Sambisa Sunrise is an action-packed thriller by Scott R. Hofmann. In 2014, terrorists belonging to the fundamentalist group Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of school girls in Chibok, Nigeria. James, Miles, and Colin work for Olive and Arrow aboard the California as privateers. They are on a mission to capture the luxury yacht, Alexandria, which belongs to the wanted international terrorist, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. When circumstances force them to launch a rescue mission in Sambisa Forest, Colin is captured by the dreaded Boko Haram Commander Shekau Yusuf and his men. After Colin's girlfriend, Avery, discovers his plight, she embarks on a dangerous mission to free him. But things don't go according to plan, and now, Avery is also captured. What's next in store for Colin and Avery?

Sambisa Sunrise is an absolute rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish. Based on real events, this edge-of-your-seat thriller moves at a breakneck pace. By the end, you're still thinking about the events that played out in the book. What makes the story so engrossing is the realistic way author Scott R. Hofmann presents the events. The gritty narrative and gripping plot make sure your eyes are glued to the pages. The plot is full of wild twists and turns, as Hofmann continues to pull the rug out from under your feet throughout the book. The relationship between Colin and Avery was the highlight of the book for me. But even the secondary characters, such as Aniyah, Leah, and Bud, were scene stealers. For fans of action-oriented thrillers, this is a must-read.

The world gasped at the news of yet another abduction of school girls in Nigeria by fundamentalists, but few realized the brutality involved. Sambisa Sunrise by Scott R Hofmann is based on a real and horrific event. In 2014, an extreme Islamist group, Boko Haram, kidnapped a group of innocent school girls in Chibok, Nigeria. This was not the first incident of an abduction, but it hit the world headlines. Hofmann recounts the situation from several points of view -- Leah, the oldest student, one of the terrorists themselves and group of privateers who have the tacit permission of the US government. These rescuers include young men sentenced to either juvenile incarceration or training in the art of war. They are young and keen but are not expecting such brutality from the Islamists. The author also throws into the mix an unknown, well-trained French girl who may or may not be working for the rescue.

Sambisa Sunrise by Scott R Hofmann pulls no punches in describing the cruelty of the soldiers, even killing their own men. Scenes of brutality, giving a horrifying insight into the mindset of an extremist group, are included. Their beliefs clash with many Christian references woven into the narrative. The attempted rescue, set in the Nigerian bush, and the capture of infiltrators make for a fast-moving and riveting story. That this book is based on actual events makes it all the more intense. Some scenes make you want to weep. This story will appeal to readers who enjoy descriptions of hand-to-hand combat. There are stark contrasts between the different beliefs, yet intertwined is a love story, a rescuer in turn captured by the Muslims. If the author wrote this book to bring to light the truth of such abductions, he has certainly succeeded. Not for the faint-hearted, Sambisa Sunrise is a harsh and brutal description of the lengths a group will go to impose their beliefs on others. A book I shall remember for a long, long time.

When international news outlets announce that Boko Haram, a terrorist organization, has attacked a school in Chibok, Northern Nigeria, and kidnapped hundreds of young girls, the global reaction is consternation. Frustrated by the Nigerian government's lackadaisical attitude towards rescuing the victims of this horrendous crime, elements within the American government plan a rescue. They hire a well-known privateer whose group has already demonstrated its effectiveness in conducting clandestine operations in murky diplomatic situations. Colin's brief is to work out the details behind the plan. Neither he nor his colleagues realizes that they are walking into a dangerous quagmire where loyalties are as fluid as the African nation's politics. Only time will tell if he succeeds in Scott R. Hofmann's Sambisa Sunrise.

Scott R. Hofmann weaves fact and fiction together fluidly in Sambisa Sunrise: Olive and Arrow. The use of news snippets and a detailed journal kept by one of the girls weaves together a credible origin story. Hofmann's approach to explaining the terrorists' motivations goes beyond the classic presentation of worldwide Jihad and focuses on the members' personal grievances. The emphasis on seemingly minor details, such as how an extrajudicial killing plays its part in the rise of the extremist group, makes it easier for readers to understand the terrorists' perspective. The author balances a political theme with detailed combat scenes and a romantic subplot focused on Colin's long-term plan for his love interest. These elements come together at a rapid pace in a riveting, thought-provoking narrative that will appeal to fans of action, intrigue, and romance.

It is mid-April 2014. Leah, a twenty-six-year-old student at a government girls’ secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria, is among the many students preparing to sit their final exams when Boko Haram, led by their commander, Shekau Yusuf, storms the school and abducts them. Following America’s First Lady’s interest in the incident, POTUS assigns Olive and Arrow, a private quasi-military outfit, to rescue the girls. Colin and Miles, both lead operatives of Olive and Arrow, are deployed to take on the mission. However, it turns out the militant group has also abducted a high-profile executive of the Renault Group and his family, and the DGSE has sent its clandestine agent Aniyah to track and free the French hostages. As both groups land on enemy turf, they realize that rescuing the hostages is not their only mission, but also, against all odds, staying alive. Find out how it all goes down in Sambisa Sunrise (Olive and Arrow) by Scott R Hofmann.

Once this page-turner draws you in, it latches on relentlessly, only loosening its grip after the final word. If you are looking for a terrorist and espionage thriller flavored with high-octane action, high-stakes drama, adventure, edge-of-the-seat suspense, and jaw-dropping plot twists, Sambisa Sunrise by Scott R Hofmann is a must-read. Using visceral prose that unfolds at a brisk pace, Hofmann drops readers right in the middle of the chaos and terror that have seized Northern Nigeria. Hofman blurs the lines between reality and imagination, and through the cinematic depictions, vividly mirrors real-world scenarios on the pages. From the beatings to the rapes and brutal murders, the militia group subjects its victims to inhumane treatment. The story exposes the betrayal, sacrifices, power struggles, risks, and secrecy that riddle the covert operations arena, and at the same time, the impact of terrorism in West Africa. I loved this gripping read. I’ll be on the lookout for more in this exciting series.