These stories are fast-paced and tightly- plotted; nothing extra.   In “The Kremlin Conspiracy” by Joel Rosenberg, a resurgent Russia plans to invade the Baltic States.  In “The Woman Left Behind”, Linda Howard blends special forces action with romantic intrigue. Is it soup?  In “The Escape Artist” by Brad Meltzer, a corpse sent to a government morgue turns out to be a fake.  Where’s the real Sgt Nolan?  In James Patterson’s “ Fifty Fifty” (is that the title or the number of JP releases this year?), a detective’s brother is accused of murder. Finally  in “The Rising Sea” by Clive Cussler, the NUMA team is tasked with checking an alarming rise in sea levels.