Exposure

Never mind wiping out a hard drive--the computer bug that sets Pineiro's lickety-split new novel (after Retribution) in motion causes a nuclear meltdown outside Palo Verde, Ariz., that kills 15,000 and threatens hundreds of thousands more. Not surprisingly, Preston Sinclaire, the CEO of the giant computer firm that manufactures the defective chip, wants to keep knowledge of his responsibility for the disaster under wraps, particularly since he plans to sit in the Oval Office one day soon. When computer scientist Pamela Sasser discovers the bug, Sinclaire taps his pals at the Defense Intelligence Agency to send a hit man after her. But the assassin, Harrison Beckett, learns the truth behind his assignment--and joins forces with Pamela. Meanwhile, an FBI team led by the feisty Esther Cruz, her ""silver-and-turquoise jewelry rattling with every step,"" enters the fray, targeting Sinclaire. Pineiro's local coloring is sketchy, and his writing can be awkward (""After ten minutes of feeling growingly stupid just sitting there burning gas, Pamela...""), but he keeps the action churning and the suspense on high, at least right up to the novel's sentimental conclusion. (Sept.)