The Geneva Option: A Yael Azoulay Novel

British journalist Lebor (Hitler’s Secret Bankers) introduces brilliant and beautiful Yael Azoulay, a behind-the-scenes negotiator for the United Nations, in his gripping debut thriller, the first in a trilogy. In Goma, Congo, Yael tries to persuade the president of the Rwandan Liberation Front, Jean-Pierre Hakizimani, to make peace with the Rwandan government and surrender to a U.N. tribunal. On returning to New York, Yael is dismayed to discover she’s lost her job; she’s even more dismayed by the suspicious death of her trusted friend Olivia de Souza, an assistant to U.N. Secretary-General Fareed Hussein. And just who leaked Yael’s confidential encoded memo to Hussein to a New York Times reporter? As Yael goes rogue to ferret out answers to these puzzles, she peels away layers of intrigue. The action can be overblown at times, but those looking for a strong heroine in the mold of Lisbeth Salander will be satisfied. Agent: Elizabeth Sheinkman, William Morris. (June)