A Time for Patriots By Dale Brown HarperLuxe, Larger Print Edition (2011) ISBN: 978-0062064943 Genre: Techno-Thriller

Reviewed by Israel Drazin - June 13, 2011

This twenty-third novel by best-selling author Dale Brown is very good: exciting, with a good plot and subplots, much action that moves fast, suspense, and believable and likable characters. The story takes place in 2013, after the American Holocaust, when the United States was attacked by waves of Russian bombers which rained down nuclear missiles on its cities. The US retaliated and was successful, but suffered greatly from the impacts and expenditures of the war.

The global economic recession that began in 2008 is now worse. Many government programs have been discontinued, Medicare and Social Security benefits are reduced, the military is cut, weapons diminished, many people lost their jobs and are out of work, far fewer Mexicans are crossing the border into the US, there is massive discontent, and citizen groups are suspicious of government conspiracies. One of the extremist underground organizations stole radioactive material and is sabotaging government buildings and killing its occupants with nuclear weapons.

The foremost hero of the war, Lieutenant General Patrick McLanahan, a hero to all Americans, is forced to retire after being found guilty of a crime against Russia. The United States president, a friend of his, pardons him, but is unable or reluctant to pardon McLanahan's son and his girl friend, Gia, although he keeps them out of jail. Gia is severely depressed by this treatment and has become an alcoholic. Against tradition, the former US president is lambasting the current president for virtually everything he tries to do to help America recover. He twists the facts and states outright lies.

Russia hires hit men to kill McLanahan out of revenge for his acts and for saving his country. Gia seems to have become involved in a sexual relationship with one of these killers. The lead FBI agent attempting to uncover the organization sabotaging the country is convinced that McLanahan is its leader, or at least involved with the group. He attempts to blackmail Mclanahan's son to spy on his father for him.

McLanahan is the hero of the novel. He is intelligent, courageous, cautious, well-liked, self-effacing. It seems that he alone can save the United States again. He needs to find a way to resolve all the problems, protect himself, find the man who is leading the terrorist group that is trying to destroy the country, and uncover why he is doing so.

• Act of War, by Dale Brown.
  When terrorists use a nuclear device to destroy an oil refinery in Houston, and then vow additional attacks, it falls to Major Richter and Task Force TALON to track them down.
  
  
• Night of the Hawk, by Dale Brown.
  This techno-thriller offers the readers two interconnected stories. The first story being the attempt to rescue David Luger, an American airman who was captured by the Russians and who is being forced to help them build a stealth bomber. The second story is the developing war between Lithuanian and Byelorussia.