With his usual attention to detail and keen sense of pacing, retired Air Force officer Davis (The Commander, etc.) pens another absorbing military mystery featuring former Special Investigations officer Martin Collins, Air Force investigator Major Amanda Gardner (Martin's love interest) and eccentric millionaire Simon Santos, an intriguing but implausible character who moonlights as a homicide detective. At the novel's outset, Martin receives an emergency call to duty. The much despised General Michael Garber has been found dead aboard a VIP transport, and it's up to Martin and his cohorts to determine, within 24 hours, whether foul play was involved—no easy feat considering that the Secretary of Defense would like nothing more than to sweep the case under the rug to preserve the military's reputation. To complicate matters further, the trio must deal with obstinate four-star generals; the deceased's father, who is an influential senator; and a number of air force underlings who have been ordered to make his job difficult. The tension builds with every stone overturned, sucking readers in gently but inexorably. Though there are no explosive action scenes here, each encounter between the protagonists and the military's elite crackles with energy, keeping readers on their toes every step of the way. (July)
