Description:
Sarah Peterson, daughter of a CIA agent, witnessed her father's still- unexplained murder almost three decades ago and has honored his legacy by entering the Secret Service. Through her skill and hard work, she has managed to rise to the highest echelons of the service, recently promoted to the second highest rank in the Office of Diplomatic Security. She's been personally charged by the president with protecting the life of the most valuable cabinet member, Secretary of State Jack Montgomery. A dark and elusive figure, Montgomery has his own agenda, one that conflicts with the president's foreign policy. When Sarah tapes a secret meeting between Montgomery, an arms dealer, an Army general, and a former intelligence operative, she realizes that a high-level conspiracy has been hatched in the most secret recesses of the government. At stake is the fragile balance of power in one of the world's hottest political arenas. Warned off the assignment by a mysterious correspondent, uncertain whom she can trust, patronized and shut out by Montgomery, Sarah finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game of espionage. It involves the assassination of Saddam Hussein, a potentially horrific scenario of global warfare, and the kidnapping of billionaire Sam Baldwin's pregnant daughter. Unraveling the connection between Montgomery's nefarious activities and the truth behind the murder of her father, Sarah teams up with Baldwin and Hank Savage, his security chief, to free Jessica Baldwin. Sarah defuses a patriotic if misguided mission that threatens to destabilize the Middle East, driving this powerful thriller to an exciting conclusion. Author Steve Samuel's secondary characters in Rock, Paper, Scissors are particularly interesting and well drawn, especially Hank Savage, who ultimately earns Sarah's respect and even her affection. Readers will hope for a sequel to this exceptionally well-crafted debut, perhaps one in which both Sarah Peterson and Hank Savage make another appearance. Unlike many of his peers, Samuel doesn't overload the narrative with too much technological detail. Human beings, not weapons and computers, drive the action in this satisfying and suspenseful novel of conspiracy, betrayal, and revenge. --Jane Adams
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