Without Fear

The unearthing of a tactical nuclear bomb in Afghanistan left behind by Soviet forces drives Hunt and Pineiro’s outstanding follow-up to their debut, 2017’s Without Mercy, to which this is a prequel, set in 2005. The CIA sends Col. Hunter Stark and his operators to retrieve the weapon in Afghanistan, where a friendly fire incident instigated by a bumbling NATO general kills a CIA team and almost wipes out Stark’s unit. Shortly thereafter, Stark and his surviving men join some Marines and come under heavy fire while attacking a suspected IED factory. In one of many gripping battle scenes, Stark and the Marines are rescued by Laura Vacarro, a courageous U.S. Air Force captain flying an A-10 Warthog, who plays a major role in Without Mercy. The action is complicated but never confusing, and the characters are complex as well as nuanced. Familiar names—George W. Bush, George Tenet, Donald Rumsfeld—supply a vein of realism that adds depth. This military adventure thriller deserves to become a genre classic. Agent: Matthew Bialer, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Aug.)