Crisis Four

Barnes & Noble Guide to New Fiction

British intelligence agent Nick Stone becomes the hunted when he's forced to track down his former lover in order to protect his guardianship of his daughter. A "fast-paced" political thriller "that will appeal to fans of Ludlum and LeCarre." Unfortunately, some readers found the "jumps in perspective" disconcerting and the "Britishisms" off-putting. "I just wish the author was from Brooklyn, then I'd understand what he was talking about!" "A good book if you want to read about things blowing up!"

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing--and a little knowledge is all freelance operative Nick Stone gets when he's ordered to track down a missing colleague in McNab's gripping follow-up to the British bestseller Remote Control. It's the spring of 1998, and Stone is on the trail of Sarah Greenwood, who's disappeared from her counter-terrorism stint in Washington just before Arafat and Netanyahu are scheduled to meet with President Clinton in the capital. It doesn't help that Stone's affair with Sarah (which was all business on Sarah's part) was responsible for the end of his marriage, or that Sarah herself is a real piece of work. When Stone finds Sarah, he discovers that his superiors not only want the trigger-happy operative dead, they want her to disappear without a trace. But Sarah claims she has information that could stop an Osama Bin Laden-sponsored terrorist strike on the White House that would kill the American, Palestinian and Israeli leaders. As a result, Stone must choose whether to obey orders or to believe his ex-lover. The plot is simple and direct, and McNab's talent for setting up a scene becomes evident when Stone tracks Sarah to North Carolina. His stakeout of her house would occupy a few pages if described by a less-skilled writer, but McNab goes deep into detail, transforming the set piece into virtual reality. McNab, a former Special Air Service member, delivers authenticity in spades; this thriller is full of the kind of grit that gets under the fingernails. His nonfiction bestseller, Bravo Two Zero, which tells the story of what happened to his SAS patrol when it was stranded behind Iraqi lines during the Gulf War, reads like a prologue to this novel, which boasts the operational details of a Rogue Warrior escapade without the overdose of testosterone. Major ad/promo. (July) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal

Tougher than the rustiest nail, British intelligence agent Nick Stone has himself circumcised before going on his next mission so that he can pass as an Israeli if captured or killed. Then, within the first few pages, a villain chews off part of his ear. Stone's task is to rescue missing agent Sarah Greenwood and stop a Syrian terrorist threat that has American and Middle Eastern leaders among its targets. McNab definitely knows his stuff; he is a highly decorated former professional soldier and former member of Britain's elite Special Air Service who led SAS missions against Iraq in the Gulf War. He also has another novel and two nonfiction books to his credit. Despite these credentials and the shootings, stabbings, and other bloodlettings, Crisis Four is slow moving and overly detailed. For larger collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/00.]--Robert Conroy, Warren, MI Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\