Black Friday

While Patterson's thriller is slightly out-of-date with its Cold War setting, it remains dramatically contemporary in its vision of a stock market thrown into chaos when a group of saboteurs blows up several Wall Street institutions. Actor Fernandez's mellow reading allows the story to unfold unhurriedly, though too slowly for the first half. Arch Carroll, head of the CIA's antiterrorist division, and Caitlin Dylan, director of enforcement for the SEC, team up professionally, and later romantically, to locate the Wall Street terrorists before they strike again. Arch travels to Paris and back (unfortunately, Fernandez, who capably reproduces other accents, has a poor grasp of French pronunciation), as he finds himself on the trail of former colonel David Hudson and his ragtag band of vengeance-seeking Vietnam veterans. Based on the Warner mass market paperback (originally published as Black Market in 1987). (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In this "wheels within wheels" thriller, a group of Vietnam veterans have formed a terrorist organization called Greenband. They warn the FBI that they plan to blow up random Wall Street buildings and demand that the area be evacuated. The government waits for ultimatums, but none is forthcoming. Later that day, many buildings on Wall Street are destroyed. New York Police Detective Archer Carroll is called in to work on the investigation, along with Caitlin Dillon, SEC enforcer and financial wizard. When huge numbers of stolen securities start to turn up on the worldwide black market, the motive for the bombings becomes apparent. Dillon works to stave off a collapse of the stock market while Carroll tries to track down the terrorists. The final confrontation reveals all the deception and manipulation, unraveling conspiracy of the highest order. Read with energy and mastery by Peter Jay Fernandez, the story is fast paced and seems to be based on solid research. Violence and foul language abound. Recommended for large collections.ÄJoanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island, Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.