The third thriller by David Rollins featuring his motormouthed sleuth Vin Cooper will definitely appeal to readers of high-tech, military-oriented murder dramas. Set primarily in Istanbul, it commences with the apparently motiveless butchering of Colonel Emmet Portman, the US Air Attache to Turkey. Cooper and his colleague Anna Masters are seconded to the region to solve the killing quietly and quickly. They have their own issues, having previously been lovers, now working unwillingly together as other bizarre murders quickly follow. Sinister, powerful forces are hell-bent on preventing the duo from getting anywhere near the truth. Hunted, beaten up, buried alive and blown up, they nevertheless inch their way towards the uncovering of a calculating, ruthless group of criminals whose motivation is success at any price. David Rollins employs the natural suspicion and lack of cooperation between the Turkish and US military and spy forces to create a suspenseful scenario where no-one knows who to trust or with whom to cooperate. The pace of the story is fast, the action unrelenting and Cooper’s incessant wisecracking either genuinely entertaining or infuriating, depending on your taste. For readers looking for the next Tom Clancy, Rollins could well be the man.

Max Oliver is a veteran Sydney bookseller and crime reader

Tags: david a. rollins