Larry Bond’s Red Dragon Rising: Shock of War

Bond and DeFelice ratchet up the action in their third Red Dragon Rising novel (after 2010’s Edge of War) about a potential near-future war between China and the United States. China, having suffered a series of natural calamities, has attacked Vietnam, intending to roll over first that country then the rest of Indochina. All that stands between China and victory are a few American Navy ships and a small group of Army advisers, among them Maj. Zeus Murphy, who has led a guerrilla operation against the Chinese naval fleet anchored off Hainan Island to prevent an attack on Vietnam by sea. Meanwhile, U.S. president Chester Greene is attempting to get Congress to back the Vietnamese, and the Chinese have instituted a public relations campaign to thwart Greene’s efforts. Readers will root for Murphy as he comes up with a number of large-scale, MacGyver-like plans to enable the Vietnamese army to stand up to the Chinese colossus. (Jan.)