Bryant Wieneke

Bryant Wieneke's explosive series of contemporary political thrillers begins with Priority One, which introduces Kendall Jackson Smith as an American water expert working on the southern edge of the vast and mysterious Sahara Desert. His work is interrupted by a viable threat from terrorists resisting exploitation throughout sub-Saharan Africa. As a Stealth Bomber approaches, Kendall is caught between saving lives or preserving his principles, while distracted by DHS zealot and a beautiful Russian agronomist.

The subsequent novels in the series delve deeper into the complicated choices faced by a peaceful person in a violent world. Unable to detach himself from DHS, Kendall masquerades as an aid worker in a non-profit in The Santa Barbara Priority. In subsequent novels, he brings his non-violent approach to combatting threats on a Presidential Debate (The Mission Priority), the investigation into a potential sleeper (Timbuktu and Ouaga Too), and the hijacking of a ship off the west coast of Africa (Beware of Pirates).

The sixth novel in the series (A Grain of Sand), institutes a change in direction. American activist Charles Crabtree and Russian aid worker Katrina Ivanova become more prominent players in the search for fair and just treatment in sub-Saharan Africa. The seventh and eight novels (Xanada and the Tweetstorm; Very Bad and Very Horrible) deal directly with the election of an America-first President and the devastating effects on U.S. foreign policy.

In the next two novels (Too Much with Us, Late and Soon; Eternal Moments), Kendall's past catches up with him, and his external quest for peace is mirrored by his internal struggle, with surprising results.