Downing of Flight Six

In this debut techno-thriller, an innocuous gadget--a laser-interceptor that disrupts the guidance systems of low-altitude, tactical missiles--sets off a series of deadly events. The villain is the CIA--here a swamp of voyeurs, moles, double agents and bureaucrats ready to sanction murder in order to preserve the Company's reputation. When the CIA commandeers a commercial jet to deliver the laser to Europe, Captain Leonard Hutcherson finds his crew and passengers at risk for the sake of a national security threatened more by its guardians than by its enemies. TV director and producer Lafferty writes crisp dialogue and deftly handles the aircraft background. But he fails to make credible his major premise: that experienced intelligence officers would arrange the public disappearance of a commercial airplane. Despite some effective individual episodes and a cast of well-drawn characters, this novel never leaves the runway. (June)