Despite some pedestrian prose and stilted dialogue, this near-future thriller shows that veteran Pineiro (Cyberterror
) still knows how to plot. Fueled by the author's years of experience as an engineer, the book contains enough moments of plausible techno-horror to make up for a collection of characters that might have wandered in from other thrillers. CIA star Tom Grant leaves early retirement to join two female intelligence officers investigating the theft of some top secret weapons from United States Nanotechnologies, a company that makes deadly little implants that appear to have a life of their own. Grant's former boss (thought to be dead) may have teamed with a megalomaniac German magnate in a plan to use these nasty little killers to conquer the world. But the centerpiece of the story—much more frighteningly credible than any of the humans pursuing it—is a prototype nanoassembler with a mind and an agenda all its own. Pineiro's fans will no doubt turn the pages of his latest with uncritical energy. (Dec.)
