In Up Country, Nelson DeMille cannily revives the army career ofChief Warrant Officer Paul Brenner, the cynical, hardworking CriminalInvestigation Division man who was forcibly retired after solving the high-profile killing in The General'sDaughter. Brenner's called back to investigate the murder of a youngarmy lieutenant by his captain. The catch is, the crime took place during theheat of the Tet Offensive, and the only living witness was a North Vietnamesesoldier who described the incident in a 30-year-old letter that has onlyrecently come to light. Soon Brenner, a Vietnam vet, is on an ostensiblenostalgia tour of his old stomping grounds. The trip immediately turns dangerousas he heads "up country" to search for the letter writer, accompanied by agorgeous American businesswoman, who's hiding more than even the smartest CIDofficer could imagine. DeMille, who saw his own tour of duty in Vietnam (and even found a letter on adead Vietnamese soldier), intersperses historical facts and chilling politicalpossibilities with enough local color to provide some serious flashbacks for hisfellow veterans. To non-vets the book may seem very long, but the payoff at theend is worth a couple hundred extra pages. --Barrie Trinkle