In 1968, then Lt. Sherman, a gunboat skipper, was forced to abandon the pickup of a Navy SEAL conducting special warfare behind enemy lines. The SEAL, presumed killed or captured by the Viet Cong, in fact survived to become one of the CIA's highly trained assassins. He is a 'sweeper' – an agent who cleans up sensitive messes for the CIA. He is also a man intent on extracting the most painful sort of revenge.

But killing Tag Sherman would be too simple. Instead the sweeper goes after the admiral's friends and lovers, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake. Commander Karen Lawrence, Naval Investigative Services, is assigned to look into the assortment of evil events which have befallen those close to Sherman.

In short order, Karen is also caught up in the maelstrom, and the Pentagon begins to wonder if perhaps the new admiral's past is too great a liability...no one wants a 'sweeper' loose in their ranks...

Sweepers is a story of betrayal and revenge that at first blush seems reminiscent of other Vietnam era stories. More so than any armed conflict before it, Vietnam demonstrated the effectiveness of special operations where conventional warfare tactics failed. Espionage writers like Ludlum and Clancy have repeatedly shown readers that this is a dangerous and often brutal world.

What makes Sweepers different is that it is not a tale about a conspiracy of dark designs, but rather is about a contest between two equally flawed men. Predictably, there is a woman caught in the middle. She is a down-to-earth character grounded in the realities of her job. On that level, this novel is enjoyable and engaging, if not the author's finest work.

Although Sweepers appears to be accurate and painstakingly realistic in its depiction of special operations and operatives, the details are not well integrated into the story. One is left questioning the plausibility of a twenty-five-year-old revenge plot – however well told. Sweepers also describes the inner workings of the Pentagon in some detail – perhaps more than the average reader would want to know.

While a departure from the naval fiction Deutermann does so well, as espionage fiction, Sweepers is certainly better than most. Those who count Tom Clancy, Nelson DeMille, and W.E.B. Griffin among their favorite authors are likely to enjoy Sweepers.

--Thea Davis