LONGTIME MASTER OF THRILLERS TAKES ON COCAINE TRAFFICKING

In Frederick Forsyth's new political thriller, The Cobra, due out
Tuesday, the American president throws down a gauntlet: Extinguish the
international scourge of cocaine trafficking.

Here he is in conversation with a Drug Enforcement Administration
official:

"Are you serious, Mr. President?"

"Yes, I believe I am. What do you advise?"

"Well, if you are going to try to destroy the cocaine industry, you
will be taking on some of the most vicious, violent and ruthless men
in the world."

"Then I guess we are going to need someone even better."

"I think, sir, you mean even worse."

Paul Devereaux is the man for the job.

The old-school, ex-CIA director known as the Cobra is true to only God
and his country.

He accepts the mission and names it for himself - "Project
Cobra."

Devereaux has specific requirements: freedom to put together his own
team, unlimited access to information from intelligence agencies and a
$2billion budget.

What becomes the final key to the project is a secret executive order
that classifies cocaine as a national threat whose importation
jeopardizes national security.

Devereaux's plan is to strike at the cartel dispersing cocaine before
the substance gets into the hands of gangs who cut it to increase its
street value. He plans carefully before launching a full-scale strike.

Forsyth writes from an omniscient point of view, following Devereaux
as well as drug lords and their family members. Readers gain insight
into how the cartel distributes cocaine.

As Devereaux brings down the hammer, readers follow both sides of the
drama. The twists are sharp and the turns are unpredictable.

The plot takes place during a period of about two years, but the pace
is one of relentless action.

Insight into the drug culture combined with Forsyth's easy, exciting
style guarantees a rich, entertaining read.

Forsythe, 72, has been thrilling readers since the early 1970s, with
best-sellers such as The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File.

The Cobra shows that he isn't letting up yet.