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Ryne Douglas Pearson October's Ghost
William Morrow & Co 1994 0688129846 / 9780688129842 Hardcover Very Good
0688129846 From Publishers Weekly This would-be techno-thriller initially appears to have the requisite action ingredients. While the Russians and Americans are at a delicate point in disarmament talks, a U.S. submarine vanishes. In Cuba, as an anti-Castro revolt nears success, Castro launches an atomic warhead hidden for 30 years. Then an FBI agent is gunned down in L.A. by Cuban hit men out to silence a defector. But almost immediately, Pearson's ( Cloudburst ) sprawling, overcrowded novel becomes mired in its own excesses. Events escalate at a barely manageable rate, as informers are chased, a boozing journalist survives one narrow escape after another, and the LA police try to solve domestic crimes with international overtones. In addition to an overwhelming number of poorly defined characters and turgid prose, the novel suffers from Pearson's incomplete mastery of present and past events as he mingles history with speculation. Some readers may also be short-circuited by all the techno-babble. Still, this partial misfire provides ample fodder for conspiracy buffs and military historians to chew on. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Pearson (Cloudburst, Morrow, 1993) delivers another riveting technothriller, using many of the same characters that appeared in his debut novel. A complex web of plots include a plan by Cuban rebel forces and the CIA to overthrow Castro in a modern Bay of Pigs (hence the title); a sensitive and vulnerable cooperative effort between the United States and Russia to modernize Russia's defense systems; and Castro's plans to launch a secretly held nuclear missile. Two FBI special agents become involved when a Cuban defector tries to warn the United States about the weapon. When the U.S. government finally finds out about the weapon, it prepares against a nuclear attack and warn Russia. The Russians are justifiably skeptical; while trying to convince them that the threat is indeed from Cuba, the CIA sends its Delta force to Cuba to secure and defuse the bomb. Actions and heroics build as the "good guys" win the day and Cuba gains a new leader. Highly recommended. Stacie Browne Chandler, Plymouth P.L., Mass. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. May ship from alternate location depending on your zip code and availability.
Price:
1.61 USD
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