cover image Oath of Honor

Oath of Honor

Matthew Betley. Atria/Bestler, $26 (406p) ISBN 978-1-4767-9925-4

Betley’s exciting sequel to 2016’s Overwatch takes series heroes Logan West and John Quick, investigators in a specialized FBI task force, to the Aleutians. They are hunting down members of a Russian black ops team. The Russians are seeking to steal technology code-named ONERING, a new U.S. weapons system that has the ability to hijack any space satellite. The theft is the plan of Namir Badawi, the head of Sudan’s internal security division, who’s determined to humiliate the United States and bring about glory to Sudan as part of a new world order. From Alaska, Logan and John pursue the bad guys around the globe, always one step behind Namir and Maj. Gang Lau, his Chinese spy henchman. Betley’s fight scenes are among the best in the genre, but overuse of internal dialogue and unfunny banter between the principals slow the pace and add a cartoonish character to the writing. Still, readers willing to suspend some disbelief and put up with all the wisecracks will find the action diverting enough to look forward to future installments. Agent: Will Roberts, Gernert Company. (Mar.)