Took nine books with me on a cruise. Finished this tenth one on the way home... :) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda by David Michaels. Given what it is, it's an OK read...
Sam Fisher is a Splinter Cell operative, which means he's part of a deep undercover government group that has free reign to do pretty much anything to defend the interests of the US. In this episode, he's sent off to figure out why a Russian intel group is seemingly getting rather tight with some Chinese Triad groups. When he tracks down a few unexplained deaths, it all points to a stolen technology from the US that can park underwater "drones" just about anywhere, fully equipped with a variety of weapons based on the need. But when the Triad group finds out that selling to the Russians could mean that they are ultimately supporting the communist Chinese government (who they deeply oppose), things fall apart. And when the government *does* get the device anyway to use it as a deterrent against the US, Fisher is called in to save the day...
This is a straight-to-paperback series where Tom Clancy has franchised his name and it's written by someone else. I didn't expect Pulitzer material... just some diversion to kill a few hours on a plane. If that's the mindset going in, it's OK. The switching back and forth between first and third person narrative was a little annoying/disconcerting at first, and it took a bit to get used to it (as well as to transition when the perspective changed between chapters). Again, if you're not expecting blockbuster material, it's enjoyable mind candy. If you're expecting a 600 page Clancy blockbuster, this ain't it.