Morrisey's fans will be riveted by this fast-paced Christian thriller, a prequel to his novel Deep Blue
. Beck Easton works as a software architect, but also serves undercover with the National Security Agency. When his NSA supervisors ask him to track Ahmed bin Saleen, a young man from Saudi Arabia whom they believe may play a key role in al-Qaeda, Beck traces the suspected terrorist to Germany, where he has been living disguised as an observant Jew. Clues in bin Saleen's recently abandoned apartment there lead Beck to Rochester, N.Y.—where he uncovers the corpse of a man bin Saleen has murdered—and then to Bermuda, where bin Saleen is busy trying to steal an underwater "dirty bomb." Meanwhile, Beck, a confirmed bachelor, finds himself smitten with the lovely Angela, a preacher's daughter from Wheaton, Ill. She's definitely taken with Beck, too, but knows she shouldn't get romantically involved with a non-Christian and is confused by the secrecy and deceit Beck's undercover work requires of him. The book's main flaw is Angela's paper-thin characterization; she is so utterly two-dimensional that it's hard to understand why Beck falls for her. Still, the brisk plot will keep readers engrossed. (Jan.)
