Midnight Runner
British agent Sean Dillon returns in a sequel to 2001'sEdge of Danger, in which author  Jack Higgins, a consistently solid thriller writer, introduced the intriguing  and powerful Arab/English Rashid family. Kate, the only Rashid left after an  assassination attempt on the American president foiled by Dillon, has sworn to  avenge her family and will do anything to humiliate the United States, including  sabotage her own oil fields to cripple America's--and the world's--oil  supplies.The fast-paced action starts with the death of a presidential envoy's daughter  and ends with an explosive showdown in the Rashid oil fields. Higgins makes the  most of a somewhat thin plot with superb pacing and terrific action sequences.  From Dillon's earlier adventures, he brings back Harry and Billy Salter, the  agent's "reasonably but not totally respectable" gangster pals; White House  operative Blake Johnson; and Sean's boss, General Ferguson. The new characters  include a Vietnam war hero who's a roving troubleshooter for President Jake  Cazalet, and another villainous Rashid, Kate's American cousin Chauncey. And  while Kate seems to be down for the count at the end of this adventure, Dillon  and his fans may not have seen the last of her yet.--Jane Adams