James A. Scott’s new thriller, the third to feature former CIA officer Max Geller, finds Geller embroiled in the hunt for a missing nuclear weapon.

Now a consultant for the D.C. police department, Geller receives orders to investigate the death of Colonel Thomas Wooten. Some are eager to rule Wooten’s death a suicide, but Geller and Major Greta Von Wiles, an Army investigator assigned to partner with him, suspect there’s more to the story.

Indeed, there is. Wooten was in charge of “monitor[ing] the location and status of every chemical and nuclear weapon in the Army’s arsenal.” Now, a small nuclear weapon has gone missing. Geller and Von Wiles trace the theft to a group of elite soldiers with shadowy motives. As the duo pursues the truth, bodies begin to pile up, and powerful political forces would be all too happy to take out Geller and Von Wiles, as well.

Revenge is the Best Revenge has an alarmingly plausible premise and some intriguing plot twists, particularly the ultimate motive of the thieves. There’s some sharp dialogue, and Geller and Von Wiles make an appealing team.

Unfortunately, the novel, at a little over 400 pages, feels bloated despite its action-packed plot. Tedious stretches of expository dialogue could be summarized instead of having the characters deliver the information blow by blow. This is particularly true in scenes of government meetings that don’t even involve the main characters. Likewise, the use of many points of view proves distracting. Giving information to the reader that the main characters don’t yet have dulls the novel’s suspense.

In addition, a romantic subplot feels shoehorned in by the author, rather than developed organically through the characters’ growth.

Although it contains some promising elements and may appeal to a small group of die-hard political thriller fans, greater streamlining would lend the novel much wider appeal.