Uncle Target

This snappy, nearly-all-action thriller, the fourth to feature Major Maxim, gets off the mark when a dying hostage kidnapped by terrorists alerts Maxim to the fact that a rebel Jordanian army battalion is poised to capture the prototype of Britain's most sophisticated tank and reveal its secrets to the Russians. Maxim knows nothing about tanks, but, stealing a march on the Foreign Office, he flies to the Jor danian desert, locates the MBT 90 and, with a minimum crew that includes a Jordanian sergeant and the tank's designer, guides it toward the distant Saudi border. There is one tense moment after another as the tank runs the gauntlet of well-armed Jordanian rebels, inquisitive Israelis and even the Saudis, taking a considerable beating in the process and at one point losing a track. Authentic local color and high-tech detail enrich the brew. Lyall ( Blame the Dead , Judas Country ) is a two-time winner of Britain's Silver Dagger award. (September)