TOM CLANCY'S OP-CENTER

America’s relations with China get testy in the Tom Clancy industry’s 22nd Op-Center thriller.

Sen. Yvonne Malo and three fellow astronauts circle the Earth in the Phoenix One until suddenly everything goes wrong. They lose all power and communications, the vehicle burns, and they all die. China has fired the first shot in what could be a war in space. It doesn't take long for Americans to figure out that the Chinese have sabotaged Phoenix One in retaliation for the American abduction of a Chinese engineer who was working on a hypersonic missile program. Now President John Wright looks for a way to retaliate without escalating too far. This calls for the Op-Center, a strike force that takes on highly secretive missions for the president of the United States. China wants their man back, and they demand that Adm. Chase Williams make the delivery. Hmm, that sounds suspicious. Yes, they kidnap him to use him as bait to destroy Black Wasp, a subgroup of five members of Op-Center that does tough, on-the-ground dirty work at the behest of the president. As with all the novels that are part of the Op-Center formula, this one is filled with well-plotted action and strong characters. In captivity, Adm. Williams does himself credit as an American citizen, but can Black Wasp rescue him? Or will the Chinese destroy them all? When a Black Wasp suffers a heavy personal loss, readers might expect a greater showing of grief. Yet amid all the violence and turmoil, there is an unexpected grace note at the end. The writing style has not changed since The Hunt for Red October—eminently readable and enjoyable but with no memorable dialogue. More importantly, this story reflects America’s ongoing struggle to maintain its place in the world and China’s ongoing effort to surpass us. It’s a world where the U.S. is imperfect but essentially just, no victory is ever complete, and the sequels keep coming.

Op-Center fans will find this a worthy entry in the series.