Kirkus Reviews QR Code
THE SENTRIES by Ed McBain Kirkus Star

THE SENTRIES

By

Pub Date: March 5th, 1965
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

The same sort of split second timing and step-by-step revelations of method that have made the author's 87th Precinct mysteries international favorites are at work in this novel. The serious point is that a global war could start from one, small isolated incident if it were to take place in the right setting at the right time . Additionally, the book is a great action/adventure entertainment. Jason Trench, a fanatic patriot, plots for two years and then executes his grand plan. He and his 40 odd recruits went to start a shooting war with Cuba. Ostensibly, they're doing it for America against Communism. The plan requires that they take over a whole town on the Florida Keys, capture a Coast Guard vessel and head for Havana. BOOM! They plan to get fired on and before anyone finds out the Coast Guard boat was pirated, they hope Washington will push a fail/safe buttong and get the war going. Speaking of Fail Safe -- this book has what that lacked -- a practical reality. Jason's plan, a genius of organization, carries forward like a Sherman tank, absorbing all minor jolts. It's a real cliff-hanger for suspense and leaves you with that awful feeling about our national borders -- as though the national slip were hanging and some fanatic could grab it and run.