Counterplay

Thriller fans with a high tolerance for improbability will best appreciate Tanenbaum's latest Butch Karp novel, which picks up where Fury (2005) left off. The Manhattan DA has foiled psychopath Andrew Kane's bid to become the mayor of New York City; Kane, the former head of a law firm, awaits trial for murder at the Tombs. When Kane's attorneys seek their own psychiatric evaluation, they arrange for the high-risk prisoner to be examined at a private hospital upstate. Few readers will be surprised when the convoy is waylaid, allowing the criminal mastermind to escape and plot a bigger crime. Having allied himself with al-Qaeda, Kane seeks to bring about a cataclysmic act of terror while getting revenge on Karp and his allies. Unconvincing character reactions don't help the over-the-top plot, though the cliffhanger ending is sure to shock longtime followers of the series. (Sept.)