Resistors

Set in Egypt in 1982, Tomaras's uneven historical thriller begins with a bang as federal air marshal Stephen Kappas succeeds in foiling a hijacking attempt by terrorists on a flight from Cairo to Cyprus. After an attractive stewardess is taken hostage, Kappas's quick thinking saves the day and prevents the death of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Mitchell Robertson. Whatever momentum this beginning generates is quickly lost when Tomaras launches into a series of flashbacks, first to the meeting of his hero's parents in 1948, and then to Tomaras's school years in Sparta, Wis. By the time the leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine%E2%80%93General Command%E2%80%94the terrorist organization behind the hijacking attempt%E2%80%94reappear and vow retribution, many readers will have lost interest%E2%80%94a problem exacerbated by additional visits to Kappas's past that do little to flesh out his character. The author throws in the de rigueur romance, but it lacks genuine emotion, and the eventual resolution of the plot strains credulity.