The Malacca Conspiracy

Brown, author of the Navy Justice Series and a former U.S. Navy lawyer, has written a book destined to top Christian fiction lists. A rogue Indonesian general and his army of terrorists attack oil tankers in the Strait of Malacca in order to profit from oil futures and buy nuclear weapons to establish an Islamic superpower. Navy JAG officers Zack Brewer and Diane Colcernian race against the odds and a 24-hour deadline before nuclear attacks hit the United States. Departing from the sea of books barely better than soap opera romance and using the frantic pacing of suspense fiction, Brown glides flawlessly among global hotspots of terrorism—including the United States—and the book's principal settings in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The plot surges headlong with energy; characters—from various cultures—are both believable and accessible; rich dialogue flows. A Bible-quoting evangelical Christian president in the war room is over the top, and while evangelical hot-button issues may please some readers and turn others off, Brown has penned another winner. (July)