Cold Frame

A secret NSA-sanctioned assassination squad, known only as the DMX, goes rogue in this exciting political thriller from Deutermann (Sentinels of Fire). The leader of the DMX, the arrogantly ambitious Carl Mandeville, arranges for the murder of one of the group’s own members, Francis X. McGavin, who’s threatening to reveal the DMX’s existence to Congress. Gavin appears to die of natural causes at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, but the Metro PD’s Det. Sgt. Av Smith, whose insubordinate behavior has gotten him banished to an assignment doing little more than shuffling police cases to the appropriate federal agency, suspects foul play. Mandeville considers Smith a minor hindrance in his strategic plan to cleanse the U.S. of foreign security threats and orders for him to be arrested and killed. Despite little support from his own department, the crafty Smith proves a more formidable foe than Mandeville imagined. The reliable Deutermann has again assembled a smartly written, smoothly paced drama that never rings false. [em]Agent: Nick Ellison, Nick Ellison Agency. (July) [/em]