Taking readers from Italy to London and deep into the heart of the United States, The Echelon Vendetta is a chilling novel about revenge of the most horrifying order. In the courtyard of a chapel in Cortona, in Tuscany, Italy, the body of Porter Nauman is discovered. The death at first appears to be a brutal suicide, possibly incited by the use of some sort of psychosis-inducing drug.

When Micah Dalton, as a cleaner for the CIA, is called to the scene of his friend and colleague’s demise, he is not so certain the assumptions being made by the local authorities are correct. It is Micah’s job to ensure that no mess is left behind when something in the field goes wrong.

Micah requests permission to investigate the matter further but is put off by his boss. Unable to let it go, Micah decides to do a little investigating on his own while in Venice, where Porter had been living before his death. Something goes terribly wrong in Venice, leaving Micah’s ability to do his job in question. He is determined, however, to stop at nothing to get to the truth. Micah’s findings lead him further to suspect that foul play was involved in his friend’s death. Qhen his friend’s family is found slaughtered in London, Micah is resolved to get to the truth.

As Micah's investigation into the matter unfolds, it appears a serial killer is targeting CIA agents who were involved with Echelon, a highly secretive CIA mission. His research leads him to suspect the killer may be involved with Native American mysticism. The body count mounts as Micah hunts for a murderer who always seems to be one step ahead of him. The Echelon Vendetta’s twists and turns will keep readers glued to the their seats, wanting to know how author David Stone will bring all the threads of the story together. He does so in a spectacular way, leaving few stones unturned.

Micah Dalton is an intriguing character. Right from the first it is apparent that he likes his drink. He can be cold and calculating. However, he will go all out for his friends as he proves time and again in the course of the novel. As with many novels of this kind, Micah has a dark past, a past that haunts him, yet he is a focused man able to get done the job he sets out to do. He is honest and straightforward, someone you would want in your side in a pinch.

The dark and sometimes gruesome descriptions of violence only drive home just how terrifying and relentless the killer is in his pursuit for retribution, adding even more life to the novel. Stone captures the politics behind the scenes as well as the psychological impact events from the novel have on each character. The Echelon Vendetta is not your typical spy novel, and David Stone is an author to watch.