Part of Cotton Malone, book 12.5
First published 2017
Cotton Malone receives his assignment from the Magellan Billet: travel to a small central Asian nation and work with dictator Yossef Sharma. The mission requires delicate handling since Sharma's alliance with America must remain secret. Malone finds the task distasteful, particularly given Sharma's habit of destroying books. The situation becomes more complex when Sharma introduces Malone to an unexpected contact: the world's most wanted criminal, who claims he wants to surrender. Malone quickly realizes that appearances deceive in this alternative history scenario. The agent must navigate the treacherous political landscape and determine whom to trust. Success depends on accepting Sharma's assistance, despite their fundamental differences. Malone faces a moral reckoning as he works to complete his mission and ensure justice prevails.
Genres: adventure, thriller, action, espionage, political-thriller, alternate-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-dilemma
Setting: Central Asia
Period: 20th-century
22 pages · Kindle Edition · Harlequin