Deadly Perfume: An International Thriller

Thomas ( Enola Gay ) draws on 35 years of journalistic experience in the Middle East for this first work of fiction. Some years after the 1990-91 Gulf War the world's leaders have changed but the Middle East still festers. Terrorist Khalil Raza now leads the fedayeen from a base granted by Qaddafi's successor and financed by a cabal of Iraqi mullahs. This group wants to attain control of the oil fields and to bring about the final destruction of Israel through a holy jihad. Raza's weapon is Anthrax-B-C, a Chinese-designed pathogen (deadly perfume) that can wipe out entire cities just hours after it is placed in the water supply. Blowing up several hotels simultaneously in New York City, London and Paris for starters, Raza then wipes out a South African town with Anthrax-B-C to scare the West into meeting his demands. World leaders give Mossad agent and Raza's arch nemesis David Morton carte blanche to track down Raza. Although the story is exciting, the terrorists' hyperbole might wear thin on the reader and Thomas's solid knowledge of the Middle East is offset by his wildly inaccurate portrayal of Americans--especially New Yorkers--and an odd notion of the geography of greater New York City. Much of the resolution depends on coincidence, with too many convenient loopholes for credibility. 50,000 first printing; $50,000 ad/promo; film rights to The Write Company; author tour. (Feb.)