Inside Out-Barry Eisler

Inside Out
Barry Eisler
Ballantine, Jun 29 2010, $25.00
ISBN: 9780345505101

In 2005 at Arlington, CIA Deputy Director Clemens, National Clandestine Service Director Killman, and Counterterrorism Center Director Alkire inform the Vice president’s Chief of Staff Ulrich that approximately ninety-two tapes are missing. Clemens nervously explains the tapes are vivid showings of torture without the in their pocket main stream media sanitizing the picture for the public. Ulrich informs the frightened trio to find the tapes at any cost.

At a bar in Manila, three Australians and Ben Treven get into an altercation. Ben breaks the finger of the middle guy; hammers another in the head with a bar stool and batters the third Aussie. Two are in spasms while the other is dead. The Filipino police arrest Ben.

His enemy and former boss Hort arrives with a deal to free him if he takes on a mission or to let him keep puking up the prison food. Treven has five days to retrieved ninety-two damaging torture tapes from another paid killer he personally knows, Daniel Larson, who demands millions in diamonds or be prepared to watch the show on You Tube. Treven and FBI Agent Paula Lanier seek Larson as does other Feds and their contracted cronies.

This is an action-packed fast-paced espionage thriller with stratospheric levels of testosterone that even the beautiful women seem to have an overly abundance of the hormone. Based on the reported destroyed torture tapes, Inside Out is an exciting tale as blood flows wherever either Treven (see Fault Line) or Larson happens to be; ironically as each kills without blinking both loathes torture. Although pre Abu Ghraib would have put this over the top of Everest, the audience will wonder how much is possible and how much is truly implausible.

Harriet Klausner