The Second Chinese Revolution

In this overly long but intriguing action thriller from Halstead (The End of Russia’s War in Ukraine), pro-democracy advocate Chen Li Na, a brilliant computer hacker, uses a special device, which connects to internet satellites that service countries bordering China, in her work instigating attacks on the Chinese government. To destroy these satellites, which have been launched by an American company run by Eli Wade, the Chinese leaders have several options: sabotaging the delivery rockets before they can take off, shooting them down as they fly into space, downing them once they’re in orbit, and, if all else fails, assassinating Wade. Russian agents are employed to do the dirty work, so the Chinese have deniability; in return, China promises to buy all their oil and gas from Russia. Readers should be prepared for characters and plot points that appear and disappear amid massive amounts of historical and technical information. Halstead does a good job pulling all the threads together, however, and those who persevere will turn the last page satisfied if exhausted. The open ending promises more to come. (Self-published)