The Devils Tiger

Texas author Flynn (Wanderer Springs) coauthors this novel with the late Dan Klepper, but even their combined efforts cannot rescue this lukewarm muddle of international brinkmanship, redneck militia action and man-eating tiger adventure from mediocrity. In the late 1980s, renegade Russian scientists conducting illegal biological warfare research infect three Siberian tigers with a deadly disease in a vague and improbable plot to trigger a confrontation with the U.S. and restore the power and prestige of the Soviet Union. The tigers are a gift to the Americans, but the airplane carrying the animals to the Houston zoo crashes and the tigers--hungry and looking for trouble--escape into the West Texas wilderness. Public hysteria, political dithering and the pro-gun lobby soon have people terrified, shooting at shadows and each other. Noted Texas hunter Jacob Trace is hired to capture the tigers, but he has never tackled cats quite like these before--nor is he informed that they are carriers of a biological disaster. Aided by a cynical female Russian veterinarian, Dr. Arina Yeroskin, as well as a pudgy, self-serving zoo official, an arrogant and ambitious environmentalist and a resourceful helicopter pilot, Trace tracks the tigers all over Texas and into Mexico. He always seems to be one meal behind them, however, as they eat their way through a human smorgasbord of hobos, ranchers, fishermen and housewives. Complicating the hunter's pursuit are wild gun battles with cartoonishly corrupt Mexican police and hopelessly inept antigovernment militiamen. It may be equipped with plenty of action, a bit of sermonizing, lots of gore and some sappy romance, but even the best tracker will be hard-pressed to bag any suspense, chills or thrills in this tepid melodrama. Regional author tour. (Sept.)