Friends, Lovers, Enemies

Journalist Victor ( Absence of Pain ) here reveals terrorism's human faces--and those of its victims. American TV journalist Sasha Beale is vacationing in Rome and trying to recover from a wrenching divorce when she finds herself at the site of a terrorist bomb explosion. Becoming her network's on-the-scene reporter and new Middle East expert, she is haunted by the horrible scene, particularly the sight of a small boy's body. The attack was ordered by PLO leader Tamar Karami, who is targeted for assassination by the Israeli Mossad. Mossad agent Gideon Afirham, father of the dead boy, is given the role of seducing Sasha--who is scheduled to visit Karami's household in Tunis for an interview--in order to tap her for information. Amidst the horrors and maneuverings, however, their involvement evolves into real love. The author's attempts to convey the blurred edges where emotions, politics, morality and duty meet remain themselves murky. But insider Victor dramatically portrays complex current issues with an absorbing plot and appealing characters. Literary Guild selection. (Aug.)