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Vengeance can drive one to great lengths, especially when fueled by a deeply personal loss. Meanwhile, being entrusted with the survival of an entire nation supersedes vengeance and prompts one to restore order and safety by any means necessary. This dichotomy spurs the tug-of-war between nefarious terrorist al-Sadr, who is fuming after losing his brother in a surprise military invasion, and the tag team of CIA stalwart Tom Parker and Army brigadier Jack Hayes. Although the two teamed up in Vietnam years ago, this is an entirely different challenge: stopping a vindictive terrorist whose bloodlust will only be pacified by slaying as many innocent Americans as possible.
The storyline follows a near miss where al-Sadar gets close to developing a deadly mad cow disease that he would have unleashed into society. Instead, a foiled plot and a dead brother only further his determination to connect with Osama bin Laden, setting off a global cat-and-mouse chase. Selby's plot development is intriguing, as he seamlessly weaves multiple storylines into a dynamic thriller while staying true to the overarching good-versus-evil theme. Central to it all is the innovative idea of using shipping routes, which often have less scrutiny, to incite biowarfare that could wipe out large swaths of the population.
Tracking al-Sadr is like following a chameleon. He merges into his surroundings, changing passports and leveraging connections and their funds with such ease that Tom and Jack must bring on the right people to be their eyes and ears in the field. In this narrative, Selby uses this plot device as an entry point for the director of port security, Ms. Jenny Lu. Almost from the start, Cupid's arrow strikes Tom with such precision that the undercurrents of Tom and Jenny's romance in the midst of a worldwide manhunt for al-Sadr seem only fitting. Selby's storytelling abilities are on full display as the plot never misses a beat despite the romance narrative colliding head-on with al-Sadr's relentlessness, including name changes, disguises, fake passports, and global hopping. The dangerous and elusive al-Sadr has turned himself into a shadow, equipped with a new alias, a clean company, and a position that will inundate routes with thousands of shipping containers, rendering the investigation of biochemical weaponry a needle-in-a-haystack.
The author pulls out all stops in a novel that keeps its readers on the edge of their seats. Above all else, the story is easy to follow, with protagonists that are easy to root for. Tom and Jenny's love story is simply an added bonus, as both bring their own backgrounds into their relationship, adding even more intrigue overall. At the same time, building tension is undoubtedly a knack of Selby's, particularly in how he places his characters—both main and side—into chaos. For instance, Jenny is clearly loyal to Tom, Jack, and the US. However, she is pitted directly against her daughter, who is soaring high after just completing college and landing a lucrative finance job. Ultimately, Selby's high-octane thriller never lets up, using character development and creative plot twists to keep audiences engaged.