Executive Intent: A Novel

China and Russia pursue newly aggressive policies in hot spots like Somalia and Yemen that threaten the U.S. in this exciting near-future political thriller from bestseller Brown (Rogue Forces). Kenneth Phoenix, the U.S. vice president, finds himself at odds with Joseph Gardner, the cautious U.S. president, who's inclined to cancel a space weapon system, which includes a precision-guided artificial meteorite, in favor of negotiating treaties to abolish space-based weapons. Characters from past Brown books, like Lt. Gen. Patrick McLanahan (ret.) and Lt. Col. Jason Richter, play key roles as the U.S. faces growing crises at sea and in space. Congress scarcely exists. Techno-thriller fans will enjoy the detailed descriptions of cutting-edge technologies as they morph into action sequences (The sabots hit the Earth traveling almost two miles a second, each with the force of a two-thousand-pound high-explosive bomb, creating a crater large enough to fit a jumbo jet within it). (May)
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Brown's latest finds the U.S. with a supreme advantage on the international stage, having successfully developed a space-based weapons system similar to what Ronald Reagan envisioned with his Star Wars initiative. But when Pakistan launches a nuclear missile, it all goes bad. The new weapons system successfully terminates the threat, but the number of casualties prompts the media to paint the U.S. as the bad guy. China takes advantage and creates a series of antisatellite missiles and then moves to occupy a neighboring country. U.S. President Joseph Gardner, preparing to seek reelection and fight off a power-hungry vice president, has his hands more than full. He will have to turn to a surprising ally to keep the situation from escalating into world war. Tom Clancy fans and tech-heavy thriller junkies will find this novel to be pure joy. The political components add an extra level of interest, making this one of Brown's better efforts. --Jeff Ayers