Books

11:48 AM CDT on Monday, July 3, 2006

By LAURIE YOUNG / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Melanie Wells

(Multnomah Fiction, $12.99)

We first met Dr. Dylan Foster in the first of Melanie Wells' projected spiritual warfare trilogy, When the Day of Evil Comes. Now she's back in the second, The Soul Hunter, and once again, the evil Peter Terry is her nemesis. The thriller begins as Dylan gets ready for a date with her boyfriend, David. When she checks out a noise at her front door, she discovers a bloody ax. After reporting the incident to the police, she finds out that a coed had been murdered. Once she is cleared of the ax murder, she begins her own investigation of the victim, who has a religious commune background. During her search, she discovers a dangerous cult of angel worship that is involved in the deaths of other young people. In her first book, Ms. Wells had Dylan strap on her spiritual armor, faith, and fight the unknown. In the second book, Dylan uses the same spiritual armor. Once again, Ms. Wells' writing is excellent, and the characters well developed. Texas has a new author to be proud of.

Iris Johansen

(Bantam Books, $26)

Iris Johansen has written a suspenseful thriller that features Dr. Sophie Dunston and her son, Michael, facing a killer who forces them to run for their lives. Two years ago, the famous sleep therapist's father shot and killed her mother and tried to kill her son. Sophie's son, as a result, suffers from horrible night terrors. Dr. Dunston developed the drug REM-4 that cures insomnia, but also leaves a patient vulnerable to mind control. It was this drug that her former employer, Robert Sanborne, used to turn her father into a mindless killer. Now Sanborne is back to get the formula, sell it to the highest bidder and eliminate any loose ends. Sophie must rely on the aid of a mercenary, formerly one of Sanborne's "zombies" who has been reconditioned and is determined to protect the mother and son. The story line is full of action. A romantic subplot feels appropriate.

Noel Hynd

(Forge Books, $25.95)

The son of true crime writer Alan Hynd, Noel Hynd knows the secrets of Washington. It's 2009 in this political-spy thriller. Secret Service agent Laura Chapman is reassigned from her White House detail to identify and stop a would-be presidential assassin, paid $10 million by a foreign government. There are only two clues: The assassin is a Secret Service agent, and he is male. Laura is not your typical straight-laced agent. She drinks too much, smokes pot and suffers from periodic depression. She also has visions. Mr. Hynd describes her investigation in great detail, evidence of careful research. She tracks down the source of the tip, a person called "Charley Boy," and discovers he is actually a she, hooker Anna Muang. Muang overheard a client describing the plot against the president. As Laura continues to search for the assassin, she finds herself losing the race against time. The Enemy Within is a great story, written intelligently and introducing a very sympathetic main character.

Brad Thor

(Atria Books, $25)

Brad Thor's latest features Scot Harvath, a 36-year-old counter terrorism operative for the Department of Homeland Security. An American team has kidnapped Mohammed bin Mohammed (nicknamed M&M), head of al-Qaeda's weapons of mass destruction committee, and hidden him in New York City. Abdul Ali, a known terrorist, enlists the aid of an evil dwarf known as the Troll to rescue Mohammed. As part of the rescue attempt, New York faces a horrific attack, with bombs destroying the Queensboro and the Williamsburg bridges. The president's daughter is seriously injured, and thousands are killed. Harvath and his soldier-buddies follow the enemy through the streets and subways. They are the only ones who can challenge the terrorists. Takedown's characters include former soldiers and Tracy Hastings, who was maimed when a bomb that she was trying to defuse in Iraq accidentally detonated. Scot and Tracy become involved romantically. At almost 400 pages, the book is a bit too long and is so action-packed that there is little character development. But Takedown is completely terrifying and horrifyingly plausible.

Laurie Young writes about thrillers for The Dallas Morning News.