After years of waiting by eager fans, Clancy's sequel to Teeth of the Tiger begins where that title left off and features the ensemble characters from previous novels, including John Clark, "Ding" Chavez, and a thoroughly aggravated former president, Jack Ryan Sr. The United States is threatened by the Emir, a shadowy Osama Bin Laden-type terrorist leader who has planned a series of devastating attacks on America and her allies. Internally, a corrupt and inept John Kealty, an old nemesis of Ryan's, is now president, and his actions threaten the country as much as the Emir's, causing Ryan to consider another presidential bid. Verdict At a whopping 900-plus pages, it would be awful if this thriller wasn't good. Fortunately, it is good, although the complex plot and the large number of characters can be confusing. Still, it is a surprisingly fast read for a Clancy novel and is, as usual, timely and controversial. Better, there is plenty of room for future installments. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/10.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After stumbling with The Teeth of the Tiger (2003), bestseller Clancy is back at the top of his game, aided by Blackwood (An Echo of War), with this update on the Jack Ryan story, both father and son. While the senior Ryan is sitting at home quietly penning his memoirs, the real action is taking place at "The Campus," the independent secret intelligence agency he set up when he was commander in chief. Jack Ryan Jr., who works for The Campus as a researcher, has, unbeknownst to his father, begun involving himself in field operations. Uppermost in the sights of The Campus is the deadly Emir (read Osama bin Laden), who has set in motion a new round of attacks. Jack Sr. is furious at current President Edward Kealty, whose liberal administration is stripping the CIA and other intelligence agencies of funding and manpower. In-depth research, continuous suspense, and scores of fascinating characters prove again why Clancy, the man who virtually invented this genre, reigns supreme in the crowded thriller field. (Dec. 7) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.