PUTIN’S GAMBIT is the answer to one set of my prayers. I had hoped for a second collaborative effort from Lou Dobbs and James O. Born after the publication of BORDER WAR. For decades Dobbs has been a must-watch world news commentator whose worldview is firmly set in reality as opposed to doublespeak. Born is simply one of my favorite authors, a scribe who is able to move across genres, from speculative fiction to crime novels, with a skill set honed and sharpened by decades of field experience in law enforcement at the state and federal levels. His weaponry presentation at Bouchercons through the years are always a high point of the conference.

BORDER WAR was everything good that one would expect from such a collaboration. PUTIN’S GAMBIT, while a very different book in terms of subject matter, is every bit as worthy as its predecessor, consisting of equal parts keen observation, suspense and real-world believability.

"PUTIN’S GAMBIT is a wild ride, a financial and military thriller that should find a wide audience among those who can’t get enough of the genre and those who stay informed on current events without relying exclusively on mainstream sources."

Dobbs and Born get several plot plates spinning from the first page and never let up. While the story is set somewhere between 2013 and 2016, those with even the shortest of memories will be able to identify the players here, if they are so inclined. There is an attack on the United States embassy in Berlin, with tragic results; violent anarchist hoodlums are terrorizing Wall Street; and the President of the United States is notoriously weak on foreign policy matters, choosing to lead from behind. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, is ready to seize the opportunity that has been all but handed to him to restore Russia to its former, Soviet-era glory. Part of Putin’s plan hinges on the disruption of the world economy.

The unknowing catalyst for this is a U.S. Marine named Derek Walsh. Having served with honor in the Afghan war, Walsh is employed, though uneasily so, in the currency transaction section of a Wall Street financial group. But his world explodes when an unauthorized transfer of $200 million is made from his computer, which is part of an extremely secure internal network that would seemingly make such a thing impossible. This creates a domino effect in financial markets around the world, leading to economic chaos. Walsh has his life blown up. The FBI is absolutely certain that he is behind the transfer, and all of the evidence points to it.

Meanwhile, a Russian team is tasked with killing him before he can prove otherwise, as if he could. Walsh, quietly capable but outclassed and outgunned, has one choice: call upon the remaining members of his Marine squad to not only help him but possibly, just possibly, return the world to some semblance of financial order. It’s going to be a tall order, though. Time isn’t running out; it’s already gone.

PUTIN’S GAMBIT is a wild ride, a financial and military thriller that should find a wide audience among those who can’t get enough of the genre and those who stay informed on current events without relying exclusively on mainstream sources. It also should be of special interest to Born’s legion of fans, given that it is his first entry into the subgenres noted above. As with everything else he touches, he does so with subtlety and expertise, meshing flawlessly and seamlessly with Dobbs. Would it be too much to ask for a third collaborative effort? Or more? Perhaps, but for now, let us give thanks for PUTIN’S GAMBIT.