Atomic Fracture

The good bit: I liked the character of Mani, despite his hallucinations. The bad bit: all the rest of it. Phoenix parachute into Ragheadistan (I kid you not, the author comes extremely close to naming his fictional country such) to do what exactly? All they do is get trapped in a house then leave the country, after describing the locals as backward and cowardly. Able trek across America looking for stolen backpack nukes that were stolen far too easily. Brognola chomps cigars, Kurtzman has all the answers and Price simpers. And don't get me started on the 'technobabble' nonsense on page 204, or the fact that Grimaldi pulls a Concorde out of his ass, one that is packed with missiles and assorted weapons !!!! and flies three quarters of the way around the world without refulling. It was a junk story where the author's right wing politics were unashamedly promoted and should never have been published.

A middle-of-the-road book. Both teams' storylines were done well. Able trying to track down an Arab mole who has stolen two nukes, while Phoenix travels to the Middle East and gets bogged down in battles between rebels and government troops of a fictional country. Able's shootouts were tense, while Phoenix's standoff in a tenement was drawn-out, but suspenseful. The big surprise was the mole, Massawi. Decently drawn-up character, as he continues to have visions of Jesus, trying to dissuade him from his path. And he does struggle with his mission. So, not a great entry, but a decent adventure.