BISMILLAH

An FBI agent tracks a terrorist planning a massive assault on American soil in this novel. 

A school is attacked in Rockford, Illinois, the third instance of violent terrorist extremism in the United States in six weeks. FBI analyst Hector Aguilar, assigned to the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, has a hunch, what he calls a “tingle,” that the strikes are somehow related. He asks his boss, Mark Pravance, for the time and resources to investigate. Hector is skeptically granted a week. But when he digs deeper, he discovers that the three assailants all came to the U.S. from the Middle East in the last four years, spent time in London before arriving, and communicated with sources in Saudi Arabia; even more ominously, all referred to a “vizier,” an ancient term for a “high-ranking minister.” Meek (Triumphus Plebis, 2017, etc.) follows Hector’s attempt to further connect the blood-stained dots as well as identify the mastermind behind the attacks—James Bithingham, whose cover is a mathematician with a winning academic career—who tries to outwit him. The author also paints an intriguing picture of the process of radicalization—in one subplot, an American teenager raised by less than observant Muslims becomes involved with an extremist ideologue obsessed with punishing infidels. James’ ultimate goal—referred to somewhat melodramatically as the “Grand Plan”—is of breathtaking proportions, forcing Hector to move quickly to prevent imminent disaster. The plot hurtles forward at a frenetic pace relentlessly maintained by the author. Meek’s knowledge of American intelligence services, including the intramural territorial battles that can undermine their success, is impressive, as is his eye-opening portrayal of the different avenues of radicalization. James is the least nuanced character in the book, something of a Bond villain, and the author’s prose, especially when portraying the antagonist, can be comic-book theatrical: “The labors of James Allen Bithingham over the past twelve years were coming to fruition. Only one issue remained. Could he avoid detection as the architect of disasters?” But this is an otherwise engrossing blend of action-packed thrills and a sensitive rendering of an explosive issue. 

An exhilarating espionage tale coupled with a nimble exploration of the forces of radicalization.