Trust but Verify

In former Reagan deputy press secretary Bodman’s lackluster fourth near-future political thriller (after 2009’s Final Finesse), Vadim Baltiev and his brother, Maksim, have assigned their nephew, Otto, the job of killing Director of Homeland Security Samantha Reid. Otto first attempts to bomb a restaurant in Naples, Fla., where Samantha is dining, but a glitch prevents the blast from harming anyone. The Baltiev brothers next plan to blow up the Federal Reserve’s annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyo., where Samantha is speaking, and make a killing on the stock market crash that’s sure to follow. They import two Russian goons, Stas and Lubov, to do the actual demo work, but Stas and Lubov prove just as inept as the brothers. An uneasy romantic relationship develops between Samantha and FBI agent Brett Keating, who’s investigating the attempts on her life. Lots of luck and some high-tech gadgetry help Brett save the day. This is political romance thriller lite; serious thriller readers would be advised to steer clear. (Sept.)