About The Devil’s Handshake by Michael Reagan
“The Devil’s Handshake” is fast paced political thriller set in the global backdrop of natural resources. The protagonist, Sir Thomas Litchfield is an Anglo-Russian billionaire bound by Homeric code who tries to steer a pragmatic course in the new “Cold War” between USA and Russia.
The story unfolds in a fictional nation located in the Horn of Africa. Taking the reader on a journey through the intrigue and clashes as two contrasting worlds meet.
The key to this battle and what ultimately brings the countries to the brink of war is the new naval base that Russia is about to construct in the young African nation as part of Litchfield’s natural resources deal. To counter the re-emergence of the new look Russia, the new director of the CIA manipulates his President to effect a regime change in the country by backing an ambitious Interior Minister who is the chief antagonist in his coup attempt. To stop this Litchfield and his team broker a deal between the two powers “below the line” to stop them going to war. At the end of the book although he is successful as the two nations avoid going to war it is the loved ones of Thomas who ultimately pay the highest price.
Neither good nor evil; Litchfield is a survivor who adapts to the situation around him: The two key impact characters that influence the Litchfield character are: his true love a former beautiful young prostitute from Turkmenistan that he saves one night and his bodyguard who tries to act as the voice of reason in his life, but fails. The book’s overall premise is. “Blood is always thicker than water,” and despite trying what may Litchfield and the villain and those around them can never escape their pasts and with the underlying theme of “Life doesn’t always bring everybody who commits a crime to justice” and there always has to be a “Scapegoat” when the Bear meets the Eagle in the field of battle.
This is the first book in the series the second story “The Devil’s Playground” due out in August and is set in North Korea, Japan, Turkmenistan, China and Russia.
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