THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON

This latest thriller featuring Jack Ryan, now U.S. President, seems to lose its way between Clancy's earlier novels, like Red October or Patriot Games and the later techno-thrillers of his Op-Center series. In abridgment the fast-paced story suffers from repeated scene changes between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing, with a dis-orienting dateline, acronym overload, and minimal character development. Frank Muller puts out an amazing performance, whipping off endless Chinese and Russian names--even in dialogue--as if they were his native tongue. But even this veteran narrator can't help listeners follow the plot or care much about the characters. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]