What do you think?
Rate this book
Pike Logan #1.5
The Dig
In retired Delta Force officer Brad Taylor’s latest exhilarating short story, Pike Logan’s personal mission to get Jennifer Cahill into the Taskforce becomes tied to an archaeological dig in Roswell, New Mexico, where exposing a conspiracy leads to something much more treacherous than alien cover-ups.
After finding the ruins of a Mayan temple—and saving the world from a terrorist attack—in One Rough Man, Pike Logan has been given the chance to rejoin the Taskforce, a top secret counterterrorist organization that operates outside the bounds of US law. But before he becomes an operator again, he’s determined to get Jennifer Cahill into the Taskforce as well, though no one else seems willing to give a female civilian a shot. Jennifer herself would rather focus on setting up their new company, Grolier Recovery Services, an archaeological research agency that Pike hopes will also serve as a sophisticated cover for future Taskforce missions. When Grolier receives its first job offer to check out a site in Roswell, New Mexico, Jennifer convinces Pike to go. But once they arrive it’s clear that there’s a lot more going on than a simple search for Indian artifacts, and uncovering the secrets carefully guarded out in the desert could not only cost them their future with the Taskforce, but their very lives.
105 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2014
260 people are currently reading
1147 people want to read
About the author
Brad Taylor
51 books2,487 followersBrad Taylor served for more than twenty-one years in the U.S. Army, retiring in 2010 as a Special Forces Lieutenant colonel. During that time he held numerous infantry and special operations positions, including eight years in 1st Special Forces Operations Detachment—Delta, popularly known as the Delta Force, where he commanded multiple troops and a squadron.
He has conducted operations in support of U.S. national interests in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other classified locations. His final military post was as Assistant Professor of Military Science at The Citadel. He holds a master's of science in defense analysis with a concentration in irregular warfare from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
When not writing, Brad serves as a security consultant on asymmetric threats to various agencies. He currently lives in Charleston, SC, with his wife and two daughters.
He has conducted operations in support of U.S. national interests in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other classified locations. His final military post was as Assistant Professor of Military Science at The Citadel. He holds a master's of science in defense analysis with a concentration in irregular warfare from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
When not writing, Brad serves as a security consultant on asymmetric threats to various agencies. He currently lives in Charleston, SC, with his wife and two daughters.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
February 22, 2021
Brad Taylor has a knack for writing short stories. This is another good one where Pike got Jennifer a shot at Taskforce selection.
June 22, 2025
Excellent short story.
November 18, 2020
I jumped into this series because of a novella in a house cup read. I was really interested and enjoyed it thoroughly. I've enjoyed other operator type of series by other authors like Brad Thor and Tom Clancy and this wasn't quite at their level but it was still really good. Maybe like a WEB Griffin level. I have added them to my TBR and expect to continue to enjoy them.
June 4, 2014
“a girly little roundhouse…”
THE DIG is a short story featuring Pike and Jennifer and is set in the weeks leading up to Jennifer’s attempt at joining the Taskforce.
I’ve read the Taskforce series since it began with ONE ROUGH MAN and I’d suggest that if you are a fan of Pike Logan then you will enjoy this story as well. The premise of the story is pretty standard fare for author Brad Taylor – Pike and Jennifer have some conflict over his being super-macho-man, Pike and Jennifer get caught unexpectedly in a real jackpot of a situation, Pike and Jennifer resolve the jackpot using the traits that had caused their earlier conflict …
In this case the jackpot develops when Pike and Jennifer go on an archaeological dig only to stumble into a top secret government project, a search for a mysterious artifact, and two opposing factions with big guns and hidden agendas.
Don’t worry, Pike’s predictable in that he will always do the right thing. Even if it’s dangerous. Especially if it’s dangerous. Because if there’s one thing he can’t stand, it’s for the good guys to stand quietly on the sidelines and let the bad guys exert their will and influence on society.
