Mission of Honor (Tom Clancy's Op-Center, Book 9)

This book is a real stand out in the action/espionage genre because in addition to an exciting plot, it deftly probes the politics and religion of an area largely ignored in the news. The scenario set forth in the book focuses on the tensions between native African traditions on the one hand and western influence and Catholicism on the other. The book takes a very balanced approach in describing the tensions, and does not paint either the Catholic church or the insurgency as unreasonable -- which is refreshing. Because the story is based on the actual history, politics and economics of the region, the possibility of this sort of religious conflageration seems very realistic (and scary, by the way). The gist of the story is that Op Center intelligence teams are sent to monitor an explosive situation created when a Catholic priest is kidnapped in the opening round of an attempt to rid this part of Africa of western influence and religion in particular. The religious leader of the insurgency is a fascinating character, who is not a fanatic but actually a peaceful man seeking to usher in change. But he is also somewhat pragmatic, so he teams up with a former soldier --- himself a honorable man, albeit one who is willing to be ruthless to further what believes is a just cause. The kidnapped priest is an equally compelling character, with a deep love of Africa who relies on his faith to survive a horrible ordeal. The op center agents watch the situation rapidly deteriorate when an unknown third group assinates a Bishop sent to replace the kidnapped priest in an attempt to blame the insurgents. Rather than devolving into a simple commando-raid type of story, the op center intelligence agents are tasked to avert violence by forging unlikely alliances between themselves, the Priest and his kidnappers. The story is really unusual and makes for a great read. I bought this book in an airport and really can't remember the last time I enjoyed a fiction book so much. This is a must read, as it is both exciting and thought provoking. Well done Mr. Jeff Rovin!