The Warriors

Young's fourth novel featuring Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Parson and ex-Army translator Sophia Gold is a terrific addition to what has become an exemplary series. Stationed at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan, Parson is acting as the base safety officer when an Afghan Air Force C-27 crashes on landing. What seems to be an unfortunate accident caused by a downdraft becomes vastly more complicated when a cargo of opium is discovered. Parson calls in his friend Gold, who's now working in Afghanistan for the United Nations as a civilian, to help him with the investigation, and soon the two are swept up in a much bigger plot to restart the Bosnian War. Young handles all the military thriller logistics like a seasoned pro, getting his likable heroes in and out of trouble, but it's his superior writing that elevates this book above most of the others in this crowded subgenre. Agent: Michael Carlisle, Inkwell Management. (July)