Prepared for Rage

Starred review from December 10, 2007
The action of Edgar-winner Stabenow’s stellar second venture into thriller territory, in contrast to 2006’s Blindfold Game
, which was set largely in the frozen waters off Alaska, centers on the warm seas of the Florida coast near the Kennedy Space Center, where the latest space shuttle launch is to take place. Stabenow harnesses the strands of her story with consummate skill: the passion that propels a rogue terrorist on a crusade to strike a blow that will shatter American pride; the efforts of U.S. intelligence to thwart a bewildering array of foes; the rising careers of Capt. Cal T. Schuyler, “the golden boy of the U.S. Coast Guard,” and astronaut Kenai Munro, whose life ambition is realized when she’s named to the shuttle crew. Stabenow proves equally adept at portraying the workings of a cutter, the complexities of a shuttle mission or the machinations of a terrorist. The result is entertainment and suspense of a high order.

January 1, 2008
Stabenow, author of the Kate Shugak and Liam Campbell series, turns in a tightly written stand-alone thriller. NASAs latest space shuttle will be launched with a VIP on board, a member of the Middle Eastern family that owns a media company whose satellite is being placed in orbit. Security is tight, but is it tight enough to protect the passengernot to mention the crewfrom an attack by a single-minded terrorist who will stop at nothing to get what he wants?The race-against-time format is a surefire winner, and Stabenow handles it very well, crafting full-bodied characters (the heroes and villains are real people, not cartoon characters) and a plot that is suspenseful and unsettlingly plausible. Devotees of the Shugak series, who find the novels primary appeal to be their vividly evoked Alaska setting, may not be as taken with this very different book, but antiterrorist thriller fans will be well pleased.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

February 25, 2008
Stabenow's political suspense tale is well realized by Lorelei King, who offers deeply conflicted characters despite some cheesy dialogue and a plot line that seems all too familiar nowadays. King is the bright spot in this lackluster tale, capturing a variety of tones and dialects, including an incredible Pakistani accent that doesn't sound forced or over the top. Her pace is neither too fast nor too slow, and she knows exactly how to build tension at any moment. King guides listeners through the story, keeping them interested and involved even when Stabenow seems to lose interest. It is King's well-rounded narration that will keep listeners engaged, not Stabenow's story. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Dec. 10).