The Death Trade
An Iranian medical researcher, forced into applying his work on medical isotopes to nuclear weapons research, is dangerously close to perfecting a more powerful, cheaper nuclear bomb. The man’s family is being held captive by the Iranian government so there’s little chance he would ever defect, but the British (concerned about the possibility of Iran becoming a nuclear power) see a window of opportunity. The man is scheduled to be in Paris, and he happens to be acquainted with Sara Gideon, the intelligence agent who has recently joined the small band of operatives led by series hero Sean Dillon. Gideon and Dillon’s mission: meet up with the man in Paris and convince him to turn over his research. Possibility of success: strong. Possibility of mishap leading to dire consequences and life-threatening danger: even stronger. This is another sturdy action thriller with political overtones from one of the masters of the genre. Fans of the long-running Dillon series will flock to this latest entry, and the reappearance of Sara Gideon (who was introduced in 2012’s A Devil Is Waiting) injects the book with some serious new energy. Good stuff. --David Pitt