Reading other reviews, one would think this was one of the greatest novels ever written. It was based on these reviews, along with an interest in the the Foreign Service, that I chose to purchase and read this book. The writing is mediocre at best, and could have used a good editor to point out some of the problem areas, one of which is the annoying switch from third-person to first-person occasionally within the story which is difficult for a seasoned author to pull off and which this author is unable to make these transitions successfully.

I believe the concept is good. International thrillers can be fun when well thought out but it takes over half the book just to introduce the numerous characters. Bear in mind that the book is not that long to begin with! I'll grant that there are some interesting character descriptions, and Istanbul does come alive in this book which is why it gets 3 instead of 2 stars. However, the long build up to any kind of interesting plot developments and the 3rd to 1st person transitions (within the same chapter) make it a chore to complete.

If you are interested in the inner workings of consular offices of the Foreign Service, this might interest you. If you are looking for a good international thriller, pass on this one or you will regret the time you spent reading this very mediocre paperback.

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