A Task Force Raven Thriller: Book 1
Publication Date: June 1, 2025
In the aftermath of a devastating terrorist attack on a U.S. Border Patrol station in McAllen, Texas, Major Jake Baylor faces his most personal mission yet. When a VBIED explosion and mortar attack kills dozens, including his best friend Clint McNamara, Baylor and his elite Task Force Raven spring into action.
What appears to be a brutal cartel assault is actually something far more sinister—a coordinated diversion allowing ISIS operative Abu Waleed Hassan, known as “The Reaper,” and his team of jihadists to slip across the border undetected. As Baylor and his team of Texas Rangers with special operations backgrounds race to track down the terrorists, they find themselves operating in the shadows of bureaucracy, caught between political agendas and the urgent need to prevent another attack.
From interrogating a high-level cartel operative in a remote Texas ranch to conducting off-the-books operations in Mexico, Task Force Raven follows the trail of breadcrumbs leading to Hassan’s deadly plot. When suicide bombers strike San Antonio’s Riverwalk, killing hundreds, the clock starts ticking on an even more catastrophic attack aimed at Houston’s petrochemical infrastructure.
In this high-stakes thriller that blends military action with law enforcement tactics, Baylor must confront not only the external threat but also his own grief and rage. As federal agencies squabble over jurisdictional authority and media narratives, Task Force Raven operates with a simple directive from Texas Governor Robert Williamson: “Find them, and make sure they can never hit us again.”
With time running out and lives on the line, Baylor will need every skill he’s honed from years with both the Texas Rangers and Special Forces to bring the terrorists to justice—or stop them permanently.
Coming in at more than 600 pages, the first installment of the Task Force Raven Series delivers a powerful modern-day glimpse into good vs. evil.
Author Sam Stone leverages decades of law enforcement experience in crafting Reaper. Set in Texas, the book centers around the task force led by Jake Baylor.
Rather than being sent across the world, the team must navigate a fierce terrorist threat on American soil. Baylor and his team must untangle a complex web before locating the true enemy.
Time isn’t on their side, though. With seemingly random attacks occurring, Baylor and the task force will need to gather intelligence quickly and connect the dots.
With military precision, the story packs detailed encounters as Task Force Raven pulls out the stops to accomplish this complex mission.
Complete with an acronyms and terms glossary, Reaper offers a front row seat inside a multi-faceted military thriller.
 
When the action starts, you know it’s real. A fifth-generation Texan with a cowboy spirit, Sam Stone spent over 30 years as a Texas Police Officer, retiring as the Commander of Special Operations, leading in high-stakes situations where failure wasn’t an option. Coming from a proud, patriotic military family, he writes with an authenticity that can only come from lived experience. Now, he calls the Texas Hill Country home, where he lives with his wife—his love in this life and all others—and their two loyal dogs. Get ready for a pulse-pounding ride—check out his latest book today!
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Nice review. This sounds like a very interesting book! Thanks for sharing.