Soft Targets

This was the first novel that came to mind after the horrific events of September 11. I had read it when it first came out and again a few years later, and its message has stuck with me. Although the brand of terrorism Ing was writing about--rooted in the hijackings and bombings of the 70s--may seem sadly outdated, his thinking on the subject and how a nation responds is all too relevant now. Highly recommended, along with most of his other work.

I was pleased to see Dean's 1980 story, "Soft Targets", re-released. Dean's a family friend and autographs upon request all of his books we buy. Anybody who knows Dean can close their eyes and hear him talk through all of his books. Soft Targets addresses an entirely plausible issue whose nonoccurrence is taken for granted by the American public - terrorists loose in our own country, waging a religious war in the name of their leader. Hakim Arif stars as the leader of the Arab-backed El-Fatah band of terrorists who have in their group a Panamanian and - surprise - two Israeli members of a religious sect whose beliefs are so convoluted as to ally them with their own enemy. Maurice Everett is the FCC Chairman whose idea to have the country's major TV networks ridicule terrorists versus giving them the publicity they and their backers so crave, puts him and the co-creators of the idea at the top of El-Fatah's hit list. The two men match wits and cross each other's trails through several confrontations running the full gamut of terrorist activity and although Hakim's band succeeds in kidnapping a member of Everett's coterie of television co-conspirators - and scooping up Everett in his new identity through pure bad luck when the plan to fake his death backfired - Everett wins through, saving his fellow hostage after the terrorists have a falling out amongst themselves. Dean crafts his stories with technical excellence, fully accurate geographic detail, trademark colloquialisms and word usage, and draws on his experience as an ex-Air Force crew chief and small-car buff to put together yet another story that will draw you through from beginning to end. It's a great story. Those of you who have read other books by Dean may have noticed a common thread amongst his leading characters: a gruff, burly, worldly-wise and competent tough guy of mature years who nevertheless has his sensitive side. This may be Dean's idea of how he views himself, and it's damn close to the truth.