by Stephen L. Carter. When Beck, now a single mom with a responsible career, hears that old flame Jericho Ainsley is dying, she drops her child with grandma and flies to the bedside. Suddenly, her life is on the line. Her ex-lover is also ex-CIA, ex-Department of Defense, and an ex-investment wizard. He has desperate secrets to protect even in the face of death itself. His family and associates warn Beck that Jericho has lost his marbles, but he drafts her into the front line to guard his intel. In a remote mountain hideaway, the characters battle for mastery of Jericho's assets—psychological, emotional, and tangible. Evoking notes of Helen MacInnes even as he updates for the PDA era, Carter confidently inhabits a female sensibility to portray ground zero at this grisly deathbed. VERDICT In his fourth fictional excursion (after Palace Council), Carter has acquired the Midas touch of good thrillers—plot, pace, and explosive ending. While this represents a switch for Carter from legal thrillers to espionage fiction, fans of his other novels may enjoy. An entertaining summer read. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Jericho's fall
by Stephen L. Carter. When Beck, now a single mom with a responsible career, hears that old flame Jericho Ainsley is dying, she drops her child with grandma and flies to the bedside. Suddenly, her life is on the line. Her ex-lover is also ex-CIA, ex-Department of Defense, and an ex-investment wizard. He has desperate secrets to protect even in the face of death itself. His family and associates warn Beck that Jericho has lost his marbles, but he drafts her into the front line to guard his intel. In a remote mountain hideaway, the characters battle for mastery of Jericho's assets—psychological, emotional, and tangible. Evoking notes of Helen MacInnes even as he updates for the PDA era, Carter confidently inhabits a female sensibility to portray ground zero at this grisly deathbed. VERDICT In his fourth fictional excursion (after Palace Council), Carter has acquired the Midas touch of good thrillers—plot, pace, and explosive ending. While this represents a switch for Carter from legal thrillers to espionage fiction, fans of his other novels may enjoy. An entertaining summer read. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)
