Enemy of the Good

Foreign Service human rights officer Kate Hollister, the heroine of this solid international thriller from U.S. Foreign Service veteran Palmer (The Wolf of Sarajevo), gets transferred from Cuba to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the country where she was raised—and where her parents were murdered at the behest of Kyrgyzstan’s “President for Life,” Nurlan Eraliev. Her familiarity with the place, its language, and its culture will help her with her mission to identify the leader of Boldu, a revolutionary group. Kate has to navigate both the supersecret underground movement and the intrigues of the embassy, particularly the more hawkish elements from the CIA, whose motives are suspect from the beginning. Palmer makes the nuances of diplomacy come alive, capturing the contrast between the tedium of diplomatic work and the dangers of espionage. At times, the action is gripping, but Kate is much too earnest to make this a truly compelling novel; her story pales in comparison with that of Kyrgyzstan. [em]Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May) [/em]