"Corpse In Armor"

I don't have time right now for a full-blast review, dammit. I finished Martin's book yesterday, and must note something about it here right away, because I'm that glad that I read it.

In the early 1980's, I once did a summer of Robert Ludlum novels, pulling about a half-dozen of them ending with "The Matarese Circle". They were among the last of my taste for fiction, succeeding the science-fiction short stories (a favored form) of my youth. Naturally, they were compelling reads, for their style, pace and complexion of plot. They all did their jobs, and I really liked that.

This book hangs on thin-edges of plausibility, and I told Martin so in a phone call yesterday. It really works, nonetheless, because we live in times so implausible to ordinary American sensibilities inherited from the twentieth century. There is an elemental thesis to this book, which is that world socialism was happy to have Islamist terrorism as an ally against America. I heartily agree. This is the largest context of the book: the fact that all kinds of devils will league happily against us precisely because this country is the best thing the world ever saw. Within that context, the action runs fast and hard, but one can always find time for spots of philosophy, even during interrogation.

And -- my god, but who would have thought? -- Ragnar Danneksjöld has cousins in this thing.

This book does its job, and more. I would read it if I were you, but I'm me, so I already have, and I'm glad I did.