THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND

In Reagan’s (The Devil’s Handshake, 2014) latest thriller, billionaire oligarch Sir Thomas Litchfield returns, caught in global tension over the control of Central Asia’s natural gas.

Two years after North Korea and South Korea are reunified, a new gas pipeline through the Koreas has other countries at arms. The initial problems for people in places such as the U.S., China and Russia are monetary; the Turkmenistan president, for example, wants Thomas’ TLH Group to give up its commission with the country. But the situation worsens when a woman, secretly part of a family with a vendetta against Thomas, finds herself in a position of power. Her attempt at retribution leads some to accuse Thomas of murdering his business partner and, since it could be construed as a power play, profiteering from the pipeline deal. It escalates from there: A Turkmenistan gas field is attacked, and countries, including Japan, blame one another for trying to gain control of the fields. Reagan’s novel is a labyrinth of subplots: There’s Zhang Nu, a Chinese model/intelligence officer monitoring Thomas; Korean Vice President O Su Lee, who spearheaded the reunification and may have further, possibly devious, plans; and one country’s indisputable attack on another, perhaps threatening another world war. There are also a few impressive action scenes, particularly the multiple assassination attempts on Thomas, whose armed bodyguards get involved in a few gunfights. The uneasiness derived from international distrust makes even mere discussions, such as ones between Thomas and his friend (but still potentially dangerous) Russian President Vladimir Putin, sound like razor-laced discourse. Yet Reagan doesn’t define the story’s villains by their nations; each country has its share of bad guys, as well as those intent on maintaining peace—even a Japanese yakuza turns out to be a man of honor. However, an abundance of grammatical errors distracts from the otherwise entertaining narrative. And like last time, an open ending teases another sequel, though just deserts for one character will have readers taking in the coda with approval.

Nearly as long as the voluminous prequel but more swiftly paced, the second in the Litchfield series is a marked improvement.