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Title details for The American Mission by Matthew Palmer - Available

The American Mission

by Matthew Palmer
Erik Singer
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
“There's the mission the public knows, and the mission we'll never see.  Matthew Palmer knows both, which is what makes The American Mission crackle with complexity and authenticity.  What a debut.”

—Brad Meltzer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Fifth Assassin

Global headlines come to life as intrigue and international politics collide in the Congo in this electrifying debut thriller from Matthew Palmer.

After a devastating experience in Darfur strips Alex Baines, former rising star of the State Department, of his security clearances, he is faced with two choices: spend the rest of his career in visa-stamping limbo or move to the private sector. On the verge of resigning, he receives a call from his old mentor with an incredible opportunity to start over, restoring both his security clearances and his reputation.

The job isn’t quite what Alex imagined it to be when he finds a shady U.S.-based mining company everywhere he turns.

As violence in the political climate escalates, Alex struggles to balance the best interests of the United States with the fate of the Congo and its people. His loyalties are put to the test as he races to determine the right course of action. 

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 26, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780698167193
      • File size: 373802 KB
      • Duration: 12:58:45

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 7, 2014
      Palmer, a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service currently assigned to the American embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, brings his professional expertise to his debut, a timely thriller. Alex Baines, a disgraced Foreign Service employee, in an effort to revive his career, takes a job in the Congo working under his old mentor, Ambassador Howard “Spence” Spencer. Alex, whose rabble rousing in previous posts often got him in hot water, soon discovers that Spence has a suspiciously cozy relationship with the country’s dictator, President Silwamba. Both Spence and Silwamba, in turn, seem overly willing to meet the needs of Consolidated Mining, an American company with a reputation for exploiting Africa’s mineral resources. When Alex doesn’t like what he sees, his sense of justice puts him between powerful forces that have never hesitated to eliminate trouble makers. A satisfying finale and a nuanced view of the diplomatic life more than compensate for bland prose and mechanical plotting. Author tour. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Conspiracy, intrigue, and politics collide when Alex Baines, a 20-year career diplomat, witnesses a massacre in Darfur in this debut thriller set in the Congo. The political fallout strips Baines of his security clearance, destroys his reputation, and ruins his career. Narrator Eric Singer's versatile range and skill capture Baines's elation when he's unexpectedly reassigned to the Congolese-American diplomatic mission. Singer's polished performance crackles with authenticity in his portrayal of Baines's dealings with international mining interests, Congolese rebels, an imperial dictator, invading Sudanese rebels, and opposition in his own embassy. His realistic portrayal of Baines's hostage negotiation with the terrorist leader known as "the Hammer of God" is riveting, chilling, and believable. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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