Second Term

Second Term by J.M. Adams is a propulsive political thriller that links two explosive timelines: the catastrophic 2012 Benghazi attack and a dystopian January 2029, where outgoing President Terrance Locke refuses to concede defeat and orchestrates a second, far deadlier Capitol insurrection to retain power. The narrative follows Cora Walker, a decorated covert operative code-named “Bronco” who survived Benghazi only to find herself battling domestic terrorism as Press Secretary for Speaker Sarah Vasquez. As Locke’s “Keep the Peace March” devolves into an armed occupation featuring white supremacist militias and compromised federal agencies, Cora must leverage her lethal combat skills to extract the Speaker and prevent the collapse of American democracy, while navigating the treacherous waters of political betrayal and her own conflicted identity as a single mother unwilling to abandon her post despite the mortal danger. Can she save American democracy from a president who will do anything to remain in power?

J.M. Adams’ heroine is a woman of remarkable complexity, a “blunt instrument” whose moral compass remains steady even as she confronts the ghosts of Benghazi in the halls of Congress. The supporting cast, including the morally ambiguous Congressman Deacon Lobdell, who shares her Benghazi history but not her ethics, and the calculating Chief of Staff Cecilia Danforth, is well-written to highlight the tension between institutional loyalty and constitutional duty. The setting vibrates with authenticity: the bullet-filled streets of Libya with a near-future Washington D.C., where the ''stench of death'' has migrated from foreign battlefields to the Capitol's marble corridors. Themes of democratic fragility, historical accountability, and the “fifth horseman of disinformation” are resonant in Cora's chilling realization that ''terrorists are terrorists, whether they're born in Libya or Ohio.” Second Term is perfect for those who love Jack Carr's The Terminal List and Matthew Quirk's The Night Agent. Adams’ blend of military thriller and high-stakes political intrigue is equally compelling, and the unflinching female perspective offers a refreshing and necessary departure from the genre’s typically masculine gaze.