cover image Blood of Patriots

Blood of Patriots

Neil Abercrombie. Forge, $24.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-312-86166-7

A thriller that opens with terrorists crashing into the House of Representatives and killing 124 of its members with assault-weapons fire, then fleeing in helicopters that unexpectedly explode, seems likely to be a page-turner. The odds escalate when its authors are seasoned crime novelist Hoyt (Japanese Game, 1995) and Abercrombie, whose position as a congressman (D., Hawaii) allows for an insider's take in the opening and other scenes. But the prose here is flat; the dialogue, which too frequently relies on lengthy, explanatory exchanges, is stilted; and the story presentation nears parody, with the action divided into bite-size, time-headlined segments that presume that every second counts (""8:18.35 p.m.; 8:18.40 p.m.""). Despite the congressional carnage, moreover, the authors expend most of their moral outrage on issues of campaign financing. The hero, James Burlane, is too familiar as well (ex-CIA, he was sacked by the Company for ""being an untrustworthy loner""). The villains aren't much more exciting, but at least they're kept offstage for a while, a wise move since figuring out who is behind the massacre-the Cali drug cartel is the main suspect-provides the only, albeit tepid, suspense. Abercrombie's understanding of Congress allows for some fresh local coloring, but he shouldn't give up his day job-and Hoyt should go back to the solo authoring he does so well. (May)