Weapons of opportunity A novel

Brown unleashes his typical blast of military action in this third Nick Flynn outing (after 2022's Countdown to Midnight), a scorchingly paced if predictable adventure about foiling a Russian nuclear attack on the United States. Flynn, a former intelligence agent now with a private security firm, smells a conspiracy while investigating the torture and death of a former CIA executive. Further digging brings him to Russian oligarch Pavel Voronin, who hopes his attempts to bring the U.S. to its knees will catapult him to the Russian presidency. With his daredevil colleague Laura Van Horn, Flynn determines that Voronin has partnered with a brutal Mexican drug cartel to launch a squadron of attack drones armed with nuclear bombs at a number of U.S. cities and military bases. The only way Flynn can stop the scheme is by destroying the fortified Cuban site where the drones are being remotely controlled. Brown employs his usual tools to placating effect: a laser-focused story line fueled by lively dialogue and lots of tech-heavy military action. As a leading man, Flynn is interchangeable with many of Brown's other red-blooded, can-do heroes, but he's likable company. This may not win Brown many converts, but his fans will be pleased. Agent: Robert Gottlieb, Trident Media. (May)