The Tenth Circle (The Blaine McCracken Novels)
After putting the character on a lengthy hiatus, Land brought CIA agent Blaine McCracken back to the page in 2012’s Pandora’s Temple. Readers who enjoyed that book will enjoy this one, too. It begins with a couple of famous historical disappearances—the lost colony of Roanoke and the crew of the Mary Celeste—and a tantalizing question: What if the two events were somehow connected? And what, pray tell, does a Muslim-hating American preacher, whose bigoted proclamations appear to have sparked terrorist attacks against the U.S., have to do with them? Mixing political-thriller themes with more fantastic elements (the book’s title refers to the tenth circle of hell, and the phrase isn’t being used metaphorically), the novel may seem a bit out of left field to readers who know the author from his Caitlin Strong action series, but those who remember McCracken’s wild and frequently SF-tinted adventures should have a great time. --David Pitt