Retribution, by David Hagberg

I nearly put the book down after the first few pages; it seemed unlikely to be good. But I kept going. And I was surprised. No, it wasn't good, but it did get more readable. I was astounded to learn, after I finished reading, that this is the 18th in Mr. Hagberg's series featuring the same hero.

Here is the good news: the depictions of government bureaucrats and politicians in the US and elsewhere seem spot on. Now the bad news: zero credibility in the antics of our hero, a mid-50's former director of the CIA named McGarvey. McGarvey is a bit long in the tooth to be the action hero, and nothing about his actions feels believable.

Meh. But, with the right hero figure, it could have been not bad.

Retribution (McGarvey Book 18)