Megiddo

In this well-written suspense novel, reminiscent of John le Carre, Palestinian commandos maneuver against their Israeli opponents. The plot concerns the Chatila group (a reference to the 1982 refugee-camp massacres), which is trying to acquire an atomic weapon and use it to crush Israel. The head of Arab Affairs at Mossad, Israel's Central Institute for Intelligence and Special Missions, gets wind of this project and sets out to foil it with the help of Alfred Baum, deputy director of France's DST (the equivalent of our FBI). Atomic-bomb cliffhangers are, of course, somewhat of a cliche in the suspense field, but Kartun has an excellent feel for pace and a talent for developing a sense of danger. He's also good at conveying the murk of secret liaisons between rival governments and the secret wars between ministries inside those governments. Kartun previously wrote Beaver to Fox, Flittermouse and The Courier. (June)