From Publishers Weekly
A thriller that opens with terrorists crashing into the House of Representatives and killing 124 of its members with assault-weapons fire, then fleeing in helicopters that unexpectedly explode, seems likely to be a page-turner. The odds escalate when its authors are seasoned crime novelist Hoyt (Japanese Game, 1995) and Abercrombie, whose position as a congressman (D., Hawaii) allows for an insider's take in the opening and other scenes. But the prose here is flat; the dialogue, which too frequently relies on lengthy, explanatory exchanges, is stilted; and the story presentation nears parody, with the action divided into bite-size, time-headlined segments that presume that every second counts ("8:18.35 p.m.; 8:18.40 p.m."). Despite the congressional carnage, moreover, the authors expend most of their moral outrage on issues of campaign financing. The hero, James Burlane, is too familiar as well (ex-CIA, he was sacked by the Company for "being an untrustworthy loner"). The villains aren't much more exciting, but at least they're kept offstage for a while, a wise move since figuring out who is behind the massacre-the Cali drug cartel is the main suspect-provides the only, albeit tepid, suspense. Abercrombie's understanding of Congress allows for some fresh local coloring, but he shouldn't give up his day job-and Hoyt should go back to the solo authoring he does so well.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Abercrombie, a congressman from Hawaii, teams with writer Hoyt (The Japanese Game, LJ 3/1/95) in this thriller about a group of terrorists who storm a House of Representatives session.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.