cover image Pilots Die Faster

Pilots Die Faster

C. W. Morton. Thomas Dunne Books, $21.95 (272pp) ISBN 978-0-312-15624-4

In her first thriller, the leadoff entry in a projected series, Morton takes on not only the battle of the sexes in the armed forces but also the lingering post-Cold War rivalry between the U.S. and Russia. And she does it in fine style. When beautiful F-14 pilot Gina Worthington is found stabbed to death aboard the carrier Lincoln, the investigation falls to Special Agent Bud Wilson of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Wilson was a pilot in Vietnam, where his flying career ended with the torture and brutality of the Hanoi Hilton. Now, condemned to watch others fly, his creaky body reminding him of age and old wounds, he pursues his investigation of Worthington's death, delving into the many subgroups on board the Lincoln--the aviators and those who maintain their planes, the cleaning crew and the officers, the dedicated warriors and cynical outcasts. Morton excels at depicting the seagoing equivalent of a small town, with all of the gossip, politics and crime of any village. Was Worthington a crackerjack pilot (a ""good stick"")? Or was she a spy? What is the mission of the Russian submarine sharing the open seas a bit too close to the Lincoln for comfort? Was aircraft sabotage planned? As much a detective story as a thriller, Morton's tale features, in Wilson, a compelling narrating protagonist. Wilson's voice, mixing seafaring and flying knowledge with a worldly appraisal of human nature, is Naval noir. For extra measure, Morton paints some plausible and scary violent episodes, as well as characters complex enough to make readers eager for the next book. (Aug.) FYI: Morton is a pseudonym. The author is a Lt. Commander in the Navy and an attorney.