Mullahs Storm, The

Author's Summary

A U.S. Air Force transport plane takes off from Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, carrying a high-value Taliban detainee bound for prison and interrogation.  Insurgents shoot down the plane with a shoulder-launched missile, and it crash lands in the Hindu Kush mountains.  A strong winter storm makes a rescue impossible.  A surviving crew member, navigator Michael Parson, along with a female Army interpreter, must now evade capture in hostile territory with a prisoner who would like very much for them to get caught.  A battle for survival begins across some of the most forbidding terrain on earth. 

MWSA Review

MWSA 2011 Gold Medal for Fiction, Thriller

After losing his crew near Bagram Air Base returning from an attempted mission to deliver a dangerous Taliban mullah, Major Michael Parson single handedly sets out to recover the escaped insurgent and captured master sergeant Gold. During this effort, his choice to rescue master sergeant Gold from Al Quaida terrorists in the midst of a bitter Afghan winter takes the reader on a non-stop, action packed adventure as only someone "who's been there" can tell it.  The Mullah's Storm is a beautifully told story of hard choices, dedication and loyalty. 

Without a doubt, Young's fast-paced, riveting story fits mystery/thriller criteria perfectly. Pitted against the forbidding terrain of the Hindu Kush, navigator Parson and master sergeant Gold, a female Army interpreter, struggle to survive not only the fierce Afghan weather, but to survive the even fiercer insurgents dedicated to the rescue of their mullah. Excellent story, well thought out and presented beautifully. 

Character development is superbly executed as are descriptions of engagements with the enemy. Perhaps most compelling is the humanity of each combatant while never deviating from the commitment to country and duty of both main characters, Parson and Gold. Something about women's strength and contributions.

I loved the fact that at no time does the reader know the outcome of this challenge to re-capture the mullah and deliver him into US military hands. This was a pleasure to read.  Highly recommend.

Reviewed by: Carmen Stenholm (2011)