Quick Synopsis – Skwerl and Cheese are down on their luck and about to find themselves tangled in the heist of their lives. Skwerl, once an elite member of the CIA’s paramilitary unit, was cast out after a raid gone wrong in Afghanistan. Big Cheese Aziz, a former Afghan pilot of legendary skill, now works the graveyard shift at a gas station.

Recruited into a shadowy network of “sheepdogs,” they embark on a mission to repossess a multi-million-dollar private jet stranded on a remote African airfield. But as they wind through a labyrinth of lies and hidden agendas, they discover that nothing is as it seems. With the stakes skyrocketing and the women in their lives drawn into the fray, this unlikely spy duo find themselves deep in the underbelly of modern war and intelligence.

Song This Reminds Me Of – War (What is it Good For) – Edwin Starr

Release Date – August 5th, 2025

Bookshop Link – Order Sheepdogs by Elliot Ackerman (I do get a small commission if you order using my link)

Content Notes – This book includes references to the War in Ukraine, the fall of Kabul, and other military operations. This is gun violence, death, vomiting, blood, and a dog dies.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – Fair warning there is violence against a dog in this book and the dog does die. It’s not on page and it isn’t an animal your attached to during the narrative, but still.

I hesitate to call this book fun because it does cover some very serious topics. But it is definitely interesting and educational. Though the main storyline is Skwerl and Cheese repossessing a plane and the fallout from that, there is a lot of background work that focuses on paramilitary groups, veterans, and war. This made the book a little dry for me. At times the book meandered, especially when Uncle Tony was talking to Congress or his boss. These meanders were a little too technical for me and often didn’t really add to the story, it just felt like padding. I could have done with more character building and dialogue. I wish more time would have been dedicated to character background instead of what felt like a crash course in politics.

This is a multi-pov novel and I enjoyed the mix of civilians and military or military adjacent characters. I especially enjoyed watching Skwerl’s partner (whose name I can’t remember for the life of me) use her skills as a dominatrix to assist Skwerl in his endeavors. I would have liked it more if the two female characters had more agency and presence beyond their partners, but that’s not really the point of this book. The main issue of a stolen plane in a job gone wrong is fun. Especially when a grizzly breaks into the plane while it’s being stored at a remote hanger. There were some fun parts, but this was still a little dry for me.

I will also say this book is out of my comfort zone, but even as someone who enjoys sci-fi/fantasy more than a political thriller, I did still find this fun. I think it would be a great gift for my dad or any of my aunts (they all love a thriller).

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.