Operation Just Cause

A Military Thriller Series by David Edward

Series Overview

Operation Just Cause is a six-book military thriller series that plunges readers into the savage underbelly of 1980s Panama, where US Army Special Agent Dirk Lasher navigates a world of cartels, corrupt politicians, human traffickers, and shadow banking systems that threaten global stability. Set against the backdrop of Noriega's dictatorship and the approaching US invasion, this series strips away romantic notions of covert operations to reveal the brutal reality of fighting evil when every institution has been compromised.

From routine intelligence operations that spiral into desperate rescues, to prisoner transports that become running firefights across the Southwest, to mystical quests through cannibal-infested jungles, each book escalates the stakes while forcing Lasher to confront increasingly impossible moral choices. This isn't a story of clear victories, but of a good soldier discovering that sometimes saving lives means abandoning everything you've worked for, and that the greatest enemies often wear the same flag you do.

What Makes This Series Different

Operation Just Cause stands apart by drawing from authentic military experience to create firefights that last seconds not chapters, command decisions that carry real weight, and a protagonist who discovers that righteousness and survival rarely align. David Edward refuses to glorify violence while never shying away from its necessity, creating a world where DEA agents work for cartels, military bases harbor trafficking rings, and ancient mysticism proves more reliable than modern technology.

The series explores the corrosive effects of systemic corruption on those who still believe in justice, asking whether becoming a monster to fight monsters ever truly serves the greater good. Through Lasher's journey from by-the-book soldier to rogue operator to broken man seeking redemption, readers experience the true cost of intervention in a world that takes more than it gives.

Reading Order

Panama Red: The conspiracy begins with a kidnapped child and corrupt intelligence
Drive Faster: A prisoner transport gone wrong reveals the depth of betrayal
Meat Market: Human trafficking operates in the shadow of US military bases
Ground Game: Vengeance in Honduras as the body count rises
Prayer Drum: Ancient artifacts and modern warfare collide in the Darien Gap
Down Ballot: Democracy dies in blood during Panama's 1989 elections

Who Should Read This Series

Readers seeking military fiction grounded in real combat experience, not Hollywood fantasy
Fans of morally complex protagonists forced to choose between terrible options
Those interested in the dark realities of 1980s Central American conflicts
Anyone who appreciates tactical authenticity combined with unflinching psychological depth
Readers who want action that serves a larger narrative about corruption, betrayal, and the price of justice
Those fascinated by the intersection of military operations, organized crime, and political manipulation

Critical Themes

The transformation of idealistic soldiers into pragmatic survivors
Systemic corruption that makes allies indistinguishable from enemies
Human trafficking as the dark currency of international power games
The collision of ancient mysticism with modern military technology
Love and loyalty in a world where both become weapons
The question of whether democracy can be protected through violence
The personal cost of witnessing atrocities you're powerless to prevent

A Warning

This series pulls no punches in its depiction of real-world horrors. Characters you care about will be betrayed, tortured, and killed. Lines you thought were sacred will be crossed out of necessity. Institutions meant to protect will become the greatest threats. By the end, you'll understand that in places where law has failed and corruption rules, survival itself becomes a moral compromise.

"Protecting the innocent and vulnerable from the corrupt and powerful: that is our interest. If we can't do that, then what is the point of any of it?"

Get the Complete Series

All six books in the Operation Just Cause series are available now. Start with Panama Red and discover why readers call this the most authentic and unflinching military thriller series about America's forgotten war in Panama.