AN OPAQUE WAR

A multifaceted thriller that goes behind the scenes of an impending terrorist attack.

When international terrorist Al-Ghabrizi is arrested and flown to the United States for interrogation, President Tucker, whose public-approval rating has dipped significantly, works a massive public-relations campaign to showcase his triumph. But as Hannah Crossman, an American-born CIA agent of Lebanese descent, begins to investigate, she realizes the capture of Ghabrizi may be a setup to divert attention from an explosive potential attack planned for the height of New York’s tourist-happy Fleet Week. What Hannah doesn’t realize is that the new romantic interest in her life, the international business tycoon John Balthazar, is the financial mastermind behind the plot. First-time novelist and former CIA officer Harrison’s dialogue is often stilted, and the segues between multiple points of view can be amateurish, but he absolutely knows the backgrounds, machinations and motivations of Middle-Eastern terrorists and the various American defense departments. Without resorting to caricature, and with a comprehension of jihad and strategy that’s alarming in its real-world implications, the author logically implements a plotline that underscores how easy it would be to pull off another 9/11-style terror strike. At the same time, Harrison’s depictions of coordination efforts–and frequent animosity–among the White House, CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, police and the National Guard will inspire awe–and anxiety–in readers.

A nail-biter about the global war on terror.