The LION's GAME by Nelson DeMille...

The Lion's Game by Nelson DeMille was published in 2002 by Grand Central Publishing and is the 2nd book in the John Corey series. 

John Corey is a veteran New York City police detective that does not follow protocol if he can avoid it. Wounded on the job the previous year, Corey is assigned to work with the Anti-Terrorist Task Force during his recovery. Unlike John, the team, comprised of FBI and CIA agents, follows protocol consistently. 

Asad Khalil, whose name means Lion in Arabic, has been in training for the past decade to exact revenge against America for the 1986 bombing of his country. He is now ready to strike. 

While Khalil is stalking his targets, finding and stopping him falls mainly on the shoulders of the irreverent John Corey. Corey's street smarts come in handy after the Lion successfully fulfills part of his personal war against the U.S. However, the ATTF team must first identify and find Khalil's next victim and thwart any further attempts at completing his self-imposed mission of murder.

John Corey's cheeky attitude toward authority, along with his sometimes indelicate turn of phrase, adds a touch of humor that offsets the severe and tragic events of the novel and brings this character to life. But, of course, like any good story, there must be a love interest, and this is a good story! Kate Mayfield, an FBI agent on the task force, fills that role perfectly. She's intelligent, beautiful, good at her job, and keeps John on his toes, which helps him keep his job. 

The Lion's Game is an action thriller at its best. DeMille fans will love this novel. And if you've never read one of his thrillers, you will find The Lion's Game an excellent initiation into this author's work.

My Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½