Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Last Testament-Sam Bourne

The Last Testament
Sam Bourne
Harper, May 2009, $26.99
ISBN 9780061470868

The election for President of the United States remains a close one with a few weeks to go. Anything could trigger victory for either side.

Meanwhile scorned former diplomat Maggie Costello mediates a final Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. At the same time the Israeli Prime Minister appears at a peace rally to show his support to the agreement. Renowned academia right winger Shimon Guttman approaches the PM reaching into his pocket to take out a note to deliver to the PM; but Israeli security forces react instantly as they assume he grabs a weapon killing him. Fearing the incident could derail the peace talks, Costello obtains the cooperation of Guttman’s son to try to learn what Shimon wanted to tell the PM.

This is an intriguing thriller with ties that go back to Abraham starring a career diplomat who fell from grace a year ago with her humiliation in Africa, but has a second chance as the United States sees her as the “Closer” of hard negotiations. The story line is fast-paced as Costello and Guttman quickly realize that RIGHTEOUS MEN of America, Israel, and Palestine want control of Shimon’s “secret”. Although the web confession climax seems ludicrous, readers will enjoy this exciting Holy Land thriller which connects the twenty-first century feud to the Old Testament.
Harriet Klausner