The Mica by Darwin Little - A terrorist plot to attack the Mica Dam in British Columbia on the Columbia River is under way.
Bahaar Hussein, a handsome Afghani refugee, has assembled a team of Canadians of Middle Eastern descent. Funds have been delivered and weapons obtained.
The chase starts in Eastern North America with CSIS agent, Zack Starr, working as a liaison officer with Homeland Security in the United States following up on the senseless killing of a pair of American Mohawks smuggling money into Canada.
His supervisor is a lovely FBI agent, Monica Stevens, known for her utter dedication to the work of protecting America.
Aiding the terrorists is John Barker Jr., a Texan with a big body and a big hat. More surprising is that the attackers are not carrying out the attack for ideological reasons. They expect to survive and enjoy a massive payday.
It is not easy to create a credible chase across Canada. It is a long way from Montreal to eastern British Columbia. 40 hours of driving and the terrorists have yet to reach Alberta. There is but one highway in northwest Ontario for almost 1,000 km. Technology makes it hard for bad guys to travel the vast distances of Canada undetected.
As common in modern thrillers bodies fall as they make their way across Canada.
It is hard to discuss the plot without disclosing spoilers.
The bad guys are ruthless, clever and lucky.
The good guys and girls are clever and determined.
The terror target is credible and left me wondering how vulnerable our infrastructure is to attack. There are no massive security presences in Canada.
The book is a good thriller. Ever since reading The Day of the Jackal I have enjoyed the tension of a chase.
I do wish Little had addressed the significance of the target earlier in the book.
It is an interesting thriller. It read easily. It will probably not get a lot of attention. Starr is bright and funny but is not a superhero.
Sounds quite interesting if a little different to my usual type of reading. I do like a thriller now and again because the pages turn quickly as the tension ramps up. Agree with you entirely on The Day of the Jackal. That is a great read, though it's more than a few years since I picked it up.
ReplyDeleteCol: Thanks for the comment. It had an interesting premise.
DeleteIt's hard to create a really credible thriller, Bill. I'm glad you found this one both enjoyable to read and believable. And it does sound like a solid premise for this sort of novel.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. It was more credible than many thrillers. The target was frighteningly plausible.
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