I haven't read books one through four in the series, maybe they'd make me like this one better, but they'd have to be pretty special to rescue this from blah... ( )

Pretty similar to previous Presidential Agent novels by Griffin. Griffin seems to dedicate a large portion of the story to how the procedure and protocol unfolds within the overall plot. The actual events that occur (assassination attempts, bombing of an African chemical factory) seem to be just mere mentioned background items, while most of the book focuses on the interaction between Castillo and those in the government and in his secret cabal, plus a little love story thrown in...albeit somewhat awkwardly to fit in with the overall plot. This being said, the book seems a little better paced than the other Castillo novels. Overall, I enjoyed reading this. ( )

Book 5 in the series, one wonders how much fun a bunch of malcontents can have in one 18 hour novel? Familiar places: DC, South America, Africa and Europe with many hours of flying in between. And, finally, the DC bureaucracy catches up with him. I did not think that it would last, but it's a really fun read watching Charlie make a fool of the DCI and the DNI. On to book 6. ( )

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

** W.E.B. Griffin always hits the target-right at the top of the bestseller lists... **

W.E.B. Griffin's explosive Presidential Agent novels have gained worldwide acclaim for "leaving satisfied thriller readers hankering for more."

Now, in Griffin's latest #1 *New York Times* bestseller, the Russian bear is stirring after many years of hibernation-and it is hungry.

Fast read typical of genre. the ( )