Hell in a Briefcase: A Matt Cooper Novel

When I first received this book in the mail and read the title I thought, "What kind of story is this?" Honestly, the title didn't appeal to me, but the front cover was interesting and so was the description on the back. So I started to read. The first chapter had a lot of narration, which usually makes a book boring, but it seemed necessary to the setting and to get you into the mind frame of the story itself. It must've been effective because I found myself wanting to plow through this book from beginning to end. That's a good sign for me because #1, I normally don't read thrillers, and #2, I read SO many books that for it to grab me by the throat it has to be compelling. Hell in a Briefcase was compelling indeed. Have you seen The Peacemaker (1997) starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman? This book reminds me of that kind of action, especially with the pulse-racing countdown to find the nukes before they detonated. Continual intrigue, cliff-hanger plot points, a mysterious "mole" (as they called the insider working with the terrorists), and adventure up the wazoo made this story worthwhile reading for me. What a great ride! One of the best points, IMHO, was the fact that I didn't figure out who the proverbial bad guy/girl was until the end when the person was revealed. That was so cool! Talk about well-done red herrings. This is a perfect example of that technique. Through much of the story I felt like I worked for Homeland Security forces alongside Matt Cooper as an insider, and as a result I know some of the secrets for fighting terrorism with counter-terrorism techniques. I love it when a book makes me feel smarter about a subject when I'm done reading it. Plus, there were excellent characterizations all around. Nikki, the daughter, was VERY well done as was Stevie, the actress. I found the spiritual arc to be very effective and frankly, if there had been no arc, it would've taken away from the story, IMHO. In this story not everyone "finds Jesus" because that isn't the real world, but the defenses people erected against Christians were very realistically portrayed. One particular person's influence (by the change in her behavior), was dramatic enough to capture the attention of the unsaved long enough to have them wonder if what she had was truly real. That's a great illustration of living out your faith, but the character did it in baby steps, like new Christians do. Very cool! I can't wait for the next book in this series because there are some very well-done loose ends that could lead into another book (like a key bad guy being "at large"), yet I still feel satisfied at the end of this one.

Matt Cooper's life has no "pause" button. CEO of the largest private security company in the nation, Matt's existence consists of traveling overseas to establish international offices for his company, attending the highest class Hollywood parties with his actress girlfriend Stevie, engaging in clandestine meetings with informants and covert operatives, and having the ear of the most powerful people in the country. Oh, and dodging the stray bullet or jumping from a car now and then isn't out of the ordinary, either. However, deep inside is a man who's hurting over his wife's death in a horrible car accident, trying to raise a thirteen year old daughter all by himself, while juggling the security concerns of an entire nation. Matt Cooper may be quick, brash, and mostly fearless, but he's not invulnerable. Eventually, a shot is going to come that he won't be able to duck, and that gnaws at him inside. Still, he's got the lifestyle, the "girl everyone wants" on his arm, and an exciting occupation that's never boring. Everything changes when Matt takes a chance to scout out potential markets for his security company in the Middle East, sneaking behind enemy lines to take part in a raid that's part of a Holy War raging for decades. Not only does he see things that change him, make him question his existence and purpose, but also he stumbles upon something more tangible and horrifying - a terrifying nuclear threat to the United States and those he loves, guided by an unseen, maniacal hand bent on destruction and vengeance, a leader caught in the throes bloodlust and jihad. Time runs out as Matt races against the clock, narrowly avoiding assassin strikes meant to take him out of the game, and everyone becomes a suspect as he realizes there's a leak somewhere, either in his own agency or higher up. Worse yet, his daughter Nikki is slipping away into a depression she might not survive, struggling with the grief of losing her mother and the fear that she's going to lose her father as well. Can Matt save the country, his family, and his own soul in time? Hell in A Briefcase, co-authored by Phil Little, an internationally recognized counter-terrorism expert, and Brad Whittington, author of the Fred, Texas series, is a complexly woven story told in the high-wire suspense fashion of The Bourne Identity series and any number of Tom Clancy novels. The pacing is frenetic, unrelenting, and the writing is brisk, terse, bringing the reader swiftly into the flow of the action. While reading, you get the innate sense of a clock ticking as time runs out, and the action scenes are written believably, which is often hard to do in novel. Hell in A Briefcase would make an excellent transition to the big screen. Also, as a co-authored novel, there is no dissonance in the narrative, which often marks such ventures when one writer takes over for another (I'm reminded of the Left Behind series, when it often seemed like one chapter was written by Jenkins, the other by

An attack on one or more American cities by Islamic terrorist using nuclear weapons is considered entertaining fiction. Unfortunately, the threat is real, and thoughtful authors present plausible stories that must be considered warnings. Hell in a Briefcase is such a novel. Suitcase or briefcase nukes are misunderstood by most authors. They were designed to be a super demolition explosive, and that they are. The correct term is Special Atomic Demolition Munitions or SADMs. Technical facts in this book are accurate--a pleasant surprise. Several books and novels deal with an attack on America with suitcase nukes. This is the best novel, with a SADM, plot I have read. A realistic story of a terrorist group planning and implementing multiple attacks with small nuclear weapons. Do they succeed? Read the book. Damage estimates are accurate, and the story keeps you turning the pages. See if you can identify the mole. Matt Cooper is a slightly larger than live alter ego of the author, Phil Little--see Hostile Intent for more information on Phil Little. Matt Cooper, the protagonist, takes the reader on an exciting worldwide adventure with plenty of action. Coop's daughter and girlfriend add an interesting subplot with conflict. The characters are real, a couple, like Coop, are larger than life. Human emotions and motivations are well done. Islamic fanatics are painted with an accurate brush. The reader is confronted with their twisted logic. A well crafted nuclear terrorist whodunit with a Christian theme that is not over done. I highly recommend this novel. I hope Little continues the Matt Copper series. Phil Little and Brad Whittington make a great writing team. I am looking forward to the next Matt Cooper adventure.

A departure from Brad Whittington's first three books - Welcome to Fred, Living With Fred, Escape From Fred - all of which were wonderful coming of age stories and very funny besides. Like those tales, Hell in a Briefcase, too, is grounded in spiritual truth and purpose, but with a fierce injection of adrenaline. If you know the kinds of elements and tension making devices required to race a story along, burn rubber and peel its tread on those tight curves, you'll appreciate this action-packed story about terrorism. The characters have real depth and are engaged in their own individual spiritual journeys, making this a cut above anything I've read by, say, Tom Clancy. As high octane as any Grisham fluff I've read, too. Strong characters devoted to their careers and their individual problems make this not only a fine action thriller but a psychological ride as well, which, to my mind, distinguishes the more substantive reads from your every day fluff. Whittington's writing just gets better and better. Thumbs way up.

As much as I've loved Whittington's "Fred" novels, this was a nice change of pace. The guy can handle action and suspense as well as he can handle humor, insight and pathos. To compare the two is simply unfair. To assume a writer -- ANY writer -- can ONLY write in one genre is extraordinarily narrow-minded and short-sided. "Hell in a Briefcase" is what it is -- a fast-paced, intriguing, well-handled adventure yarn. I loved it. Deal with it.