Soul Hunters

Author of seven previous espionage novels, including Ferret, Markstein may be ready to break out of the pack with this intelligently written thriller. Intricately constructed and complex, it is far different from the standard spy-vs.-spy shootout. Rather than focusing on a single plot, the narrative weaves a collection of threads tightly together: a Russian actor defects; a fanatical U.S. Army colonel builds a secret strike force with nuclear capability; an assassin lurks in London; a KGB agent sets up the defection of his actress lover; a pirate radio station beams inciting messages to the Soviet Union. These incidents are all gambits in a taut game of chess played by both East and West, the outcome of which is not precisely clear. Serious readers of espionage fiction who prize mood and strategy will find this a provocative read. (April 6)