In the past Taylor’s critics have called the dialogue in his books “cheeky” along with other equally unimpressive adjectives (especially for his penchant to have Pike use sappy movie quotes) – and he’s been criticized for having too simplistic a worldview and for using a writing style that’s equally simplistic – but you know, I really don’t think Taylor cares a whit about any of that. And why should he? He knows and understands his audience. Taylor is writing for readers who enjoy it when the good guys are relentless in their belief that bad guys should be beat as often as possible as a matter of principle.
And if that’s not what you enjoy reading, then take a pass.
But if you think it's kind of cool when one of the bad guys takes his best punch at the hero, and the hero responds by calling it “a girly little roundhouse” (as Pike does in THE DIG) … then you absolutely should be reading this and everything else written by Brad Taylor.
THE DIG is a short story featuring Pike and Jennifer and is set in the weeks leading up to Jennifer’s attempt at joining the Taskforce.
I’ve read the Taskforce series since it began with ONE ROUGH MAN and I’d suggest that if you are a fan of Pike Logan then you will enjoy this story as well. The premise of the story is pretty standard fare for author Brad Taylor – Pike and Jennifer have some conflict over his being super-macho-man, Pike and Jennifer get caught unexpectedly in a real jackpot of a situation, Pike and Jennifer resolve the jackpot using the traits that had caused their earlier conflict …
In this case the jackpot develops when Pike and Jennifer go on an archaeological dig only to stumble into a top secret government project, a search for a mysterious artifact, and two opposing factions with big guns and hidden agendas.
Don’t worry, Pike’s predictable in that he will always do the right thing. Even if it’s dangerous. Especially if it’s dangerous. Because if there’s one thing he can’t stand, it’s for the good guys to stand quietly on the sidelines and let the bad guys exert their will and influence on society.
In the past Taylor’s critics have called the dialogue in his books “cheeky” along with other equally unimpressive adjectives (especially for his penchant to have Pike use sappy movie quotes) – and he’s been criticized for having too simplistic a worldview and for using a writing style that’s equally simplistic – but you know, I really don’t think Taylor cares a whit about any of that. And why should he? He knows and understands his audience. Taylor is writing for readers who enjoy it when the good guys are relentless in their belief that bad guys should be beat as often as possible as a matter of principle.
And if that’s not what you enjoy reading, then take a pass.
But if you think it's kind of cool when one of the bad guys takes his best punch at the hero, and the hero responds by calling it “a girly little roundhouse” (as Pike does in THE DIG) … then you absolutely should be reading this and everything else written by Brad Taylor.
December 4, 2021
I enjoyed this short work that fits between book 1 and 2. Pike and Jennifer head to New Mexico to build the resume of their cover company, Grollier Recovery. Of course they run into trouble...
January 17, 2024
It's a really good short novella that fills in between the books. I'm reading this after knowing the rest of the Pike and Jennifer story, and it's a fun read going back in time to the early days.
May 28, 2018
This was a short origin story. Fun, quick little read. Pike and Jennifer are going to be fun going forward. Looks like I found my next long series.
October 30, 2018
I like short stories between the main novels. Fills in gaps and provides a history. Thank you @bradtaylorbooks
November 22, 2019
For a short story it said a lot and assumed a lot. In the end, the story held its own and gave us a little more insight into Jennifer
May 9, 2019
This is at best a novella and maybe its just a long short story. I found it disappointing. its OK, but not worth a special effort to read.
He handles language well, but his characters lack depth. The action scenes carry the book.
One of the two protagonists describes their relationship as juvenile (about 14 year-olds). That really sums it up. The two of them are constantly sniping at each other. Pike deceives her and doesn't share his plans or explain why he is doing some of the things he does.
Taylor served on Delta Force and his Pike character is supposed to be patterned after such a person. However, with his constant anger flare ups and rash decisions, it made me wonder what kind of people get recruited into our clandestine services. You'd think he'd want to paint a more favorable picture of his former colleagues.
Building on Jennifer's background they have formed an archaeological company. They accept a job to verify if a site has enough importance to warrant holding up construction of a dam. Along the way they discover they are being played and end up in the middle of a situation which is never explained. We know who is on one side, but we never learn who the other side is and if both sides are bad guys or just one.
