Investigative journalist Tom Klay works for a renowned globally recognized photo-journal called Sovereign but is really National Geographic. Even the building’s HQ is National Geographic’s down to the carpet, wall hangings, and tribal tchotchkes in the lobbies (the author once worked for NG). Klay, on assignment in Africa to track down ruthless elephant poachers barely escapes crossfire in the bush. A close colleague and a politician are not so lucky. Klay dedicates himself to tracking down the murderers.
Tom Klay also works for the CIA, which you can learn from the jacket cover, but not from the author until you are nearly 100 pages into the book. Bryan Christie’s style is to introduce characters, conversations, and situations without explaining them until you have paid the price of reading in obscurity for a while. I suppose he does it to build tension, but it comes across as unnecessary and annoying.
Tom Klay’s true nemesis turns out to be an international arms dealer, kabillionaire, and megalomaniac who is CEO of something called Perseus Group. Perseus Group sells arms to everyone, making profits from all sides of an arms race. The CIA’s relationship to Perseus Group, as well as its true intentions, are hidden behind mirrors, screens, clouds of smoke, and misinformation. The action hums along quickly enough to be engaging, but the book does not quite match the hype.