H.M.S. UNSEEN

Robinson, rising master of naval technothrillers (Nimitz Class, 1997, is now being filmed by Universal Pictures), returns with his second supersubmarine tale, something of a sequel to 1998’s Kilo Class. As in Nimitz Class—where a US aircraft carrier disappeared in the Arabian Sea without a trace—a very rare advanced-design, diesel-electric submarine, H.M.S. Unseen, seemingly evaporates into the unknown off the English coast while headed for Brazil. A year later, a Concorde jet also disappears, this time over the North Atlantic, and soon thereafter a supremely high-tech, supersonic Starstriker jet vanishes as well, leaving nary a splash in its wake. Then Air Force Three, with the American Vice President on board, is blown from the sky. What’s causing all this havoc? Well, believe it or not, H.M.S. Unseen has been subnapped by Iraqi terrorists and is now under the charge of Commander Ben Adnam, the wiliest terrorist seen in many a year. Adnam comes up against his own match, however, in the figure of National Security Advisor Admiral Arnold Morgan, though not before misleading Morgan into having the US fire missiles on Iran, letting that country take the vengeance that should—ve been wreaked on the real ringmasters who—d shot down Air Force Three. Far more smoothly written than Tom Clancy’s mammoth digital readouts.