The Zebras from Minsk: A Thriller From Rural Virginia to the Baltic States | The American Spectator

The Zebras From Minsk
By James H. McGee
(James H. McGee, 312 pages, $14.99)

James H. McGee retired after a 35-year career in government service as a senior security advisor in a Cabinet-level agency. His extensive experience conducting criminal investigations and developing counter-terrorism programs at the local, state, and federal levels has peppered his writing for The American Spectator. Jim’s comprehensive security background is also the inspiration for his second career as a thriller writer.

His latest book, The Zebras From Minsk, a sequel to his 2022 debut novel Letter of Reprisal, opens with the crash of a delivery van and the murder of a deputy sheriff in a remote area in rural Virginia. The van’s contents suggest a foreign terrorist plot to destroy certain foundational U.S. systems and to obstruct the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

The novel’s premise is that the primary character, Harry York, a former special operations agent turned academic, is provided with “a letter of reprisal,” which is a government document that authorizes individuals to act as “an agent of the government” against a foreign entity engaged in wrongdoing or unlawful behavior.

The catalyst for Harry’s selection for this mission was his past special operations training, his broad network, and, most importantly, his close relationship with Toby Parks, a former colleague who is now a congressman in upstate New York. When Toby is severely injured in an attack from the aforementioned terrorists, Harry is called out of retirement to assemble a team to investigate and take down these criminal forces. Harry, who has Estonian roots, was additionally qualified for this particular mission that involved coordinating operations in the forests of Belarus.

In an interview with The Baltic Times, McGee expounded on his motivation for writing a novel where critical scenes take place in the Baltic region, “I’ve long been fascinated by the Baltic states — their history, their resilience, their strategic importance — and I think they deserve far more attention in American storytelling…. That passion comes to life in the world of Harry York, the protagonist of both Letter of Reprisal and The Zebras from Minsk.” McGee further elaborated on the genesis of the novel’s title, “You can’t always think horses when you hear hoofbeats. Sometimes it really is a zebra — and sometimes it’s already too late when you realize that.”

Although I have not read Letter of Reprisal and was not familiar with its cast of characters, I found The Zebras from Minsk to be an engrossing, fast-paced story. McGee describes counter-terrorism programs in language that is simple but not patronizing for those who are new to the genre. The dialogue was also particularly rich, which suggests that the content could be seamlessly adapted for a screenplay. McGee’s skill at vividly depicting violent sequences without being gratuitous — no easy task — is impressive.

McGee doesn’t completely avoid some of the familiar problems with stories that feature a large ensemble cast of characters. Some characters could be more fully developed and some composites of real people seem a little too obvious. But overall, The Zebras from Minsk is a dialogue-rich. action-packed novel that keeps readers engaged with its intriguing story lines and unexpected plot twists.   

READ MORE from James H. McGee:

The American Spectator Has Had the President’s Ear for Decades: A Conversation With Kultursmog Director Robert Orlando

Behind the Making of Kultursmog: An Interview With Rob Orlando, Director of New Documentary on The American Spectator

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