Target Omega

Kirsanow’s debut, a political action thriller, establishes his position solidly in the middle of a crowded pack. A checklist of standard genre tropes includes a secret weapon being assembled in Iran with the help of Russia and North Korea, targets that may or may not be Israel and the U.S., an American agent with legendary skills who’s on the run from friend and foe, a traitor at the very highest levels of the American government, and a budding love interest. Mike Garin, the leader of Omega, a supersecret unit charged with preventing the proliferation of WMDs, is back in the States after a mission in Pakistan. When Garin’s entire team of Omega operators is murdered, Garin is the chief suspect, and he must track down the real killer, Russian former Spetsnaz operator Taras Bor, who’s seemingly unstoppable. A wide-open ending points to a sequel involving Garin and the evildoers who escape his wrath in this first book. Some readers will hope that Kirsanow chooses next time to steer away from shopworn plot points and overly familiar characters. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media. (May)