Final Winter- Brendan Dubois

Final Winter
Brendan Dubois
Five Star, Jan2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594146169

The men meet in a back room to discuss the best way to approach the terrorist assault on America just days after 9/11. The CIA suit mentions NASA as the prototype of what they can do with the nation including the president and Congress in shock and thirsting for vengeance. In the late 1950s, NASA was formed because the Soviets were kicking our butt in space. He suggests the atmosphere is similar in the USA to create a top secret Tiger Team to take out the terrorists preferably over there instead of here.

However, the mission planners like that of NASA failed to think beyond the short term goal as the only enemy in their minds is radical Islamists from the Middle East. However, Tiger Team draftee NYPD Detective Brian Doyle has proof that an American is planning a pandemic anthrax attack that could kill millions. In spite of Oklahoma City, Brian finds official obstacles and soon betrayal at the highest levels of government in his way to prevent the horrific tragedy that will make 9/11 look insignificant.

The Tiger team concept seems genuine with all that the Feds secretly did just after 9/11 that has come out in the last couple of years. However, having for the most part one man on each side of the war plan and execute/oversee executions seems impossible as the anthrax plan is extremely complex. Still this is an entreating cautionary thriller (after a rather slow first few chapters that establish the teams) in which those with oversight authority fail to keep vigilance on those with power over DOD, espionage agencies and HSD. Making the concept even more plausible is to think of the motive to visit Ashcroft in the hospital.

Harriet Klausner