cover image Weatherhawk

Weatherhawk

Herbert Crowder. Putnam Publishing Group, $19.95 (413pp) ISBN 978-0-399-13492-0

Credible characters, plausible relationships between men and women and a complex, controlled plot mark this blend of techno-thriller, detective story and corporate romance set in the world of military procurement. The title refers to a proposed new fighter plane--a billion-dollar contract for the winning firm. Mark Muldoon, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel turned operations manager for Hearst Avionics, sees the crucial factor in a successful bid as JAWS, a radar system that will revolutionize air-to-air combat. The theft of the JAWS prototype supplies the pivotal action for Crowder's ( Ambush at Osirak ) well-crafted pursuit and recovery tale. Hardcore techno-thriller fans may cavil at Crowder's using JAWS as what Alfred Hitchcock used to call a MacGuffin--an object that generates the action but otherwise is of minor importance. They will applaud, however, his convincing descriptions of high-tech gadgetry and his skill at conveying the competitive, hothouse environment of contemporary defense industries. (Feb.)