The Black Hand - Synopsis
After the apparent murder of seven NBA All-Stars on the return flight from the 2020 Summer Olympics, a small clandestine team as diverse as America, must save the country from itself. On August 9th, 2020, the world is celebrating the close of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo Japan. The date of the closing ceremonies was chosen to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan. But a domestic terrorism group calling itself the Crna Ruka (Bosnian for The Black Hand), chose the date August 9th to attack America to commemorate a different date in history. The sixth anniversary of the Ferguson, Missouri riots.
The group chose the name the Crna Ruka for its legacy of success in causing international chaos. For it was the same name selected by a group of Bosnian Serbs in 1914 responsible for the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand that led to the outbreak of World War I and the loss of over 20 million lives.
The story of August 9th, 2020 is told through the lens of a presidential briefing exactly one year later on August 9th, 2021. The "8/9 Commission" provides a narrated and interactive account of the people, places and social dynamics behind the attacks. Sara Gujic, a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist in St. Louis, leads the 8/9 Commission.
Gujic, a survivor of the Bosnian Wars of the mid-90's, presents a compelling chronicle as members of Congress, the National Security and the directors of all seventeen intelligence agencies listen. Gujic is not only the story teller, she is one of the key characters. And she is also a member of the Black Hand.
Three iconic American cities play outsized roles as the backdrop for this compelling story set in the very near future. Its oldest, its most powerful and its most deadly. St. Augustine, Florida, Washington, DC and St. Louis, Missouri.
The team of American heroes assigned to eliminate the leaders of the Crna Ruka has no collective experience in counter-terrorism operations. However, the second in charge is the deputy director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency located outside of St. Louis. He has access to intelligence and experience that can lead his team to success. He and his best friend, also a combat veteran but with a tragic past, form this hodgepodge of a team based solely on the histories and destinies of their two families.
In the end, The Black Hand, first and foremost is a story about language; interpretations, misinterpretations, titles, honorifics, code names, nicknames and slurs. Even a single solitary word and that word's legacy and currency are vital in determining the future of the country. Thankfully it's a word that all of America can live with. And should. The Black Hand is a near-future, commercial thriller of 102,000 words.
Industry Reviews
Ken Krucenski - If you're easily offended stop reading now and go away as you might be better off reading a cook book. A fast paced, action packed novel that ties in world history, sports, ethics and race into an unfathomable murder plot. Andy Stack's first novel challenges the reader to pay close attention to every detail and date to understand how all the sub plots tie together but in a way that makes you want to keep reading.
If you're not careful when you finish this book you might find that you actually learned something about historical events that are still shaping our world today and question your own prejudices when your mental image of each character is shattered as Andy reveals them to us
Thanks Andy and keep writing. I want more!!
***
John Scheck - Author - Clear your schedule before starting in on this thriller because if anything gets in your way of reading The Black Hand, it will just be a nuisance for you, whether it's your job, wife, kids, or the dog.
***
Tim Green - Former Missouri State Senator - Black Hand is a novel which takes you on a journey in time, keeping one interested throughout the book. The details to technical data, history and geography makes for a very real story to a fictional event! Just like a puzzle, the closer to the end, the drive for completion of the read intensifies.
***
Charles Johnson - U.S. Air Force, F-4 Pilot, Vietnam Veteran: Andy provides the reader with a compelling novel of fiction sprinkled throughout with historical references. This thriller is fast paced has many unexpected twist and turns that keeps the reader guessing as to the potential outcomes...well written and worth reading.
***
Chuck Schwanger - The Black Hand is a story written in 2020 America that will cause you to think about our current social environment. Although the story is fictional many of the dates, locations and events are factual which will surprise and educate the reader.
The book is written to give the reader a background on the characters that by the time you're into part three you are pulled into the story and can't put it down. There are villains and heroes and right when you have the plot and players figured out there are some surprising twists waiting for you at the end.
