Targets of Opportunity

In Stephens's solid second Jordan Sandor thriller (after Targets of Deception), the CIA agent with a reputation as a loose cannon relentlessly pursues a nebulous group of terrorists planning a major attack on the U.S. While it first appears the plotters are Iranians, Sandor's investigation points to North Korea and Venezuela also being involved. A mission into North Korea results in the capture of a high-level government official as well as the death of one of Sandor's team. When the terrorists initially attack in the French West Indies%E2%80%94a commercial jet is blown up and a secret communications post is destroyed%E2%80%94Sandor suspects these outrages are meant to distract from the main attack. He keeps following the trail, annoying his government bosses with his sometimes extreme methods, until he ends up off the coast of Baytown, Tex., where everyone except Sandor thinks the strike is going down. The explosive finale will leave readers more than satisfied. (Aug.)