Targets of Opportunity

This Vietnam-era techno-thriller, a sequel to Rules of Engagement , takes hotshot Marine pilot Brad Austin and his Navy buddy Nick Palmer into the shadowy world of clandestine operations. After obtaining a MiG-17, the standard fighter plane of the North Vietnamese air force, the CIA recruits Austin and Palmer to fly the aircraft against its counterparts from a secret base in the heart of Laos. Weber takes a plot premise reminiscent of the aviation pulp novels of the 1920s and does it full justice in a story whose fast pace and exciting action outweigh implausibilities in the plot. He highlights the practical difficulties facing a rogue aircraft in a high-intensity combat environment as both sides target the MiG for destruction. Genre fans will also appreciate Weber's knowledgeable re-creation of the pilot's perspective on the MiG-17's capacities as a warplane. A first-rate air-combat adventure by a master of the genre. (Feb.)