WINTER HAWK

by Craig Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 29, 1987

Gant is back!"" cries the publicity for this tense thriller featuring the same pilot who foiled the Russians in the exciting Firefox! and the so-so Firefox Down!. What isn't mentioned is that the same plot and villain are back too (more or less), as Thomas skillfully plagiarizes himself in order to avoid the lassitude of his recent non-Gant novels (Sea Leopard, Lion's Run). In the Firefox! series, Gant sneaked into Russia, stole a superjet, and then flew back to the West, dogfighting all the way home. This time, Gant (who's more laconic than ever, in step with Clint Eastwood's portrayal of him in the film version of Firefox!) sneaks into Russia, steals a superspy, and then flies back to the West, dogfighting all the way home. The difference is that here Gant flies a helicopter, not a jet--and he gets help on his mission from the most unlikely of men, Dimitri Priaban, the hapless KGB Colonel who was his nemesis in the Firefox! books. Gant's mission? To spirit out of Russia a scientist who's been feeding the CIA information on a secret laser-weapon the Soviets plan to put into orbit. Priabin's interest? He learns that a splinter group of the Soviet Army plans to use the laser-satellite at once to destroy an American shuttle flight--and he fears this will set off WW III. For most of the novel, Thomas cuts between Gant's suspenseful, painstaking incursion into the heart of Russia and Priabin's investigation of the Army plot, not so much interweaving the two storylines as laying them side-by-side. By the time Gant and Priabian meet, Thomas has jacked the tension to high pitch, and it's a thrill ride as American and Russian scramble together to stave off global disaster. Thomas reduces Gant to little more than a cypher here, but compensates by beefing up Priabin, who takes on le CarrÉ overtones as a man caught between loyalties. The technical details and intricate depiction of Soviet life fascinate, and Thomas' skillful pacing keeps the action skimming. Altogether, Thomas' best since Firefox!

Pub Date: April 29, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: FICTION