Clark Zlotchew's Blog - Posts Tagged "espionage-thriller"
Thrilling Read
The Defector, by Daniel Silva: This, like all Silva's novels I've read, is an espionage/thriller that grabs you by the literary lapels and doesn't let go for an instant. It pulls you through page after thrilling page of intrigue and violent action and finally releases you, panting from your long but swift journey, on page 497. This novel is part of the popular Gabriel Alon series. It takes place in Russia, London and Switzerland. Warning: Do not start to read this at bedtime; you won't want to put it down in time to get some sleep.
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THE CAUCASIAN MENACE
In this novel, the break-away Republic of Dagestan has nuclear warheads left over from the Soviet Union. The democratically-elected president has been ousted in a coup, and the usurper is intent on selling some of the warheads to Iran and/or terrorist organizations. He also holds a Russian nuclear physicist whom he intends to sell as well. To prevent interference with his plans, the usurper has nuclear missiles trained on key European capitals.
Neither the U.N. nor NATO will take action. The United States, wishing to avoid a nuclear disaster, cannot take any overt action. CIA operatives Baker and Gold are assigned to help the Loyalist army eliminate the usurper and help the Loyalists to recover the reins of government, while avoiding a nuclear confrontation. They must also rescue the scientist and prevent the sale of nuclear warheads to rogue states or terrorists.
Complicating matters, Baker’s wife had been tortured and murdered years before by Thorne, the sadistic mercenary now employed by the usurper. Gold fears that Baker may have killing Thorne as his top priority, rather than capturing him for questioning. Meanwhile, William Bell, their immediate superior, has been selling information to the usurper that could result in failure of the mission and the deaths of Baker and Gold.
Dagestan, in the real world, has been the scene of violence, much of it spilling over from neighboring Chechnya, but some of it internal. There are 36 different languages and dialects in this mountainous region, and the ethnic groups associated with those languages. The republic is part of the Russian Federation, and news from this republic as well as from the entire North Caucasus Region is tightly censored.
Clark ZlotchewThe Caucasian Menace
Neither the U.N. nor NATO will take action. The United States, wishing to avoid a nuclear disaster, cannot take any overt action. CIA operatives Baker and Gold are assigned to help the Loyalist army eliminate the usurper and help the Loyalists to recover the reins of government, while avoiding a nuclear confrontation. They must also rescue the scientist and prevent the sale of nuclear warheads to rogue states or terrorists.
Complicating matters, Baker’s wife had been tortured and murdered years before by Thorne, the sadistic mercenary now employed by the usurper. Gold fears that Baker may have killing Thorne as his top priority, rather than capturing him for questioning. Meanwhile, William Bell, their immediate superior, has been selling information to the usurper that could result in failure of the mission and the deaths of Baker and Gold.
Dagestan, in the real world, has been the scene of violence, much of it spilling over from neighboring Chechnya, but some of it internal. There are 36 different languages and dialects in this mountainous region, and the ethnic groups associated with those languages. The republic is part of the Russian Federation, and news from this republic as well as from the entire North Caucasus Region is tightly censored.
Clark ZlotchewThe Caucasian Menace
