Pegasus Down

January 25, 2016
In Donlay’s uneven sixth Donovan Nash novel (after 2015’s Aftershock), the Defense Intelligence Agency, which employs Nash’s wife, Lauren, sends her on a secret mission to Slovakia to extract an old flame of hers, Daniel Pope, who apparently has been blackmailed into designing a stealth jet capable of delivering a nuclear weapon. When the plane Lauren is aboard crashes somewhere in Eastern Europe, she survives only to find herself a target of the very people who want to use Daniel’s invention to commit a terrorist act. Donlay checks all the boxes of the genre: strong male lead (with an unlimited bank account, no less), capable friends with appropriate skills, and a lightning-fast pace. However, most of the characters are right out of central casting, and the excessive exposition can be jarring. Even so, Lauren is a standout, and she gives Nash a run for his money in smarts and determination; though Nash may be coming to her rescue, she doesn’t need him to. Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron Associates.

February 1, 2016
A clandestine mission involving Donovan Nash's wife, Lauren, thrusts Nash into a deadly chase after her private plane is shot down. As Lauren struggles to survive against both nature and her pursuers, Nash chases the chasers, knowing that to get the help he needs to succeed he may be forced to reveal a secret he has kept hidden from everyone. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Lauren's mission involved rescuing a fellow scientist, who reveals that a stealth aircraft, possibly with nuclear weapons on board, is in the hands of terrorists. The Nash books are reliable action thrillers, and this one is no exception. There is an almost Bondian aspect to Nashhe has an unlimited bank account and access to all sorts of experts with special skillswhich makes him perfect for those who like derring-do from larger-than-life heroes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)