The Tin Men

They’re back! Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor return in this cinematic, high-octane thriller — a welcome reunion for fans of the series. Scott Brodie is a razor-sharp blend of James Bond and Rambo, armed with wit, sarcasm, and a knack for getting into trouble, while Maggie Taylor is equally lethal, brilliant, and tough as nails.

Their chemistry crackles on the page, and you can easily imagine Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson bringing them to life on screen.

Though this is the third novel featuring Brodie and Taylor, it works perfectly well as a standalone — the DeMilles provide just enough backstory to orient new readers. This installment is bittersweet, as it marks the final collaboration between Nelson DeMille and his son Alex, following Nelson’s passing. The majority of the writing credit goes to Alex, and he proves that the torch has been successfully passed.

The story begins with Brodie and Taylor sent to investigate the brutal murder of Major Roger Ames, head administrator of a top-secret — and possibly black ops — project at Camp Hayden, deep in the Mojave Desert. The project involves a platoon of lethal autonomous weapons: seven-foot-tall titanium robots equipped with speed, strength, and deadly precision. These AI-powered machines, nicknamed “Tin Men” and given sardonic names of legendary baseball players, are designed to be unfeeling and unthinking. And yet, they repeatedly annihilate their Army Ranger opponents during training exercises, wearing down morale and raising an unsettling question: who’s really training whom?

When Ames is found with his skull crushed and a massive robot, “Bucky” (Unit 20), standing over his body with blood on its titanium frame, suspicion spreads like wildfire. Was this a malfunction, sabotage, or evidence of something far more disturbing — that these machines have learned to think for themselves?

The investigation pulls Brodie and Taylor into a tangle of corporate intrigue, military secrecy, and philosophical dilemmas about AI and autonomy. The pacing is relentless, the action intense, and the suspense ratchets higher with every chapter. The climax is explosive and satisfying, cementing The Tin Men as one of the most adrenaline-charged entries in the series.

The DeMille team delivers a masterful mix of action, mystery, and thought-provoking questions about technology and warfare. Fans of military thrillers, techno-thrillers, and character-driven crime fiction will find this impossible to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to see where Alex DeMille takes Brodie and Taylor next.