The mission hey undertake doesn't strike me as the type that they should be pursuing. Their archaeological company cover story is barely used.
He handles language well, but his characters lack depth. The action scenes carry the book.
One of the two protagonists describes their relationship as juvenile (about 14 year-olds). That really sums it up. The two of them are constantly sniping at each other. Pike deceives her and doesn't share his plans or explain why he is doing some of the things he does.
Taylor served on Delta Force and his Pike character is supposed to be patterned after such a person. However, with his constant anger flare ups and rash decisions, it made me wonder what kind of people get recruited into our clandestine services. You'd think he'd want to paint a more favorable picture of his former colleagues.
Building on Jennifer's background they have formed an archaeological company. They accept a job to verify if a site has enough importance to warrant holding up construction of a dam. Along the way they discover they are being played and end up in the middle of a situation which is never explained. We know who is on one side, but we never learn who the other side is and if both sides are bad guys or just one.
The mission hey undertake doesn't strike me as the type that they should be pursuing. Their archaeological company cover story is barely used.
June 17, 2018
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; MARCH 3, 2016
Narrated by Henry Strozier and Rich Orlow
This novella picks up where Book 1 ended and while I enjoyed part of the development of Pike's relationship with Jennifer, the latter could still grate on my nerves at times. Yes, there's a bit of conspiracy going on in Roswell but no aliens, thank God. I'm still new to the author and not sure if he will spring a nasty surprise like throwing in some sci-fi alien crap. Thankfully, Taylor stays solidly in the Vince Flynn, Brad Thor mold and I enjoyed Book 2, All Necessary Force.
Narrated by Henry Strozier and Rich Orlow
This novella picks up where Book 1 ended and while I enjoyed part of the development of Pike's relationship with Jennifer, the latter could still grate on my nerves at times. Yes, there's a bit of conspiracy going on in Roswell but no aliens, thank God. I'm still new to the author and not sure if he will spring a nasty surprise like throwing in some sci-fi alien crap. Thankfully, Taylor stays solidly in the Vince Flynn, Brad Thor mold and I enjoyed Book 2, All Necessary Force.
February 18, 2018
Good Quick Read
This was entertaining and although short, it was about right for the subject matter. Not overly complex with a lot of characters but still relevant and fits within the context of the evolving characters and the relationships.
This was entertaining and although short, it was about right for the subject matter. Not overly complex with a lot of characters but still relevant and fits within the context of the evolving characters and the relationships.
January 31, 2020
Different narrators than the first book. I believe this book (1.5) was just a filler that may explain left out parts of the second book and how Pike ended up where he is at that start. There wasn't a lot of content to this book but it was a quick and easy read.
May 25, 2018
Great fill in story!
I really like this Taskforce fill in story. Like the other one that I read it has wanting more. A fan!
I really like this Taskforce fill in story. Like the other one that I read it has wanting more. A fan!
July 23, 2019
A little too hokey
December 17, 2019
A bit corny 😕
February 26, 2020
Not sure reading these 'in between' books is worth it but they're fast and short so doesn't hurt much. Excited to get into book #2, I was a big fan of the first book in this series.
March 30, 2022
This novella is billed as book 1.5 in the Pike Logan Taskforce series of thrillers. This one just wasn’t the thriller book 1 and book 2 were in this series. Low on action, more on creating the backstory that helps fill in some gaps the Taskforce series. The focus is on how Pike Logan and his new business partner Jennifer Cahill started their archaeological search for artifacts company. The company’s primary purpose will be to work as a cover for Taskforce members. Taskforce is a clandestine force that takes on assignments from the U.S. government to supplement or handle CIA type missions, yet provide the government with plausible deniability should the mission go sideways. Thus, the new company needs to establish it’s archaeological bona fides by doing some work in that profession so in the future they can travel the world to various archaeological sites and creditably appear to be there just for historical research reasons. By the way, Jennifer has a college degree in archaeology that helps to establish the company’s bona fides. So, they accept a job to explore a sight in New Mexico to see if it possibly has any ancient civilization relics. Ostensibly, if ancient artifacts can be found, a local archaeological society can at least delay and possibly prevent a new dam construction that would cause a reservoir to flood the site. However, they run into more than a possible dam construction working this site in New Mexico. Some action takes place as Pike & Jennifer work to discover what this desert clandestine activity is exactly. Again, light on action and suspense, bigger on background info for the Taskforce series.
