Counterstrike

DAVID HAGBERG, WHO ALSO WROTE UNDER THE NAME OF SEAN FLANNERY BEATS THE HECK OUT OF TOM CLANCY FOR ACTION, SUSPENSE, AND AN INSIDER'S KNOWLEDGE OF ESPIONAGE, AND THIS IS PROBABLY HIS BEST ACTION NOVEL. A SOCIOPATH HAS TAKEN ON THE JOB TO KILL GORBACHEV, AND WHEN HE IS ORDERED OFF THE HIT, HE STARTS KILLING THE PEOPLE WHO HIRED HIM, AND CONTINUES TO HUNT HIS QUARRY. THE ACTION IS SLAMBANG, THE SUSPENSE BUILDS IMMEASURABLY, KEEPING YOU HOOKED TO THE END OF ONE OF, IF NOT, HIS BEST BOOK EVER! OTHER GREAT FLANNERY BOOKS INCLUDE A. KILO OPTION(HIJACKING OF AN AMERICAN NUCLEAR SUBMARINE, TO BE USED FOR TERRORISM AGAINST THE U.S.A.) B. THE ZEBRA NETWORK(ABOUT CATCHING A TRAITOR AGAINST THE U.S., OR IS HE A TRAITOR?) C. BY DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT(WRITTEN UNDER HAGBERG'S OWN NAME) AB0UT PAKISTAN USING A NUC AGAINST INDIA, AND AMERICA'S INVOLVEMENT TO AVOID ALL OUT NUCLEAR WAR. EACH OF THESE BOOKS HAVE A RING OF TRUTH TO THEM, AND ARE VERY TIMELY, AND PROPHETIC.

This is a great Cold War assassination thriller. Hard liners from the Soviet Union hire a psycho-assassin to terminate Gorbachev due to his openness towards the West and freedom. As the assassin carefully plans his hit, the hard liners are forced to reverse their decision, but it is too late because the assassin wants to kill Gorbachev anyway. A Russian investigator, Nikolai Ganin, is sent out to stop him or have his own life be ruined if he doesn't. A great game of cat and mouse begins. A superb thriller with great characters and a great plot from a great writer.