“The Watchmen” by Mike MacCarthy

The Watchmen

Mike MacCarthy
Outskirts Press (2026)
ISBN: 978-1977288554
Reviewed by Demetria Head for Reader Views (09/2026)

Mike MacCarthy’s The Watchmen is a mix of a political thriller with elements of suspense, espionage, and family drama.  It begins with a prologue that takes readers back to the Sulaiman Mountains of Afghanistan in the year 2003.  Ivan is following a dangerous secret trail to a classified intelligence outpost. His brother, Linus, is stationed there at the US Navy Intelligence Sulaiman Ops Center. They both reunite and end up involved in a possible Russian military threat. Fast forward to the present, Ivan is in San Diego and working as a magazine publisher, but secretly continues working as a black-ops operative. His brother has been missing for two years now, and Ivan is determined to find out what happened. Their father, Boris, is becoming increasingly distraught as a result.

Meanwhile, Ivan’s friend, Mary, convinces him to listen to the San Diego City School Board candidate, Adam Tanner, and possibly write about him in his magazine. During an address at The Rock Church, Adam talks about the state of San Diego public schools compared to Catholic schools and blames it on “low expectations, a lack of accountability… and…the cancerous presence of unions.” Ivan is finally convinced to interview him, then Adam gets ready to travel to D.C. to challenge allegations regarding his military record. But he ends up lured into a limousine and kidnapped, pulling Ivan into an investigation involving an even bigger conspiracy surrounding Adam and the upcoming election.

What drew me into this story was MacCarthy’s ability to create the perfect amount of tension and set the tone early on. One of the earliest scenes that stood out for me was when Ivan is climbing along an icy ledge in the mountains, with a 1,500-foot drop, and another figure is coming toward him. They are both moving cautiously, not knowing if one is going to harm or murder the other. There is a lot of tension in this scene because I didn’t know if the cliff would take Ivan first or the other soldier. Another moment that stood out was the intelligence crisis, where strange communications allude to a possible Russian attack. But Ivan and Linus realize the Russian navigational grid has changed and the information appears backward. It also tells a bit about Ivan’s greatest weapon; he can tell when the pieces in front of him are off or don’t make sense.

MacCarthy developed the characters well. Of course, Ivan is the main one, and I was pleased that he did not write him as the stereotypical black-ops character. He gave him personal reasons for every decision he made, like his brother being missing and how his father is affected by all of this. Adam’s character serves as more than just a political figure. He actually moves the plot forward. In true fashion, MacCarthy describes the kidnapping scene with precision and that tension that I love so much. I felt my adrenaline pumping when the three hooded men grabbed him no sooner than he got inside the limo, then knocked him out with Chloroform. He becomes a survival character when they later hold him in a facility in Chesapeake Bay, then move him to the Allegheny Mountains, where he has serious injuries, memory loss, and hypothermia. His wife, Delia Tanner, had a significant role as well. She keeps his campaign and cause alive while not having a clue as to whether her husband will make it home or not. Another important character that is too significant not to mention is Violetta, Ivan’s former love interest. She becomes the link between Ivan’s past and the current kidnapping investigation.

The writing for this type of narrative seemed to focus on the intelligence work and its mechanics. I think readers who love military/political thrillers will appreciate that. It also focuses heavily on political campaigning and the competing groups surrounding Adam’s kidnapping. All of the different moving parts actually work together to keep the plot and premise intact. Everyone from attorneys and law enforcement to intelligence operatives, religious leaders, and campaign supporters makes the narrative worthwhile. I love how MacCarthy added the countdown to Election Day, which helps connect all of these moving parts because it also makes Adam’s return that much more urgent. I personally appreciated the political discussions about public education and school policy, the unions, and parental rights. It makes the storyline sound more convincing while the investigations into the missing characters are happening. Another thing I appreciated is how the story always returns to themes of family and loyalty and makes it so much more than just a political and espionage narrative. The story really pays off in the ending chapters, mainly concerning a small man going by the name Sam. The revelations played out very well, especially pertaining to the mystery surrounding Linus.

Overall, The Watchmen turned out to be quite layered with its political and espionage focus. There is a good balance of controversy about the school board campaigns, the kidnapping of Adam, and the intelligence work, but there is also a story of survival and a deeply personal mission to find a missing brother. Some readers looking for a more streamlined thriller may not like the lengthy political discussions, but for those who prefer it, they will find the story to have memorable suspense and a strong family element in the mix. Readers who like a mixture of kidnapping, espionage, corruption, politics, and family drama like that in James Patterson’s and Bill Clinton’s The President Is Missing will most appreciate Mike MacCarthy’s The Watchmen.