(Bantam Press, £17.99) Frederick Forsyth's latest book is full of soldiers' stories, and is itself a bit like a tank. It takes a while to get going, and great chunks of summarised history are welded on to the narrative, but it's designed with real expertise, and once under way moves with thrilling speed.

Forsyth's story draws together veterans of the Vietnam, Bosnian and Second World Wars. Chief good guy is Cal Dexter, a self-effacing Vietnam vet now in his 50s, practising law in a small town. He is also -- in deepest secrecy -- the Avenger, a super-soldier who grabs vicious criminals and brings them to justice. His call this time is to find the killer of a young man murdered while doing humanitarian work in the former Yugoslavia. LINDSAY IRVINE