The Ragnarök Conspiracy

Unlike most “war on terror” thrillers, Stebbins’s uneven debut inserts a plea for tolerance within the story of indomitable FBI agent John Savas’s struggle against a bizarre terror cell. Though still haunted by his son’s death in the 9/11 attacks, the brooding “Mad John” also takes inspiration from the tragedy for his work in the elite counterterrorism unit Intel 1. He’s conflicted, though, by the sneaking sympathy he feels for the conspirators behind a series of anti-Muslim assassinations and bombings. A burgeoning romance with co-worker Rebecca Cohen makes the divorced workaholic agent feel as if he’s regained a lease on life, while fearless Muslim-American agent Husaam Jordan’s addition to the team helps Savas begin to break through his prejudices. Exciting action scenes highlight Intel 1’s pursuit of a mysterious cabal that encodes Norse runes in audio transmissions, but clunky prose and unconvincing descriptions leave his message looking laudable but fatally heavy-handed. Agent: Sara Camilli, Sara Camilli Agency. (Oct.)