The Terrorist
A Louis Morgon Mystery
Peter Steiner
Review: Louis Morgon was forced out of the CIA 40 years ago, and has retired to France. But the agency hasn't forgotten him and seeks his help in infiltrating a suspected terrorist cell in The Terrorist, the third mystery in this series by Peter Steiner.
While visiting his vacation home in Algiers, Louis is contacted by an old friend who tells him he's back on the agency's radar. There is no love lost between Louis and the CIA, so when he's approached to help learn more about al Qaeda, he refuses. But then he discovers that Zaharia Lefort, an Algerian boy he sponsored for an education in the US, has been falsely accused of being a terrorist himself and imprisoned somewhere, out of Louis's reach. Blackmailed into helping, Louis agrees on the condition that Zaharia will be freed. With this delicate agreement in place, Louis realizes that he can never stop being an agent, no matter where he lives or how old he gets.
Given the book's title and its premise, one might expect an action-packed, thrilling international adventure of intrigue. But The Terrorist is much more subtle and nuanced ... and the better for it. It's the story of a man in conflict, personally and professionally, forced into an untenable situation, an international game of chess involving two young men, pawns really, unknown to each other, unwitting participants in a game they don't understand and can probably never appreciate, where moves and countermoves can have deadly consequences. The Terrorist is an outstanding novel of suspense, and highly recommended.
Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of The Terrorist for this review.
Review Copyright © 2010 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Selected reviews of other mysteries by this author …
L'Assassin
Minotaur Books (Trade Paperback), July 2009
ISBN-13: 9780312373436; ISBN-10: 0312373430
Location(s) referenced in The Terrorist: France, Algeria, New Jersey
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The Terrorist by Peter Steiner
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0-312-37344-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-37344-3
Publication Date: May 2010
List Price: $23.99
Synopsis (from the publisher): The War on Terror has serious consequences, even for Louis Morgon, even in his small, not quite forgotten French village. When he learns that a misguided CIA campaign has led to the arrest and extreme rendition of Zaharia, who has been like a son to him, Louis is determined to find a real terrorist to exchange for the boy. His body may be failing, but his mind is still nimble. It better be. He has to play a double game navigating the dangerous no-man’s land between the CIA and Al Qaeda, turning up old scorpions who, like Louis, would rather be left alone.
His quest takes him to Algiers, Cairo, the slums of Paris and finally New Jersey. He makes some sinister enemies. But he also assembles an unlikely collection of friends and allies, including a bona fide al Qaeda terrorist, some gang-bangers in Newark, and a dog named Buster. And he even finds love along the way.
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