Author: Charles S. Oliviero
Reviewed by: Bernard DeGagné
Published by Double Dagger Books, 13 February 2026, 286 Pages, ISBN 1998501795
Available on Amazon Books in Kindle ($6.99) or commercial format paperback ($19.99).
This is Chuck’s sequel novel to The Cohort and Book 2 of a planned trilogy, although it can be read as a stand-alone story. The Cohort books are largely about retired Canadian military characters, and I found this aspect very compelling. I trust many if not most of the alumni can relate to them to a certain degree.
In Book 2, set in 2014-15, retired Canadian Colonel Amadeus “Skip” Schiaparelli is once again called upon by his American associates and asked to take on a mission that will take him and his men halfway around the globe with new challenges and new unknown and unproven partners. Although always asserting to his new partners that they can trust him and his men in this delicate mission, even unto death, Skip initially is not entirely convinced that he and his men can believe them when they say the same. To assuage his doubts, Skip must learn more about them and the true reasons for the mission.
Skip eventually but always with a bit of reluctance, accepts the new mission. In no small part because the command relationship for this mission will alter how he must lead the Cohort. In a short period of time, he will need to retrain his men in new skills and procedures, and this includes him personally. Along the path to executing the mission, due to events of the past, Skip undergoes a crisis of conscience that causes his men and his friends to worry if perhaps they have bitten off too much this time.
Throughout, the Cohort continue to be bound by long-held principles of loyalty, friendship, and honour in all that they do whether it is in a joint training competition with American colleagues or a perilous mandate in the Western Mediterranean, Skip and his men continue to operate honourably as they always have, with both expected and unexpected consequences that affect both their mission and their internal relationships in the unit.
Throughout the novel old friends and colleagues, like Skip’s military college roommate and an almost forgotten military acquaintance, resurface unexpectedly but so do old enemies and threats from Book 1 that had been believed to be safely dealt with. In an environment shaped by intrigue, sometimes competing national interest, secrecy and even competing agendas, betrayal lies shockingly close at hand, waiting just beneath the surface. Nonetheless, despite nothing being linear, directed by his central belief that trust is earned, not claimed, Skip presses his men forward.
Military dark humour is ever present and Chuck’s story and dialog-driven story arc carefully builds anxiety and tension chapter by chapter. The surprising application of hidden skills and the apparition of new acquaintances are slowly introduced to the small circle of the Cohort to become key players in a storyline than crosses cultures, boundaries and oceans, often blurring the lines of honour and honesty. Some of the new partners, despite Skip’s initial doubts, display the timeless attributes of courage and bravery that he espouses proving his trust in them was not misplaced. Characters introduced in the first novel are given added detail and depth along with some human frailties making them more relatable. The narrative draws the reader into the scene, whether it is an action-packed gunfight or the rapid-fire give and take of a life-threatening interrogation. The prose is crisp and often clipped, highlighting the military cultures from which most of the players came and to which most of the alumni can relate to.
As with real life, the novel’s story interlaces multiple sub plots seamlessly into a braided cord that is not fully apparent to all players — even those who should see them and the surprises are at once subtle and profound. Chuck has used his own life as a soldier, to weave subtext of varying national cultures, linguistics and even international banking. The effect is a mosaic that tells a story of intrigue and adventure while finding the time to offer the reader small nuggets of instruction on a wide array of subjects ranging from pistol shooting to friendship, from family to ethics.
Finally, when necessity replaces choice and deception clouds intent, the reader is left to question whether even the most seasoned instincts be relied upon to tell the difference between justice and vengeance?
The novel was another great read from this prolific writer, and I enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good story with a Canadian perspective, as it is a mix between the spy stories of Daniel Silva and the rough and tumble adventures of Robert Ludlum. Highly recommended.
