Admiral Jake Grafton takes his wife, Callie, along when the U. S. government sends him to Hong Kong to find out how deeply the American consul-general is embedded in a political money-raising scandal. And why not? Jake and Callie met and fell in love in Hong Kong during the Vietnam War, and the consul-general is a friend from those days.

The Graftons quickly discover, however, that Hong Kong is a powder keg ready to explode. A political murder and the closure of a foreign bank by the communist government are the sparks that light the fuse.

When Callie is kidnapped by a rebel faction, Jake finds himself drawn into the vortex of a high-tech civil war. To save his wife, he must figure out whom he can trust—both among the Western factions vying for control of the volatile situation, and among the Chinese patriots fighting for their nation's future—and make sure the right side wins.

Former naval aviator Stephen Coonts flew combat missions during the Vietnam War A graduate of West Virginia University and a former attorney, Coonts is the author of nine New York Times bestselling novels, which have been translated and republished around the world. He lives in Nevada with his wife and son and maintains a Web site at www. coonts. com.

Michael Cumpsty has appeared on Broadway in Copenhagen, Electra, 1776, and The Heiress; on TV he has appeared on LA. Law. His films include State of Grace, Fatal Instinct, and The Ice Storm.