Banquo's Ghosts-Rich Lowry and Keith Korman

Banquo's Ghosts
Rich Lowry and Keith Korman
Vanguard, Apr 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781593155087

CIA agent Stewart Banquo knows he needs a specialist to get past the concentric circles of security surrounding his target; he must choose a killer who the Iranians (and the American media) would never suspect. He tags Crusader writer Peter Johnson as his ghost, a mild mannered drunken liberal writing for an ultra left wing rag; Banquo just needs to figure out how much to bribe the fool to do the deed.

Johnson agrees to undergo the dangerous mission of assassinating the eliding Iranian nuclear scientist using his magazine as a front. However, In Iran, he is double crossed several times ending up a guest of the state. Tortured into confessions of everything short of killing Cock Robin; Agents Robert Wallets who actually recruited him and Marjorie Morningstar who trained him enable Johnson to escape. Back in New York, Johnson leads the agents in a quest to prevent Iranian terrorists from nuking the city while his daughter is being held hostage.

This exciting espionage thriller works on two levels. First there is the thrilling obvious terrorist threat and the counter efforts to do more than just prevent it; second there are not so subtle left hook right uppercut combos slammed at politicians and news media for interfering with the efforts to stop terrorism (mostly by the left) or dumbing down the realities (mostly by the right). Even with these sharp punches, the strong story line is owned by BANQUO’S GHOSTS especially the mild mannered reporter who is out of his element when he takes the field assignment.

Harriet Klausner