It has been entirely too long since a new novel from Mark T.
Sullivan has graced the bookshelves. The newly published TRIPLE
CROSS proves that the wait was well worth it. Whatever he has been
doing since the release of THE SERPENT’S KISS in 2003, it has
not affected his writing craftsmanship. His latest effort is a page
turner of the first order, a tale that will get the blood pumping
and keep it that way.

If one were to do a movie pitch for TRIPLE CROSS, it would be
along the lines of “Die Hard at a ski resort,”
though such a short description only begins to tell the tale. The
world’s richest men --- and we’re talking about the
rankings from Number One on down --- gather at the Jefferson Club,
an ultra-exclusive ski resort in Montana for a New Year’s
party that none of them will ever forget. At the stroke of
midnight, a small, highly-trained army invades the resort, holds
the captives hostage, and begins a series of kangaroo courts that
are broadcast over the Internet and then via cable television news
networks, trying each of the captains of industry for crimes
against the planet. The mastermind behind these activities is the
enigmatic General Anarchy, a military strategist and
self-identified anti-globalist who is possessed of an encyclopedic
knowledge concerning the people he has held hostage. Having
commanded the perimeter of the Jefferson Club, which in turn is
buried in a raging snowstorm, Anarchy appears to be able to wreak
vengeance on his captives at will.

There are some wild cards in the mix, however. Michael
“Mickey” Hennessy, the vice-president of security at
the Jefferson Club, has managed to escape, though he is grievously
wounded. Hennessy is both a blessing and a curse to the FBI agents
who have responded to the attack. A former member of the U.S.
Diplomatic Security Service, Hennessy is known to the public at
large as a hero for having previously saved the life of the U.S.
Secretary of State. The problem, though, is that Hennessy’s
children, a set of 14-year-old triplets, were visiting him at the
resort over the New Year’s holiday and are still trapped
there.

But they do have one advantage: their father trained them in his
tradecraft, so they are hardly helpless. In fact, they may be more
capable of turning the tide than anyone, including Hennessy, can
anticipate. Even as the FBI plans a desperate hostage rescue
attempt, General Anarchy continues his sinister execution of his
hostages, with a goal that extends far beyond his stated aims and
far beyond the walls of the Jefferson Club.

Mark T. Sullivan is at his very best here, nicely balancing the
action on the inside of the Jefferson Club with the anxiety on the
outside, and making the Hennessy children just capable enough to be
believable. There is an element of the old and beloved Hardy
Boys series at play here as well, given that the young
Hennessys not only help to tip the balance of power on top of the
terrorists, but also provide a valuable clue as to the identity of
General Anarchy. Toss in elements of Sullivan’s own
considerable knowledge of all things concerning skiing, and a quick
lesson in what comes into play with security fences, and you have
one of the year’s best reads thus far. Hopefully, we
won’t have to wait too long for Sullivan’s next
novel.