The Reluctant Hero

May 1, 2012
Zac Kravitz, a mercenary, and Harry Brown, an member of Parliament, soldiered together but haven't seen much of each other since Harry's wife died. Then Harry gets word that Zac is in trouble, likely in prison in the fictional country of Ta'Argistan. Harry feels he owes Zac, so he uses his influence to secure a role on a diplomatic mission to Ta'Argistan. Harry enlists the aid of another MP, Martha Riley, to first determine if Zac is indeed in prison and, second, to help him escape. But the plan doesn't go well, and Harry is soon the guy in Ta'Argistan's central prison. The rest of the novel entails Harry's efforts to escape, Martha's efforts to assist without ending up in custody herself, and a cat-and-mouse chase to get out of Ta'Argistan and back to the safety of England. The Harry Brown series has been a big hit in England and could be the same here if the word spreads. Brown is tough, gritty, loyal, and has a decidedly British dry witBondian without the gadgets and the goofy villains.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)