An Accidental American

The War on Terror and its fallout will no doubt provide fodder for novel plots for years, if not decades, to come. AN ACCIDENTAL AMERICAN by Alex Carr takes a somewhat unique perspective on the War on Terror in general and the Iraqi war in particular, tying in the mistakes of the past with the disasters of the present in both international and personal affairs. Nicole Blake is an ex-convict who is living a quiet, blissfully boring existence on a self-sustaining farm in the French Pyrenees. But her life is shattered when John Valsamis, a no-nonsense CIA agent, appears on her doorstep requesting her assistance in locating Rahim Ali. Blake's former lover from a lifetime ago, Ali appears to be involved with a terrorist cell that is planning a major incident, making it imperative that he be located. Valsamis secures Blake's reluctant cooperation by playing upon the death of her mother --- murdered in a terrorist attack --- but Blake discovers all too soon that Valsamis has a history of treachery that stretches back in time and distance, even as his past has intersected with Blake's in ways she cannot even begin to imagine, let alone believe. Betrayed and in mortal danger, the only person Blake can trust is an extremely unlikely and unwilling ally whose innocence is at once a virtue and a hindrance. Pursued by a hunter who seems able to find her at will, Blake not only must save herself and her unexpected companion, but also bring to an end the scheme in which she finds herself immersed, even as she is staggered by discoveries revealing that practically everything she knew about herself and her world is wrong. AN ACCIDENTAL AMERICAN is reminiscent of the best work of John le Carre, informed with a world-weariness even as each page is infused with tension and danger as Blake, who gets deeper and deeper into a situation she does not understand, finds that those around her each have their own agendas. A page-turner that does not sacrifice literacy at the altar of expediency, it is a quietly explosive work that haunts and excites with each paragraph. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

The first time she sees John Valsamis in her French countryside driveway, he says nothing before driving away. He returns the next day at the same time saying he needs her help. He wants her to find her former lover Rahim Ali, who he claims is a terrorist recruited by the Islamic Armed revolution; he also shows her pictures of what the LAR has wrought on innocent people. She agrees to help the DOD agent and journeys to Lisbon where he lives as a documents forger. Word gets around that Nicole Blake seeks Rahim Ali. When they finally meet, John shoots Rahim, but before he dies he directs Nicole to go to his office where she finds a suspicious looking document and its forgery. John plans to kill Nicole, but she eludes him while wondering what is going on and why evidence points toward Beirut just after the embassy bombings. Readers who like dark thrillers in the tradition of Le Carre will enjoy AN ACCIDENTAL AMERICAN. Nicole is a gusty quirky heroine who wants to be like her father even though he gave her up to the police. Her years in prison strengthened her resolve. Espionage thriller fans will enjoy her cat and mouse battle with a clever killing machine. Harriet Klausner