by Ross Thomas
First published 1985
Clinton Shartelle has managed plenty of tough campaigns, but nothing like this. The seasoned political operative finds himself in Albertia, a small African nation where the stakes couldn't be higher. His job is to run a campaign against an opponent who has the full weight of the CIA behind him. The agency's resources seem endless, their influence runs deep, and they play by rules that don't exist in any campaign manual. Shartelle must navigate unfamiliar territory where local politics blend with Cold War intrigue. Every move he makes is watched, every strategy countered by forces with unlimited budgets and no scruples. The opposition doesn't just want to win an election. They want to control a country. Shartelle realizes he's not just fighting for votes but for the soul of a nation caught between competing powers. This is political warfare at its most brutal and personal.
Genres: adventure, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, political-intrigue
Setting: Albertia
Period: 20th-century
280 pages · Paperback · Perennial Library