Sandstorm

April 1, 2013
Detroit Fox News anchor Lee’s debut, the middling first in a new thriller series, introduces Alex Koves, an ex–CIA agent and ex–pro footballer. A former girlfriend of Alex’s, CIA agent Nora Mossa, hunts him down on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, where he’s enjoying the sun and sand, and asks him to save her life. Alex reluctantly agrees to try to rescue Nora from a group of wealthy industrialists known as the Global Watch Institute, who fear Nora is on to their secret plot, code named Sandstorm, which they hope will invigorate America, change the course of history, and make them all even richer. The action involves arms dealers, Iranian nuclear ambitions, professional killers, CIA traitors, sexual tension, and the Mossad, but also clunky writing (e.g., “We’re like pawns on a big-ass chessboard”) and a less-than-credible meandering plot that leads to a fizzle of an ending. Agent: Sharlene Martin, Martin Literary Management.

May 1, 2013
A veteran CIA officer stumbles upon a conspiracy and is executed for her nosiness. A friend of the murder victim, Nora Mossa, another CIA agent, quickly finds her life in danger. She flees, deciding the only person who can help her is Alex Koves, an ex-agent and Nora's former lover; unfortunately, he wants nothing to do with her. But Alex can't resist the excitement he feels when on an active assignment. Not knowing whom to trust, they are forced to work off the grid if they are to find retribution for the death of their friend. The conspiracy involves high-up members of the government helping Iran develop nuclear capability, and they are willing to kill anyone who stands in their way. The character development here is first-rate, and the story line is intense. What could easily have been just another conspiracy thriller feels fresh and new in the capable hands of first-novelist Lee. The ending leaves some of the story unresolved, suggesting that a series is in the making. That would be a very good thing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)