W.E.B. Griffin: Zero Option: A Men at War Novel

Kirsanow’s static second contribution to Griffin’s Men at War series (after The Devil’s Weapons) sees U.S. Army major Richard Canidy and lieutenant Eric Fulmar heading off a pair of assassination plots. In 1943, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin travel to Tehran to discuss war plans. As the heads of state prepare to convene, the U.S. gets word that a German SS officer and a Russian NKVD major have separately been tasked with killing the leaders. “Wild Bill” Donovan, head of the Office of Strategic Services, taps Canidy and Fulmar to intervene. Predictably, their mission proves treacherous, though a series of failed attempts on Canidy’s and Fulmar’s lives doesn’t lead to the climactic showdown readers might expect. Fortunately, two memorable supporting characters from the previous entry, the Thorisdottir sisters, who help transport OSS contacts to secure locations around the world, get even more to do this time around. Though series fans may enjoy this entry’s familiar rhythms, they’ll wish it had more consequential action. This lacks the tension of top-tier Griffin. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (July)