For fans of the modern techno-thriller, Jack Stewart’s Outlaw delivers a relentless fusion of naval aviation and ground-level counterintelligence. As Stewart expands his footprint in the genre, taking over the Presidential Agent legacy from W.E.B. Griffin with his recent release, Direct Action, returning to Outlaw provides an interesting look at his original protagonists, Colt Bancroft and Punky King, as they face a threat that feels frighteningly plausible in today’s geopolitical climate.

The Plot: A Convergence of Biowarfare and Air Power

The story kicks off with Lieutenant Sierra “Doc” Crowe in the backseat of a Super Hornet piloted by Colt Bancroft. What starts as a routine surface surveillance mission in the East China Sea turns into a nightmare when a bird strike, or so they think, cripples their engine. This incident is the first ripple in a much larger wave: a Chinese plot involving synthetic bioweapons designed to neutralize American carrier strike groups without firing a conventional shot.

While Colt handles the crisis from the cockpit, NCIS Special Agent Emmy “Punky” King is on the ground in California, tracking a Chinese operative code-named SUBLIME. The two storylines converge around Dr. Tan Lily, a biochemist who holds the key (yaoshi) to the bioweapon’s activation, or its destruction.

Technical Accuracy: The Pilot’s Edge

What sets Stewart apart from his contemporaries is his background as a TOPGUN graduate. In Outlaw, the techno in techno-thriller isn’t just window dressing; it’s the foundation of the narrative.

The descriptions of single-engine recoveries on a carrier, the logistics of an Alert 5 posture, and the tactical nuances of air-to-air engagements against J-15 Flankers are rendered with delicious detail. Stewart doesn’t just tell you a plane is flying; he explains the weight boards, the catapult tension, and the cockpit symbology in a way that is accessible to the casual reader but a delight for those who crave the authentic details. I’m one of the latter and would be happy with more!

The novel also dives deep into the science of synthetic biology, explaining riboswitches and tripartite weapons. The idea of an infection that remains dormant until triggered by a specific chemical (like theophylline) provides a terrifyingly silent alternative to the loud explosions of traditional military thrillers. This really gave the book an edge and gave me pause to think about how bio warfare isn’t any longer an indiscriminate weapon. We are at a truly scary point in the democratisation of genetic engineering that makes it a lot more chillingly real than it has ever been.

Read my deep dive article: The Science of the Sidelined Carrier: Deconstructing the ‘Outlaw’ Scenario

Character Dynamics

The dual-protagonist structure works exceptionally well here. Colt Bancroft remains the quintessential fighter pilot, cocky but competent, while Punky King provides the gritty, analytical perspective of a counterintelligence agent. Their separate investigations into the same Chinese MSS network give the book a wide-angle lens on a global conflict. I particularly enjoyed Punky, and have a feeling she’s going to need a new car in every book!

The supporting cast, particularly the stoic Navy SEALs and the CIA spooks, add layers of operational detail, which Stewart is adept at writing. The rescue of a kidnapped Agency officer from a remote island is a standout sequence that blends maritime insertion with high-altitude jumps. Again, I would be very happy with more of this!

My final thoughts

Outlaw is a worthy successor to Unknown Rider. It successfully raises the tension from cyber-hacking in the first book to biological warfare in the second. Stewart manages to keep the pacing aggressive without sacrificing the technical details that genre fans crave.

With Stewart now also steering the Presidential Agent and Jack Ryan Jr. series, Outlaw serves as a reminder of why he’s quickly become a must-read author in the military fiction space. It’s honest, technically sound, and effectively chilling.