Rogue

This series opener from Sullivan (Triple Cross), a loud, brawny festival of action, introduces Robin Monarch, a modern-day Robin Hood who grew up in a poor neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and uses his CIA training to foil evil international forces while skimming the proceeds for his pet humanitarian projects. When Monarch gets on the trail of a missing military weapon that vaporizes its targets rather than blows them up, he discovers that two competing Russian gangsters both want the ray gun, as does his former boss, CIA special ops chief Jack Slattery. Monarch tracks the weapon throughout Europe before finding it stashed in the ruins of an old Ottoman Empire fortress in Moldova. Rest assured, Monarch won’t turn it over to the highest bidder. This thriller provides a nice adrenaline rush, even if Monarch follows in a long line of tough action heroes who are quick thinking, quick acting, and always ready with a clever line of dialogue. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Oct.)