Line of Succession

In the wake of a global crisis, a covert action team goes to work on behalf of an enemy of the United States.

When a failed assassination attempt on the Russian President rocks the global stage, U.S. President Eleanor Cashman, a hardline Russia hawk, faces a brutal decision: watch a nuclear-armed Russia destabilize, or prop up a weakened Russian leader to prevent the collapse.

CIA officer Harrison Kohl, fresh off a year of intense paramilitary operations in Central Asia, is tasked with the urgent mission to stop the powerful ultranationalist faction from taking control ahead of Russia’s impending elections.

But covert ops under pressure rarely go as planned—and Kohl’s mission is no exception.

When his operation spirals out of control, Kohl finds himself in the crosshairs, his career in jeopardy. With time running out, Kohl devises a bold, last-ditch plan—one that puts him at the heart of the action. Victory could restore a fragile balance between the U.S. and Russia. Failure could mean an emboldened Russia on the march across Europe—and the end of the line for Harrison Kohl.

From the acclaimed authors of the Command and Control series, David Bruns and J.R. Olson deliver a pulse-pounding military thriller that will keep fans of Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney on the edge of their seats.

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Praise for the authors and the COMMAND AND CONTROL series:

“David Bruns and J.R. Olson deliver captivating and utterly authentic portrayals of modern day combat that compares with the best of the timeless classics by Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Stephen Coonts.” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical

“A fascinating World War Three scenario, and an action-packed story. This is going to be an amazing series!” —Andrew Watts, USA Today bestselling author of The War Planners

"With their background in the U.S. Navy, both Bruns and Olson have the right stuff to create a realistic military tale." -Booklist

“These two guys have lived it. Now they’re writing it. Taut, tense, and totally believable, you will be dropped into the midst of a world with which few of us are familiar. A fine thriller indeed.” —Don Keith, author of Only the Brave and Final Bearing

“Command and Control is a masterpiece of a military thriller from the first page to the explosive ending…some of the best combat writing I’ve seen since Tom Clancy.” —Jason Kasper, USA Today bestselling author of The Enemies of My Country

"Bruns and Olson deliver an action packed story from the first to the very last page. Torn from tomorrow’s headlines, loaded with intrigue and mystery, a must read for any fan of military techno-thrillers." —George Wallace, author of Warshot and Operation Golden Dawn

David Bruns earned a Bachelor of Science in Honors English from the United States Naval Academy. (That’s not a typo. He’s probably the only English major you’ll ever meet who took multiple semesters of calculus, physics, chemistry, electrical engineering, naval architecture, and weapons systems just so he could read some Shakespeare. It was totally worth it.) Following six years as a US Navy submarine officer, David spent twenty years in the high-tech private sector. A graduate of the prestigious Clarion West Writers Workshop, he is the author of over twenty novels and dozens of short stories. Today, he co-writes contemporary national security thrillers with retired naval intelligence officer, J.R. Olson.

J.R. Olson graduated from Annapolis in May of 1990 with a BS in History. He served as a naval intelligence officer, retiring in March of 2011 at the rank of commander. His assignments during his 21-year career included duty aboard aircraft carriers and large deck amphibious ships, participation in numerous operations around the world, to include Iraq, Somalia, Bosnia, and Afghanistan, and service in the U.S. Navy in strategic-level Human Intelligence (HUMINT) collection operations as a CIA-trained case officer. J.R. earned an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College in 2004, and in August of 2018 he completed a Master of Public Affairs degree at the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota. Today, J.R. often serves as a visiting lecturer, teaching national security courses in Carleton College's Department of Political Science, and hosts his radio show, National Security This Week, on KYMN Radio in Northfield, Minnesota.