Vengeance

In Campbell’s breakneck final Trident Deception adventure (following The Bin Laden Plot), assassin Lonnie Mixell returns to wreak havoc on the U.S. government while tensions heat up with Russia. Despite several apparent confirmations of his death, Mixell has just killed U.S. secretary of defense Tom Glass, and been offered $100 million by disgraced former Navy secretary Brenda Verbeckto do the same to the president. Meanwhile, CIA agent Jake Harrison has been living off the grid in a small Arkansas town since Mixell killed his wife. When evidence emerges that Mixell is alive, CIA director Christine O’Connor coaxes Jake back into the fray. At the same time, the U.S. has placed sanctions on Russian oil and gas following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia retaliates by sending a sophisticated submarine into the Strait of Hormuz to sink oil tankers leaving the region, setting the stage for a thrilling battle with the USS Michigan. The action cuts back and forth between the race to kill Mixell and the submarine showdown, with the occasional time-out to let readers catch their breath. Though the pace of the previous entry dragged a bit, this is a crackling return to form and a fitting send-off. Campbell’s fans will be delighted. (Dec.)