Red Cell

Starred review from March 5, 2012
CIA analyst Henshaw’s assured debut, an exciting espionage thriller, puts him solidly in the ranks of the top writers of the genre. After recuperating from wounds sustained in a gone-bad mission in Venezuela, CIA field agent Kyra Stryker is assigned a Langley desk job in Red Cell, an analysis unit whose only other member for the moment is cranky but brilliant Jonathan Burke. Meanwhile in Beijing, the long-time Chinese CIA spy known as Pioneer realizes, after his cover is blown, that he’s in desperate trouble. As relations between China and Taiwan deteriorate, China readies an attack. The USS Lincoln aircraft carrier group enters the Taiwan Strait, where the Chinese bring a secret weapon into play. Henshaw deftly weaves together all the major and minor players—the U.S., Chinese, and Taiwanese governments; the spies who provide information; and the analysts who turn that information into intelligence. The masterfully handled air-and-ship battle at the end is worthy of Tom Clancy. Agent: Jason Yarn, Paradigm Agency.

Starred review from November 1, 2012
After an operation in Venezuela goes bad, Kyra Striker is exiled to the special CIA think-tank dubbed Red Cell. Kyra could very well become the new Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy's mainstay protagonist. Former CIA analyst Henshaw knows a good story and is able to share it, combining here his crisp writing with well-developed characters. By exploiting the internal CIA cultural conflict between field agents and analysts, the story draws listeners into a mission that not only saves an American spying on the Chinese intelligence machine but that has the potential to bring China and Taiwan into World War III, with a U.S. Navy carrier group caught in the middle. Rob Patterson's narration is passable, but his accents and inflection need work. VERDICT Recommended for thriller and espionage fans. ["The authenticity of the narrative makes it irresistible. Readers will eagerly seek Henshaw's next dip into the CIA pool," read the review of the Touchstone: S. & S. hc, "LJ" 6/15/12.--Ed.]--Scott DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania

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