The Ramal Extraction: Cutter's War

In this sharp first entry in the Cutter's War series by military SF specialist Perry, it's time for the mercenaries to earn their keep. Indira, daughter of the Rajah of New Mumbai on the planet Ramal, has been kidnapped from her own backyard. The crew of the Cutter Force Initiative%E2%80%94a motley mercenary operation run by Colonel R.A. %E2%80%9CRags" Cutter%E2%80%94is used to all manner of dangerous assignments, but this case seems unusually suspicious. Cutter, weaponsmith Gunny Sayeed, cybernetics whiz-kid Formentara, and the rest of the Initiative must apply their formidable and varied skills to find the abductor. Though the plot is a bit hackneyed and the characters fairly standard, Perry never fails to turn in a slick, well-written military SF story, and this title is no exception. Readers will look forward to the developments in the next installment. (Jan.)