Stop the nuclear strike – at all costs…1976: A Russian pilot defects to Japan in a MiG-25 Foxbat interceptor, but is prematurely captured by the Americans. Before the aircraft is handed back to the Russians, it is reduced to a pile of components and then rebuilt. Despite the wealth of intelligence the Americans glean, however, they fail to realise its true purpose…
The present American satellites have detected unusual activity at several Algerian air bases. At Aïn Oussera, a large hangar has been cordoned off and armed guards are posted outside. Western intelligence agencies suspect that Algeria might be launching an attack on Libya or Morocco.
But they also have a greater that these new weapons systems could be targeted by a rogue nuclear state. With global security in the balance, the only way to find the true threat is to get someone inside.
Paul Richter is this ‘deniable asset’, called into action once more in a furiously exciting thriller, perfect for fans of Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum or Mark Greaney.
Perhaps one of the more interesting North Korea scenarios other than a full scale war like Larry Bonds or Tom Clancy. Office 39, the North Korean's agency responsible for black ops, has concocted a daring but complex plan: steal MiG-25 Foxbats, bring them to North Korea, recruit foreign mercenaries, and then attack Seoul with nukes. All the while, daring the hated West to attack first to give the NK the pretext to invade.
It's up to Paul Richter to figure it out. Now, I have not read the first two books in the series but I feel like you don't necessarily have to because the author does not make references to previous books in the series. You can jump right in and follow Paul. He might be a rival for James Bond, minus the seducing women, or having taunting super-villains to reveal their nefarious plans at the last minute, or the gadgets from Q-Branch. Richter has his own charm.
Ok, so I have a new favorite junk-food writer! Move over Preston & Child, agent Pendergast has a new contender with Paul Richter.
It’s like Michael Crichton had a love child with Tom Clancy: North Korean espionage, stolen Soviet-era aircraft, nuclear and biological weapons, secret underground test labs (are there any other kind?). All shaken up in a cocktail mixer of plausible detail and poured over an ice-filled glass of realistic action sequences.
Why is this not a film by James Cameron yet? Awesome!
Another detailed flying adventure with real situations and logical order to the plot and the telling. Barrington seems able to fully develop a tale from one or two simple truths that rings true from start to finish.
By its title, one would think that this book is about the MiG-25, an obsolete Russian-built interceptor without solid-state circuitry. That is only partially true. It is more about an ambitious plan for North Korea to invade the South while threatening the U.S. and Japan with nuclear weapons. It is British covert asset and Harrier pilot, Paul Richter, to thwart N. Korea's intentions.
Barrington displays his extensive knowledge of Korean politics and military capabilities. The author builds tension to the invasion by the frequent interplay between North Korean aggression and the U.S. and British response to it. The finale depicts a dog fight between the supersonic MiG-25 Foxbat and the slower, but vary agile Harrier jump jet.
Another great adventure with our underrated protagonist, Paul Richter. This time, he’s in a more military rather than espionage setting, though it still works.
Previous books featuring Paul Richter were quite good (Overkill, Pandemic). In this one, he follows orders, goes where he's told, finds out what he's meant to find out, and reports back to base.
The premise of the story is quite good, but Richter has very little to do. This isn't a Bond-esque car chases, shoot outs, spying type of novel. It picks up in the last 50 pages or so but is otherwise a bit of a slog to get there.
A good book to waste your day on. The story line focused on the nut cases in North Korea and seems to fit in with the opinions about them today. Paul Richter is the main focus of the story and needs to find out what has happened to some stolen aircraft.
You will enjoy the read and makes a change from the usual storylines.
Once I started reading I couldn't stop - no dinner got cooked and I missed the end of the tour de France - THAT could only result from "an unputdownable". That is what this is. Great writing style too.