Rucka,
Greg. A Gentleman's Game. Bantam. Oct. 2004. 352p. ISBN 0-553-80276-3.
$24. Fiction.
Based on the award-winning graphic novel series "Queen & Country," this
special-ops thriller stars MI6's top agent, Tara Chace. A terrorist attack on
the London Underground has killed over 370 civilians, and Her Majesty's government
has asked for retaliation. Chace's assassination of the imam who inspires the
Wahhabist terrorist organization held responsible for the attack leads only to
further problems when a Saudi prince is also killed. In other hands, this conflict
between the worlds of British intelligence and Islamic fanaticism might have
seemed stale; in Rucka's, the terrorist element is developed with noteworthy
freshness, owing both to the author's thorough research and his portrayal of
Sinan bin al-Baari (a.k.a. William Leacock), a fanatical convert to Islam. After
the government decides to sacrifice Chace to the Saudis, she goes rogue, and
the only way back brings her to a terrorist camp in the Saudi desert and a final
confrontation with Sinan himself. Rucka's (A Fistful of Rain) seventh novel is
his best yet, a skillful blend of intriguing characters, gripping action, and
a highly charged atmosphere. Highly recommended.