5-STAR REVIEW: DEFIANT by Michael Maloof

About The Book

Kate Preacher: Book 3
Publication Date: April 13, 2026

A Funeral in Paris. A Reckoning in Russia. An Endgame in Davos.

Former CIA analyst Kate Preacher has tracked the cabal that shattered her world across continents—but only now does she glimpse the true enemy behind the curtain. A new leader has stepped from the shadows to seize control of the Coalition—and a weapon that could reshape the balance of power forever.

“Sometimes,” Jake warned her, “the only way to win is to sacrifice everything.”

Kate’s hunt races from the rain-soaked boulevards of Paris to Beslan, a Russian city haunted by unanswered questions—where memories she buried long ago surface with deadly force.

In New York, a trusted ally is killed. Another vanishes.

High in the Swiss Alps, Kate undertakes her most dangerous mission yet— infiltrating the labyrinth beneath Davos—before world leaders walk blindly into a trap from which there may be no escape.

A bioweapon counts down to catastrophe. Her team is scattered and fighting to survive. And Kate is one move away from exposing the conspiracy that took everything from her—if she is willing to pay the ultimate price.

Defiant is the explosive finale to the Kate Preacher Origin Trilogy—a globe-spanning, high-stakes thriller for fans of Jack Carr, Gregg Hurwitz, and Mark Greaney.

This is where Kate’s story comes full circle.
And where the final move changes everything.

Excerpt

The Review

Not even a serious injury can put Kate Preacher on the sidelines.

Desperate to continue dispensing justice by rooting out a shadowy entity with a possible bio weapon, Kate’s attitude is perfectly represented in this installment’s title, Defiant.

Author Michael Maloof deepens the plot by adding more context around an artificial intelligence system being leveraged for nefarious purposes.

I would recommend reading the books in sequence to have a solid understanding of character nuances. Fortunately, the technology presented within the storyline is fairly easy to understand, although incredibly scary.

All things lead up to a final showdown on a global stage in Davos, requiring unexpected alliances. The emotional impact continues to leave a mark, paying homage to the loss of Kate’s husband and his contributions.

Without a doubt, Defiant earns high marks as an explosive thriller featuring captivating characters.

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About The Author

Michael Maloof is the author of the Kate Preacher Thriller Series—Relentless, Unstoppable, and Defiant—known for its global scope, emotional intensity, and hard-won authenticity. His novels draw readers into high-stakes worlds where intelligence, courage, and consequence collide. A lifelong adventurer, Michael has traveled to more than forty countries across six continents, experiences that deeply inform his writing. His real-world pursuits have ranged from gold dredging in Honduras and artifact hunting in Guatemala to acquiring uncut diamonds in Liberia and surviving an elephant charge in Kenya. He has also trained alongside Navy SEALs, Marine Raiders, Army Rangers, Green Berets, and the CIA—firsthand insights that lend his fiction uncommon realism and respect for the craft of service.