Phew, just finished the last of the Stephens Coonts thrillers.

[getting old in mke]

1. Alex Berensen's John Wells series

Starts with _The Faithful Spy_.

I also like Mark Greaney's "The Gray Man" series, though they strike me as so non-stop that they're more like earlier Ludlum (_The Matarese Circle_ comes to mind). I think that if it does come to the screen, that Brad Pitt, who bought the rights, will be closer to Court Gentry from the book than a certain short actor was to a certain tall character from another action/adventure series.

And I think Cussler's fun. Does cameos in his own book, occasionally a mild Deus ex Machina. But straight-forward, well-paced adventure that pretends nothing more.