The Sins of the Father

The Sins of the Father
A Derek Stillwater Novel
Mark Terry
Orox Books
Lexington, Kentucky
ISBN: 9781478112938
Trade Paperback
2012
$ 12.99
319  pages

Derek Stillwater enjoys living on his boat.  Life this way requires constant upkeep which almost compensates for the peacefulness.  That changes when he receives a package.  Unfortunately, the letter begins, "If you are reading this, I am dead."
Derek immediately calls Tom Ross, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security requesting an immediate and indefinite leave of absence.  He works with preventing and investigating biological and chemical terrorism attacks.
Next, his call is to his travel agent to arrange for his upcoming trip to Moscow.
His final call is to the State Department to arrange a meeting with the director to discuss his plans.  Derek plans to investigate the death of Irina Khournikov, who had been a counterterrorism expert in Russia's FSB which is Russia's version of our F.B.I.  Irina was his former lover and now that she is dead, Derek learns that he is a father.  With a picture, he can easily see himself in the boy.
Being tired after the long plane trip to Moscow, Derek's thoughts were of getting through customs while standing in long lines in rooms filled with cigarette smoke, hailing a taxi and collapsing in his hotel room.
He was surprised to see a sign at the terminal with his name.   Perhaps the hotel or his travel agent had arranged this pleasant courtesy. 
Derek suspiciously enters the cab meeting the driver and attendant but immediately recognizes something as very wrong.  They are driving away from the city, not to his hotel.   Has he been kidnapped?
Why?
The Sins of the Father by Mark Terry is the sixth novel featuring Derek Stillwater as a counterterrorist agent following The Devil's Pitchfork, The Serpent's Kiss, The Fallen, The Valley of Shadows, and Dire Straits.   The book Gravedigger and Vengeance continue Derek's story.
Mark Terry, the author also has written the book Hot Money and three books for middle-grade students.  He also is very active and teaches karate.
These books are great fast-action thrillers.  Surprisingly in this particular novel, there seems to be a preponderance of redheads.  The action is fast-paced to the extreme with characters who appear almost indestructible. 
The Sins of the Father is a great page-turner for a great book, action-packed for a summer read.