Stephen Mertz, Korean Intercept

Korean Intercept By Stephen Mertz

Fifteen minutes into the Shuttle Liberty mission to deploy a top secret space defense satellite, Houston tells the crew to abort and come home without using radio contact. As they descend Commander Ron Scott realizes something is wrong and soon realizes they are on a path to land in China or North Korea. He also does not control the vessel as someone outside is operating the ship. To land Ron must take over and he bypasses a lit up airstrip to crash land a few miles away. Two astronauts die, Ron breaks his leg another is severely injured and two are okay.

Washington is stunned and wonders if a traitor in Houston caused the shuttle to change course. China and North Korea vow to cooperate, but both want the cargo on board and that does not include the humans if they get in the way. Co-pilot Kate Daniels takes charge of the evacuation helped by sixty-eight years old local Ahn Chang angered over the recent death of his spouse for no reason except lack of medical care. Kate's estranged husband, NSC assigned Major Trev Galt with the help of his Japanese reporter girlfriend mount an assault to rescue the astronauts from global treachery.

Fans of action thrillers that travel faster than a speeding shuttle will want to read the fast-paced KOREAN INTERCEPT. The story line never slows down even as the varying competing groups converge on the stranded astronauts. Though the technology to cause the original intercept especially keeping NASA blind seems impossible yet somehow Stephen Mertz makes it seem plausible as he provides a fantastic tale that will keep readers up all night.

Harriet Klausner