Once again, now 71-year old Louis Morgon is compelled to get back in "the game" as his orphan friend Zaharia Lefort is grabbed by the FBI and sent away for interrogation/waterboarding as a terrorist. Morgon gets in touch with long-dormant contacts to uncover an Al Qaeda cells and a plot to manufacture biological weapons. Again, Morgon's humanity and compassion play the central role in the story. ( )

Louis Morgon is an interesting character. He’s in his early 70s, involuntarily ‘retired’ years ago from the CIA, living a quiet life in a small village in France, yet still paying the price for his past secret work. In ‘The Terrorist’, the 3rd novel in Peter Steiner’s series, Morgon’s ex-employer needs his help in the War on Terror and figures the best way to obtain it is to wreak havoc on one of his international relationships.

Steiner is a fine writer and he’s done an excellent job developing Morgon’s character. Through the series he’s aged, found, lost, then found love again, tried to live a pastoral life, developed a disease, and been constantly screwed with by the CIA. His ‘supporting cast’ is great and has likewise been expertly developed. The tone and pace of ‘the Terrorist are consistent with the rest of the series, mostly unhurried and, especially for this genre, not overloaded with action and violence. It’s a different sort of spy novel, but if you enjoy good writing with an international twist, check out this series starting with his first. ( )