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There's always a handful of authors scrambling to catch the slipstream of the latest
headline, trusting momentum rather than imagination to carry them to a top-ten finish.
Nelson DeMille will never be one of them. His unparalleled mastery of fiction goes far
beyond page one news, crafting stories that bond with our shared history and reverberate
with each succeeding generation. Without question, THE LION'S GAME is topical, but the
underpinning story line of foreign terrorists on American soil is merely a springboard for
a spellbinding novel that will stand the test of time.
John Corey, the retired NYPD detective who debuted in PLUM ISLAND, is featured once again
in THE LION'S GAME much to this reader's delight. I admit it --- I love a wise ass.
Despite his irreverence for authority and rules of procedure, he's accepted a contract as
a special agent with the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, a blend of the New York police, FBI,
CIA and a handful of other law enforcement groups. Corey's unfettered sarcasm begins
rolling immediately; hilarious one-liners designed to reflect the posturing among the
federal agencies and, in particular, his frictional relationship with current teammates.
The ATTF was organized to deal with specific situations --- in this case a mysterious
Libyan terrorist, Asad Khalil, who claims to be defecting to the US. As this eclectic
group assembles at the Kennedy International Airport to take custody of the defector,
events are unfolding on the arriving Flight 175, setting the stage for the most horrific
reign of terrorism to ever occur on American soil. As the next 48 hours tick rapidly by,
Corey, accompanied by Agent Kate Mayfield, becomes increasingly frustrated by the
seemingly elusive 'lion,' while Khalil secretly and methodically eliminates his victims
one by one.
DeMille's tour de force has always been in splicing a significant amount of historical
fact with fictional thriller to craft such a seamless story that readers have to remind
themselves --- this is fiction. In THE LION'S GAME he takes us back to April 1986 and the
retaliation bombing of Libya ordered by President Reagan. Through the eyes of two American
pilots we are shown the fragile bravado mingled with a dispassionate regard for
consequences as the bombs are dispatched on the terrorist compound of Moammar Gadhafi. In
contrast, the voice of a young Libyan boy, Asad Khalil, speaks emotionally on the fate of
the people living tragically too near this military target, and foreshadows the thirst for
revenge that will bring him to America many years later. DeMille makes it abundantly clear
as we page through the backstory --- retaliation begets retaliation --- and Muslim
extremists have a doctrine of vengeance and very long memories.
Meanwhile, back at ATTF headquarters, Corey is barely into his comic warm-up before we
realize he's met his match in Agent Kate Mayfield, his team supervisor and a skilled FBI
veteran, who handles his flippancy with remarkable aplomb. This is a woman with an
attitude and an agenda, and Corey is unaccustomedly flummoxed. While sorting out the
relationship, the terrorism escalates into a nationwide manhunt and the humor subsides as
they begin to realize the magnitude of the Libyans' vengeance.
Woven within the complexity of characters and suspense, readers will encounter chilling
reminders of the fundamental threat of terrorism yet remain amused by the unflagging
undercurrent of witticism in the subplot. In the hands of a master storyteller like
DeMille, the duality of thriller and farce are superbly blended into high impact
entertainment with both a surprising and frightening conclusion.
--- Reviewed by Ann L. Bruns
© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
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