Power Down

July 19, 2010
Coes pumps new heat, blood, and flat-out action into a well-worn premise—terrorists are out to break America by attacking its energy resources—in his frighteningly plausible thriller debut. One target is Capitana, an American oil rig located in the Pacific off the coast of Colombia. Rigger gang chief Dewey Andreas, a former Delta officer, fights back and succeeds in saving many lives, but the oil platform is destroyed. At the same time, Canada's Savage Island Project, the largest hydroelectric dam in North America, is blown up, killing hundreds and destroying a vital link in the U.S.'s energy production. Behind these schemes and with many more to come is Manhattan billionaire Alexander Fortuna, who will stop at nothing to destroy America, a country he was taught as a child to loath. Abetting Fortuna is a despicable traitor, Vic Buck, director of the CIA's National Clandestine Service. Readers will eagerly await Coes's next effort and hope for Dewey Andreas's return.

August 1, 2010

Massive terrorist attacks on America not only kill hundreds but throw the global economy into chaos. The terrorists are Middle Eastern, but many have been deeply imbedded in Western society for years, including their resident mastermind. Dewey Andreas, a former Special Forces soldier who had become chief of a major oil rig in the Caribbean, survives an attack on his rig and begins to take down the terrorists who killed his crew. VERDICT Timing is everything, and debut author Coes has the good fortune to have written about a topic that concerns everyone--the vulnerability of our energy supply, including offshore oil platforms. As a hero, Andreas is a little too good to be true. He shrugs off major wounds, performs surgery on himself, will not bleed to death, and never misses with gun or knife. Regardless, this well-written thriller will appeal to fans of Vince Flynn and Brad Thor. [Library marketing.]--Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

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