Tracers: A Harry Tate Novel

British author Magson stumbles in his second thriller featuring former MI5 agent Harry Tate (after Red Station). A routine assignment to locate Abuzeid Matuq, a Libyan banker who disappeared with a lot of money, leads Tate and Rik Ferris, his partner in tracing missing people, into a series of murders and betrayals, which turn out to be linked to a terrorist act in the prologue%E2%80%94a bombing that takes out a well-guarded target in Baghdad. Time after time, the author brings the reader up short with illogical or unconvincing dialogue or actions. While Tate believes that Matuq is being sought by "the more vengeful elements of the Libyan secret police," when Matuq is fatally shot after surfacing in Norfolk a few pages later, the Libyan's murder strikes Tate as "pointless" and "random," though he knows it isn't. Those aware that YouTube isn't a print Web site will find a character's assertion to the contrary another reason to disengage. (June)