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Espionage and treason highlight French's ( Us Against Them ; Circle of Revenge ) newest YA novel. Garrett, 17, is bereft after his mother's recent death in a car accident. Eager to escape the confines of his small Arkansas town, he accepts an unexpected invitation to live in L.A. with his divorced father, whom he hasn't seen in 10 years. Clarence is an aerospace engineer, but Garrett is unaware of his dad's lucrative sideline--selling top-secret information on military aircraft to North Korea. Through lies and emotional blackmail, Clarence gradually lures his son into his activities. The teenager forgoes schoolwork and friends in a desperate attempt to capture his father's love, but eventually he reaches a decision that puts an end to it all. The thriller's textbook-like sections on high-tech photography may appeal to students of the subject, and the few intriguing elements do much to support the remaining material. But readers may be put off by French's slow pacing and his protagonist's passivity. Ages 12-up. (Nov.)