Appointment in Tehran reads more like a very interesting factual account of a major geopolitical event for Americans rather than a fictional story. The backdrop for James Stejskal’s second novel in The Snake Eater series is the capture of the US Embassy in Tehran by local protestors. In response, US forces are authorized to undertake a quick mission to rescue the Americans trapped in the embassy with a slight twist. In the chaos of the embassy takeover, a Russian agent discovers the identity of a US operative responsible for a tactical nuke hidden in Tehran. Along with rescuing embassy hostages, the special Snake Eater members are tasked with infiltrating enemy lines and extracting the nuke before either Iranians or Russians capture and use it against America.
The storyline moves quickly and crisply, introducing the characters with their specializations before getting into the heart of the operation. In keeping with the authentic tone of the story, the first half of the book is focused on realistic operational planning and firearms training. The emphasis on planning and training gets readers better acquainted with the characters before we see them in action against the Russians in a grand showdown with helicopter gunships and giant explosions as both Americans and Russians rush to get their hands on the nuke first. The action is saved for the later parts of the book as a tactical approach for tensions to simmer as US forces in Tehran evade adversaries often by the skin of their teeth in order to prevent their plans from being compromised.
With commendable emphasis on a realistic outlook on military operations, the one downside was that the characters were not fleshed out as well as they could have been. Apart from that, this thriller is sure to entertain fans who enjoy a realistic detailed-oriented account of planning and executing military operations.
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