Solemn Duty

Exiled to the Columbus, Ga., office of the FBI, agents Eli Tanner and Ashley Sutton make an odd couple in retired U.S. Army Colonel Scott's latest action thriller (The Iron Men; The Expendables). Sutton is a tough feminist whose specialty is dealing with computers, not guns. She has also incurred the wrath of her boss by filing a sexual harassment charge. Tanner is a real decorated hero, a Vietnam vet, who has had his own problem with the FBI after writing a truthful report on the Ruby Ridge case. When a friend of a friend turns up dead in an apparent suicide at nearby Fort Benning, this mismatched pair soon suspects foul play. Further investigation discovers a trail of similar suicides, all among members of the same Special Forces team in Vietnam. Tanner and Sutton must overcome their mistrust of each other in their search for the vengeful serial killer. While the plot is fairly straightforward thriller fair, the high-tech ransom scene is worthy of Tom Clancy. The friction between characters, who embody the continuing gender tensions of a traditionally male preserve, make for some richness. (May)