January 9, 2021
After finding the ruins of a Mayan temple—and saving the world from a terrorist attack—in One Rough Man, Pike Logan has been given the chance to rejoin the Taskforce, a top secret counterterrorist organization that operates outside the bounds of US law. But before he becomes an operator again, he’s determined to get Jennifer Cahill into the Taskforce as well, though no one else seems willing to give a female civilian a shot. Jennifer herself would rather focus on setting up their new company, Grolier Recovery Services, an archaeological research agency that Pike hopes will also serve as a sophisticated cover for future Taskforce missions. When Grolier receives its first job offer to check out a site in Roswell, New Mexico, Jennifer convinces Pike to go. But once they arrive it’s clear that there’s a lot more going on than a simple search for Indian artifacts, and uncovering the secrets carefully guarded out in the desert could not only cost them their future with the Taskforce, but their very lives.
October 5, 2023
started finished 4th october 2023 good read three stars i liked it pike logan #1.5 have read maybe twenty or more from taylor brad enjoyed them all. entertaining fast-pace stories. when government foots the bill...that's our money so get off your knees and pay fucking attention...the skies the limit and then some...because we're all on our fucking knees praying to manna and we all love little pussy her coat is so warm and if we don't hurt she'll do us no harm.
December 29, 2017
The first archaelogical dig for Grolier Recovery Services, the company run by Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill, out in the Roswell desert doesn't quite go to plan. Fast-moving short story that follows on from the Pike Logan debut 'One Rough Man'.
January 6, 2019
A short novella that describes a trip to Roswell new Mexico and the emotional confusions and conflicts between Pike and Jennifer in the flow. A good write which takes a shot at the Roswell UFO rumors and the "money pit" concept.
February 11, 2020
For a little novella I was very surprised, and frankly very glad to see the relationship between Pike and Jennifer Grow. I hope "All Necessary Force" has the same high octane action that "One Rough Man" had.
March 2, 2020
A brief pause till the next Pike
This little stop off after One Rough Man novel was very appealing and a nice little interlude to let us know where Pike and Jennifer were up to, great read and clever idea to keep up with Pike!
This little stop off after One Rough Man novel was very appealing and a nice little interlude to let us know where Pike and Jennifer were up to, great read and clever idea to keep up with Pike!
September 30, 2020
Short and quick, just like a good Pike Logan thriller should be. This is the second adventure for Pike and Jennifer and is a quick in and out in New Mexico. Establishing credentials as their cover demands. Knowing Pike, it is never that easy. Good read, short story.
May 5, 2021
Pike Logan short story. Interesting enough and introduces the recurring character of Jennifer. What will become a difficulty in suspension of disbelief is he seeming uncanny abilities before joining the Task Force. But a good, short book
July 10, 2021
This is from after book 1. It’s short but sweet. This will make much more sense if you read it after book 1. The dynamics of the main characters are great, and you get to see them expand themselves and their relationship.
September 25, 2021
It is my understanding that this is the second in the Pike Logan series, chronologically; but, it was written later to fill in some gaps with Pike and Jennifer. It is a short novella, that you really can't wait to finish.
August 17, 2024
Liked the first book in the series, this one is a Decent story, but not sure it’s worth spending money on, if you’re gonna make a purchase, I might go to the next one in the series, this one is just a little Interlude. I’m probably just gonna keep exploring the full books in the series.
July 13, 2025
2.5 Quick read. Acts as a bridge between books 1 & 2. But honestly, if you skipped it, it's not a big deal. I'd say, read it if you can/want, but don't feel like you got to go out of your way to do so.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews