Title: Code Name: The Fox: Operation Yucatan Cartel (A Harold Brandon Series)
Author: Dr. Hal Bradley DD
Publisher: eBookIt.com
ISBN: 978-1456639457
Pages: 206
Genre: Hoaxes & Deceptions / Organized Crime True Accounts / Biographies & Memoirs
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers
Pacific Book Review
Over the years, especially in the entertainment industry, the question of the morality and importance of “vigilante justice” has come into play. For years, superheroes like Batman represented the “vigilante”, a single man waging a “war” against the underworld of crime. From Batman to Daredevil and the Punisher, these figures have gone on to become some of the most profound and powerful figures in comic books and media in general. Yet they also have forced us to ask how far over the line is “too far”. Where did our need for vigilante justice come from? As James Wan once said, “A lot of these types of films – the vigilante or revenge drama – were so popular in the ’70s because there was a feeling in the culture of loss of control.”
In author Dr. Hal Bradley DD’s Code Name: The Fox: Operation Yucatan Cartel (A Harold Brandon Series), the author explores that loss of control through protagonist Harold Brandon. After the horrific slaying of his wife, undercover DEA-turned-church-leader Harold left the pulpit and turned to a life of full-time vigilantism. With a need to punish the wicked and those who act the way those who slayed his wife act, Harold sets his sights on the Yucatan Cartel. A local Don and his wife have been terrorizing the local community there, and it’s up to Harold and a group of men to reign fire down on these vicious criminals before it’s too late.
The author continues to expertly craft a hair-raising and adrenaline-fueled crime thriller series based on an equally chilling reality. The gritty imagery and atmosphere the author is able to bring to life in this story was so well done, and the intensity of the action as the protagonist wages his war against the cartel is superb. The relatability of the narrative and the protagonist are felt heavily going into this series, as readers are shown that the narrative is loosely based on his own life experiences. The danger and suspense which comes with a life going undercover, let alone the emotional toll of isolation and loneliness as a vigilante, made the story of the protagonist as he discovers a team to work with so compelling.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy fusions of fiction and nonfiction storytelling. That includes those who enjoy memoirs, true crime, fictionalized crime dramas, and thrillers involving drug cartels and vigilantes. As a fan of these genres, I was absolutely fascinated with the amount of authenticity the author brought from his life into the narrative, while also enthralled with the action and intensity of the fictional narrative the author wrote.
Suspenseful, action-packed, and thought-provoking, author Dr. Hal Bradley DD’s Code Name: The Fox: Operation Yucatan Cartel is a must-read true crime memoir meets fictional crime thriller and a great third entry into the Harold Brandon series. The intensity and action will keep readers on the edge of their seat, and the cliffhanger ending will have readers eager and desperate to get the next entry in this developing series.
