And into the Fire

The threat of a nuclear holocaust hangs over this meandering thriller from Gleason (End of Days). Prince Shaiq ibn Ishaq, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and the richest man on earth, joins forces with Lt. Gen. Jari ibn Hamza, head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Their plan is to steal three nuclear devices and detonate them in the U.S., thus causing international chaos, sending oil prices skyrocketing, and destabilizing America. Their associates include Elias Edito, a former marine and self-described bipolar castrato psychopath, and Hasad ibn Ghazi, a terrorist in the employ of Pakistan’s ISI. Two tough women—Jules Meredith, foreign correspondent for the New York Journal–World (a newspaper owned by Shaiq ibn Ishaq), and her closest friend, Elena Moreno, head of the CIA’s Pakistan desk—set out to foil the attacks. Jules and Elena end up doing very well for themselves, and the novel dramatically illustrates the perils of nuclear weapons, but repetitions and digressions dilute much of its punch. (June)