There are times when solving a delicate its dangerous situation you need to divert your skills from the ordinary to something more dire and drastic. Within this action-filled novel, you will encounter a group of ingenious characters that will raise your blood pressure each time they deal with an adversary knowing it could be their last. Transgressions are acts that go against the law rule, code of conduct and offense. Dallys Carver is sent to extract the unhappy bank manager hoping to prove that the director of the Haitian intelligence service is working with a foreign conglomerate and she’s on the mission to get an encrypted flash drive from this bank manager. The purpose is to get the drive that will prove that the foreign conglomerate wants to skirt international sanctions. Adam Hayes was an operative for the secret agent, Treadstone and his mode of operation would lead to more than one transgression or way of dealing with predators, enemies in his own way even out of the code of laws. His wife and his four-year-old son, Jack were preparing for his son’s birthday but when Levi Shaw the director of Treadstone shows up things change.

Without any choice he must go to Haiti to pick up the flash drive, but nothing goes as planned. As soon as he takes off and his handler is to give him the information needed, a sixty-million-dollar plane explodes, a Pathfinder winds up destroyed and at the airport he must elude the Haitian guards.

Carver is deadly and she had to get her source to safety, but obstacles were in her way and one man faced off with her, well one less to deal with so long Barbot. Hayes needed to make his move and contact Carver and hopefully bring the asset to safety. Felix Pasquette the head of the Agence Nationale d’Intelligence or ANI was the real power on this island of Haiti and when he learned about the murder of Barbot he wants ballistic. The body was now where he wanted to view it and Inspector Dorval took control but the Police National D’Haiti or PNH, thought they were in control, but Pasquette explained it with one shot better. Captain Bernard of the PNI came to take care of Pasquette and made sure that he was able to deal with the death of Barbot and have the resources and manpower to get the person responsible.

Carver is resourceful and just as deadly as Hayes when they pair up together to try and get the asset home, but the obstacles are many and the sources of his problems you won’t believe where they come from.

Mike Carpenter is about to have the shock of his life as the deputy director of the CIA and the director who are supposed to be honest and adhere to the rules to protect and defend our country you will learn just which side he’s on. The meeting between the two of them dealt with assassinations, extraordinary renditions and how he even overthrown governments. But Director Shaw had his own plan for Adam Hayes. But did Carpenter want Shaw out of the way and Pasquette just called him to tell him about the death of Barbot and now the action gets into full gear.

Hayes is unique and has a voice within his head that directs his actions and his responses to what he is experiencing allowing readers to understand his moves. Step one was to connect with Carver and hopefully get the asset to safety, but nothing goes as planned, he must jump out of the plane, the pilot screamed, and the scene is terrifying but exciting.

Hoping to find Toussaint and knowing that Pasquette accuses our government of helping him and the words hit Carpenter but when he learns that Hayes is alive the reaction is priceless and will set off a chain of events that will shock readers knowing that this man is supposed to be on our side and is not. As Haynes is supposed to get certain codes and needed tools to complete his mission from Poe his handler but as you will learn no one is what they appear to be and the transgressions and out of the law code become second nature to each character within the novel to complete what they hope is their task, mission.

Pasquette put a bounty on Toussant and brought in his own team but the interaction between Carver and Hayes when facing Pasquette is deadly allowing readers to know you don’t want to mess with Carver and together Hayes and Carver are more than deadly.

The attacks and the violence are quite compelling, and the author creates scenes that keep the reader moving in different directions as you can feel every shot, every movement and hear the explosives as the are fired. From Jimmy Barbeque that brought explosives, to Poe who was supposed be on the side of Hayes, the deceptions, betrayals run high up into both China and Russia plus the Haitian leaders and more. Each side bringing in their own extraction teams but the fighting between Haitians and Carver and Hayes is unbelievable and will keep you guessing until the very end as to the results.

Added in we meet Jesula Fidelus  who takes care of Pasquette and his result but then Hayes and Carver and the asset need a place to stay or at least regroup but the scenes and the interactions and altercations in the chapters that follow lead up meeting Mazim Popov sent to take our team out. The heartwarming scene where Fidelus lives and the help he provides for the three, will renew your faith in hope and more. But what follows with what they call their wolves will endear you not only to Carver and Hayes, but the asset comes through too. Taking on Popov required more than just luck, experience, and Hayes proves he just might be invincible, but Carver is totally amazing and relentless. The final scenes lead the reader to know the truth behind what Carpenter was into, the director of the CIA and the need for a double, they betrayal to our country, the greed and power Carpenter felt he had over Hayes and others and the fear that Hayes has when his son’s voice is heard over a phone and someone he thought he could trust put his family in danger but will he be able to get there in time. With the help of a friend of Carver and learning more about each one of them will Hayes get there before it’s too late?
An ending that lets you know that the outcome might be one thing but it’s far from over yet. Who lives, who dies, who will pay more than the ultimate price as author Joshua Hood takes us deep inside the minds of each character as we hear their inner most thoughts, rationales for their actions and understand the true meaning of the TREADSTONE TRANSGRESSION and the true meaning of TRANSGRESSION.

Fran Lewis Just reviews