When a Vietnam veteran assassinates California's presidential candidate, an intricate plot begins to unfold. A terror ist who styles himself the Phoenix kid naps two people and captures prime time television to air his demands. Be hind the scenes the assassin's lawyer shuttles among the principals; eventu ally he becomes the reluctant point man in the negotiations with Phoenix. In a shock ending that evokes the sort of nasty secrets exposed by Raymond Chandler, the pieces all come together. Unlike those hardboiled thrillers, though, this book brims with upbeat emotions like true love, loyalty, and courage. Patterson's own background as a trial lawyer gives the dialogue in his fourth novel a realistic thrust-and- parry rhythm. There are really two sto ries here, for along with the thriller is a restrained and taut tale of one U.S. sol dier whose conduct in the war haunts him still. Engaging and intelligent, this complex story puts a new gloss on the terror and troubles of our times.
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