying British military. Posing as a freelance journalist investigating the impact of the Troubles on ordinary Irish citizens, Stavros spends his time drilling with the U.K. security forces and interviewing locals, hoping to stumble across his quarry. A subplot, focused on Stavros’s girlfriend’s training as an operative, feels disconnected and superfluous, and amid sparse period details, the action builds to a too-neatly-wrapped resolution. Stejskal does a good job maintaining suspense, but is circumspect in his description of the conflict, neither taking sides nor deeply exploring its political history, leaving readers unsure of the motivations of characters who can seem too modern and unconvincing. Series fans will hope for a return to form next time. (July)
Midwest Book Review
A riveting read… author and military/CIA veteran James Stejskal is demonstrated to be among that elite number of writers who can turn out a narrative driven tale of historical thriller that fully engages the reader from first page to last.
Andrew Long
It was fascinating to see how James’ US Special Forces and intelligence experience was applied to the ‘Troubles’ over in Ireland and Northern Ireland and he tells the story of Stavros & Fitzpatrick with great authenticity. The book is packed with tradecraft and very realistic descriptions of intelligence operations wrapped up in a real page turner, with great dialogue and compelling characters."
Dr Aaron Edwards
"Set in Ireland during the height of the Troubles, Direct Legacy is a fast-paced game of cat and mouse involving special forces operators, IRA terrorists and a rogue US soldier. It is intense, riveting and exciting in equal measure. It conjures up the electric atmosphere of those dark days to produce a fascinating tale of adventure, betrayal and death on a windswept island."
Paul Vidich
James Stejskal, who served in Army Special Forces and the CIA, writes vivid and compelling stories set during the Cold War and in the years that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gripping suspense, appealing characters, and an insider’s familiarity with clandestine operations make his realistic novels first rate spy fiction.
David McCloskey
"Immersive and spellbinding, Direct Legacy brings to life the violence and heroism of the Troubles and the nature of friendship, loyalty, and war. James Stejskal expertly blends CIA tradecraft and Special Forces tactics with a well-drawn cast of characters and a propulsive adventure story. Impossible to put down - it will leave a mark."
ARGunners.com
"Author James Stejskal brilliantly projects via characters dynamic understanding of the events intrinsic to the storyline. More important is how he explains the almost complete equation of the tragedy via easy to grasp dialogue, action, and their results. Thus, readers will be unable ton put the unfolding story down begun."
