The Bronze Frog

This gripping thriller from Clift (A Death in Geneva) opens at the North Pole, where SEAL Cdr. Linc Walker and his partner, Chief Gunner’s Mate John Hall, are on a mission to monitor a covert Chinese military installation. After they’re dropped off on the ice by their submarine, the USS Burlington, they get into a firefight with the enemy. Hall is seriously wounded and dies while awaiting the Burlington’s return to their rendezvous point; the sub is delayed, as Walker later learns, by orders from Washington, D.C. Walker vows to get back at the treasonous bureaucrats he holds responsible for Hall’s death. Clift, a skilled wordsmith, does a good job of depicting incidental characters and international locales; moments that should seem coincidental instead feel serendipitous. Some readers will struggle to root for Walker as the body count rises, but fans of murderous antiheroes such as Dexter Morgan can add Linc Walker to their rogues’ galleries. Military action fans will appreciate the meticulous procedural detail that Clift, a former naval officer, brings to this relentless tale of revenge. [em](Sept.) [/em]