Lacking Virtues: Second Edition

AN AVIATION THRILLER

THE PLAYERS: a former KGB agent; a French politician; his daughter; an American air crash investigator; a Paris-based journalist; an expatriate with a long list of lacking virtues. THE EVENTS: a crime that dwarfs 9/11; a mystery that defies explanation.

Walter Claussen, a KGB agent, becomes a capitalist after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He alone controls a weapon of mass destruction that he sells to the highest bidder.
American passenger jets undergo a series of deadly mishaps that seem unrelated. Frank Warner, meticulous head of air crash investigations at the NTSB, is unable to find the cause. The death toll mounts; the public experiences a collective fear of flying that threatens to cripple the nation.

Meantime in Paris Sophie Marx, retired Bureau Chief of the New York Times, begins work on a book about the life of France's leading right-wing politician, Georges Michelet. At age 70, she is unable to do the legwork herself.

Sophie solicits the help of her young American neighbor, devastatingly handsome ne'er do well Steven Le Conte, and sends him to the Riviera. He is instructed to follow the guiding light of his "golden schwanz." If he can seduce Michelet's daughter Nicole, a sexy na ve teen vacationing on the Mediterranean, he might learn something beyond the reach of his boss. Steven does not disappoint.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS (The Critics on Kirkwood's Writing)

"Solid tension, sudden danger, fierce action . . . catches fire." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A moving love story as well as a novel filled with action and suspense ... strong sympathetic characters ... Thomas Kirkwood is a writer to get excited about." -- Rocky Mountain News

"Nail-biting . . . Perfect " -- Norfolk Virginian Pilot

"Powerful ... Truly riveting " -- Chattanooga News-Free Press

"A bubbling thriller . . . The tension builds." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Suspense and intrigue ... A classic adventure." -- Mobile Press Register

"Wryly drawn characters...absorbing."-- Kirkus Reviews

"Tense drama...spectacular."-- St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Riveting and fascinating."-- Lerner Newspapers

"An absorbing tale...the stuff of which movies are made."-- Rocky Mountain News

"Crackles ... a rousing good job." -- Akron Beacon-Journal

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

"Great story This story could have come straight out of the news this century. The storyline is on target, the characters are believable, and you will automatically choose sides. You love them or you hate them. Great Read for all who love a great mystery."

"This book was interesting, fast paced, and full of suspense. I couldn't put it down, and I was on the edge of my seat until the last page I'd love to see this book made into a movie."

"With just the right blend of sexy, espionage, politics, and international, long-standing grudges, Lacking Virtues delivers on all fronts."

"Wonderful plot, exciting adventure Action that keeps you riveted. Do NOT miss this book. Characters are on point."

OPTIONED FOR THE SCREEN BY TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX