The Third Consequence

This follow-up to The Kill Box sets Stewart alongside top techno-writers like Clancy and Bond, as his mix of fact and fiction explodes off the page with the immediacy of a live CNN war-zone video feed. Killing his commander in mid-flight is just the first step in Stealth pilot Lt. Col. Luther Wright's plans to gain control of the Air Force's elite Ninth Fighter Squadron crisis-response team. Wright has sold out to Iranians who plan to coerce the West into accepting huge oil price increases by launching missile attacks on Western oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and Suez and by setting off an underground nuclear test to show the world they have nuclear weapons. The U.S. battle response is sabotaged by high-tech knockouts of spy satellites and the sinking of tankers right under the navy's nose. Squad pilot Ryan Cooney suspects something strange is going on, but Wright plots to have him shot down, making it seem as if Cooney is in the pay of the Iranians, has bombed American facilities in Iran and then has turned his Stealth bomber over to the enemy. Cooney's cagey counterplot and his seat-of-the-pants flying theatrics throw Wright a curve and threaten to derail his nefarious plan. Stewart's knack for making tech lingo sing on the page and his flair for the elaboration of battle scenes and slimy villains will keep action and techno fans hooked. A former Stealth pilot, Stewart demonstrates an easy familiarity with military life and battle tactics while offering up strong characters, a credible plot and a quirky, satisfying finale. (Sept.)