Drone Worth the Buzz

Sting of the Drone by Richard A. Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sting of the Drone presents an insider’s view of the Predator program, politics, procedure, and philosophy, all while laying out a scenario that puts our heroes not just trying to prevent another 9/11, but trying to figure out if one is planned. Kinda like reality, really.  The Cold War has morphed into the War on Terror—attempting to bring the age of Remote War—through technology like drones. But Mr. Clarke shows us that war does not remain remote—that short of genocide, the reasons for war are reborn with each generation, as are the responses to war.

You will come away with an appreciation for what—and who!—it takes for us ordinary citizens not to be wondering every day if it’s going to happen again—and also thinking, maybe us ordinary citizens should think about it more often.  Undoubtedly most of the scenes in the book were based on actual terrorist attempts, and one hopes not all of them.  Clarke presents the women and men on the new front lines of war--the political back rooms, the computer screens, banks, homes, high schools, hospitals, tents and caves.

Miss Em recommends Sting of the Drone for anyone who likes thrillers. David Morrell describes this book as “a cross between a techno-thriller and a docu-thriller," and I agree. Though not as polished as Mr. Morrell’s own work in balancing, character, action, and structure, Richard A. Clarke’s Sting of the Drone will be appreciated by fans of Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Stephen Coonts. (In other words, it's a little heavy on acronyms and technical descriptions, but plenty of explosions and bad guys getting their just deserts.)

Thanks to Thomas Dunne Books for providing an ARE for review.


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Runner will leave your doldrums in the dust

Runner by Patrick  Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Runner sets the pace, takes you to your maximum heart rate, and leaves you wanting more.

Here's how it starts: "Sam Dryden, retired special forces, lives a quiet life in a small town on the coast of Southern California. While out on a run in the middle of the night, a young girl runs into him on the seaside boardwalk. Barefoot and terrified, she’s running from a group of heavily armed men with one clear goal—to kill the fleeing child. After Dryden helps her evade her pursuers, he learns that the eleven year old, for as long as she can remember, has been kept in a secret prison by forces within the government."  (Flap copy.)

One of my favorite reads lately. Talk about escape! Great thriller plot. Hero dude, yay! Child in danger, yay! Super-secret semi-science-fictional conspiracy, yay! Sometimes you just want a shoot 'em up, and though in some universe you might think it's easy to write one, it's really not. The writing has to be good, but unobtrusive, the language always serving the story. Since the details are always speculative and sometimes don't hold up, the readers must be so involved and engaged with the characters that they don't notice or don't care about any little glitches, just as in cinema. And Patrick Lee does the job quite well. Sam is a great character and series lead, and the little girl--you have to read the book!

You know by now Miss Em hates regurgitated plots masquerading as reviews, so I will simply close with--it was great. Readers, buy it. Publishers, publish more. Patrick Lee, write some more. I'm going to find his first three books now.


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