cover image Shadow Catcher

Shadow Catcher

James R. Hannibal. Berkley, $16 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-425-26687-8

In Hannibal’s straightforward follow-up to Wraith (2011), Air Force major Nick Baron leads a team on a top secret mission to retrieve a B-2 stealth bomber from the bottom of the Persian Gulf. During the dive, Nick has to dodge harpoons fired by unknown assailants, whose presence suggests to his superiors an intelligence leak. By the time the bomber is pulled out of the sea, Nick is in Kuwait trying to discover the exact identity of his attackers. Meanwhile, a call for help reaches the U.S. from David Novak, an American fighter pilot who was shot down in 1988 off the coast of China. Previously presumed to be dead, Novak now appears to have been imprisoned in China and somehow escaped. Nick and company set out to rescue Novak by flying Shadow Catcher, a technologically advanced plane, right into hostile Chinese territory. Military action fans will enjoy the ride. Agent: Harvey Clinger, Harvey Klinger Inc. (Oct.)