Allah's Scorpion

At the vivid start of Hagberg's latest thriller to feature former CIA director Kirk McGarvey, al-Qaeda terrorists attack Camp Echo—the part of the U.S. base at Guantánamo where detainees deemed to be harmless are held while their release is arranged—and help some of these prisoners escape. It appears that Osama bin Laden is putting together a crew of naval experts to pull off an attack on a seaport on America's West Coast that will dwarf even the horrors of 9/11. As McGarvey, who comes out of retirement, and a tough, sexy Cuban-born CIA agent, Gloria Ibenez, prepare to fight off what al-Qaeda has code-named Allah's Scorpion, Hagberg (Soldier of God ) once again displays his wide and deep inside knowledge of intelligence and military tradecraft—including details of how Osama and his men hide from American spy satellites. Too many tongue-twisting names of weapons and equipment might slow down the action for some readers, but the full thrust of the narrative soon takes on a life of its own. (Jan.)