The Three-Nine Line

Book excerpt: The fourth installment in the critically acclaimed Cordell Logan series, The Three-Nine Line brings the sardonic pilot all the way to Vietnam. It’s been over forty years since they were released from the “Hanoi Hilton"—a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam—and three American soldiers and ex-prisoners finally return to Vietnam. As part of an effort by the US government to settle a major trade agreement, these three men have agreed to make peace with one of their most brutal former captors—a guard they dubbed “Mr. Wonderful.” But when Mr. Wonderful is murdered, the three former POWs are the primary suspects and the multibillion-dollar deal threatens to unravel. Enter Cordell Logan: pilot, still-aspiring Buddhist, and former military assassin. Working with a newly formed covert intelligence unit, Logan arrives in Hanoi to identify the real killer before the trade agreement implodes. But he soon discovers a vexing and increasingly dangerous mystery that will take every ounce of ingenuity and resolve to unlock. Risking his life like never before, Logan must discover who killed the guard and why, and fast. The Three-Nine Line is a classic, pulse-pounding page-turner and an excellent addition to a thrilling series from award-winning author David Freed.