Sting of the Drone
Clarke has served in the White House so his expertise in counterterrorism brings a sense of reality to what might have been just another technothriller showcasing the military and its high-tech weaponry. A drone is utilized on a Kill Call and explodes over its target successfully. But a survivor demands justice and is able to use his connections to put targets on the operators of the drones. Remote operators used to watching events thousands of miles away are suddenly being picked off one by one. Clarke does a terrific job showcasing how the drone program works and revealing something about the men and women behind the scenes who use the machines. Readers who enjoy learning about technology but who don’t mind that the characters are secondary will eat this up. Clarke’s name alone will guarantee some demand. --Jeff Ayers