The Target

     The Target turns the tables on the nuclear terrorism genre as a group of average Americans become the perpetrators.     The novel's lead character is Mike Curran - the son of a South Side Chicago cop, a Notre Dame graduate, an Iraq War veteran, and a LaSalle Street stock broker. When he is the victim of a dirty bomb attack at Union Station, he gives up on the government and embarks on a journey from despair to a striking demonstration of deterrence. In contrast to Osama bin Laden hiding in Pakistan, Mike and a group of like-minded associates enjoy tremendous resources and freedom of action. His greatest problem is with his conscience.     Mike's deliberations are contrasted with two other perspectives. One is that of a moderate descendent of Arabian royalty and the sister of one of the Union Station bombers. The other is that of a liberal blogger who provides an intellectual construct of the ethical and political questions faced by the plotters.     The gripping story makes clear that it is in everyone's interest - Muslim as well as Western - to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.