Second Strike: A Mike Garin Thriller

In Kirsanow’s 2017 debut, Target Omega, Mike Garin, the head of Omega team, which is “comprised of eight tier-one special operators trained to interdict and destroy rogue WMD programs,” earned the nation’s gratitude for preventing an electromagnetic pulse attack against the U.S. by Iran. In this exciting sequel, Garin must again contend with Russian assassin Taras Bor, who’s every bit Garin’s equal but with a much more pronounced mean streak. Bor has trained his own squad of terrorists, who plan to create an array of mayhem-generating diversions around Washington, D.C., to distract America’s leaders long enough for the Russians to retake Eastern Europe and part of the Middle East. Readers comfortable with the genre’s standard conventions—hyperpatriotism, acts of inhuman endurance, a cast of sidekicks to fill all the necessary roles—will be satisfied with the usual plot mechanics. While Garin is cast from an off-the-shelf mold, Kirsanow uses all the other characters adroitly and rarely misses an opportunity to maximize suspense. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media. (May)