Robin Lyons

Mac MacKenna, recently retired from Air Force Special Operations Command, has a new job as a school marshal. He monitors kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade—a task completely out of his comfort zone—in an undercover search for crime.

The author builds reader anticipation, layer by layer, as lies, deceit, and threats sprinkle Mac’s interactions with staff, students, and parents. Carefully developed characters and their back stories heighten the suspense throughout, creating doubts about who is guilty and who isn’t.

I loved Mac’s character: strong, honest, and protective of family and friends. That his faithful German Shepherd, Roxy, displays similar qualities is no surprise.

Short chapters sped up my reading pace, and I kept flipping the pages to get to the end. An exciting first book in a series!… (altro)

I love Mac's character! If I had a daughter, Mac is the kind of guy I'd want her to marry.

Unknown Alliance takes on a difficult topic, but Robin Lyons manages to keep the mood from becoming too dark. We see things unfold from the kids' perspectives, as well as from the parents' perspectives. And, of course, we have Mac's calm and watchful viewpoint throughout.

Like many heroes of crime fiction and suspense, Mac has personal demons. What I love is that, unlike the vast majority of fictional heroes, Mac doesn't drown himself in alcohol or escape into drugs for relief. In many respects, he's just a normal guy trying his best to make a difference in the world.

This book can be considered a "clean" read. Violence is alluded to more than shown, and there is no strong language. While this is an adult mystery, I think there's tremendous crossover appeal here for the YA audience who can relate to high school life.

*Unknown Alliance can be read as a stand-alone, but there's a continuing thread from Unknown Threat, book one, and so this series is best read in order.*… (altro)

Reading Unknown Threat reminded me why I'd never want to go back to high school!

Despite my high school aversion, this is a quick, fun read. The plot is pertinent to today's issues, but doesn't weigh us down in misery.

I love Mac's character! So many fictional heroes these days are the 'broken bad boys', who are either alcoholics or addicts, barely functioning while fighting some sort of personal demon. While Mac does have his personal demons (Don't we all?), he isn't wallowing in his issues and he's not battling - or reveling in - addiction. He's tough and definitely has the bit of bad boy going for him, but he's also the kind of man you'd want protecting your child.

I really enjoyed this first book in the School Marshal Series. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Mac!… (altro)