Sky Blue (H)

Set during a near-future civil war between ethnic Russian rebels and Muslim Kazakhs in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, Grace's third thriller (after Crisis and Coup!) offers a convincing study of professional soldiers chafing under political constraints. The story centers on U.N. forces in the capital of Almaty, and on their commander, Brigadier General Julian Chandler, an American veteran with painful memories of service in Somalia. Though charged with enforcing the peace, Chandler's hands are tied by regulations, the need for diplomacy and a U.N. representative who is blatantly favoring the Russians. Those hands become immensely strong, however, when a retaliatory raid on the Russians gives him control of what the rebels have been hiding since the civil war started: three nuclear missiles. Chandler's response to this turn of events is at the heart of the novel's examination of soldiers who owe allegiance to nothing but the blue cap of the U.N. and to each other. Through crisp dialogue and a situation that quickly escalates out of control, Grace energizes his picture of career military men who suddenly become, in effect, a nuclear power. Largely forsaking worldwide reaction to the unfolding events, the author keeps a tight focus on Chandler and his crisis, highlighting a hard-edged yet optimistic view of the military soul as he unfolds a scenario that's both timely and frighteningly plausible. (Dec.)