[leebase]

I'm a big Tom Clancy fan -- certainly of his "Jack Ryan" series (Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games). Used to be every year or two there was a new one. Highly anticipated by me, and bought in big hard backs. I hate big hard backs, but I bought them because I didn't want to wait.

Dec. 7, the latest in the series comes out, the first one in ten years, "Dead of Alive". So I decided to reread the last book, "Teeth of the Tiger" to get my mind back into that universe. It was a "good" book. Not great, perhaps, but still enjoyable for someone like me. I had wondered what Clancy would be able to do with the series after his character, Jack Ryan, becomes president. Where do you go from there?

Well, you have Jack write up a bunch of blank pardons while he's still president and set up a super secret, unofficial, CIA type agency with wet work options, no due process etc. Kind of the type of book that roots for the vigilante. Add in a new generation, including Jack's own son -- take out Jack as anything but a passing reference, and now Clancy is free to continue on doing that thing he do.

But does HE do it? Sadly, the forthcoming "Dead or Alive" is not completely authored by Tom Clancy. I had no problem with Clancy's spinoff series being designed by him but written by others. But this is a "main" book -- and I just can't fathom why Clancy didn't write it himself after making us wait 10 years for the book.

Oh well. Clancy may not be at his best in "Teeth of the Tiger" but it's still a decent book to read for those that like the genre. And given today's terrorist climate -- it's still a relevant book.

Lee