The Watchmen

For the second time, New York City faces destruction from the air. This time the weapon is a missile full of anthrax and sarin, a neurotoxin. A miracle occurs and the missile crashes through a window in the United Nations Building traveling backwards. It fails to explode. The ensuing investigation reveals the missile was built in Russia during the Cold War. FBI Russian expert William Cowley is assigned to work closely with an old friend, Dimitri Danilov, one of Moscow's top men in the investigation of organized crime.Working first on opposite sides of the Atlantic, and then together, the two men unravel a crazy quilt plot of Russian gangsters and American ultra right wing hackers, which masks an even more obscure story of political maneuvering and infighting. Time after time, new evidence seems to obscure, rather than clarify, the case. It seems that the criminals ability to plan and execute is only marred by their occasional poor choices of weapons. In the meantime agents die and Cowley and Danilov seem powerless to make and progress. The third player on the investigation team is FBI agent Pamela Darnley. She works with Cowley and heads the U.S. investigation when he is in Russia. To say that Darnley is ambitious is an understatement, but she is intelligent and determined, and is responsible for many of the case's breakthroughs. Since Cowley and Danilov were originally introduced in "No Time For Heroes" most of the character development is lavished on Darnley. The reader will find her an intriguing and unusual character.I find I like novels in the spy genre best when they most resemble police procedurals, and that is what "The Watchmen" excels at. Plotting is tight as the story shifts back and forth from Russia to the States. There are countless puzzle pieces, but the solutions are logical rather than magical. And nobody has superpowers, either. Other than slight flaws due to minimalistic character development this is a very readable story that echoes and extremely uncomfortable reality.("The Watchmen" was actually conceived and written before the events of 9/11. In the light of that tragedy, portions of the book had to be revised to reflect that harsh reality.)

The rocket is fired from the nearby East River striking the UN Building in the China sector, killing a few workers by its impact though the explosion did not occurr. However, the bomb detonation experts realize that the warhead contains biological poisons and is leaking so that any person who has already come in contact will be dead shortly. Though the lettering on the warhead is Russian, the Kremlin denies that this warhead was part of its inventory. Still the two countries cooperate as FBI Moscow expert William Crowley and the Russian Organized Crime Bureau Chief Dimitri Danilov begin a joint investigation. Other attacks follow with credit for the assaults claimed by a previously unknown group, THE WATCHMEN. William and Dimitri wonder how to stop the watchmen who apparently consist of American finance and computer gurus with Russian criminals? THE WATCHMEN is an exciting espionage thriller that never slows down on the cat and mouse chase that spans two continents. The lead duo is engaging but morose, a pair who have seen too much in their respective lives; their gloomy personalities actually add dark tension to the dynamic story line. Brian Freemantle never quite slows down to provide the demands of THE WATCHMEN so that the audience is left with an exhilarating thrill ride that will please the action adventure reader, but also leave fans with a "huh" that asks why they committed the deeds?Harriet Klausner