The Twilight War

As the Cold War wanes, CIA officer Daniel Robinson becomes increasingly disillusioned with his career until his old friend Miroslav Lhota is murdered, and Robinson embarks on a dangerous hunt for the truth

In Morgan's ambitious first novel, top CIA operative Daniel Robinson is beseeched by his close friend Miroslav Lhota to help apprehend one Emil Uzhok--who, having proved himself a beast during WW II, is planning a global catastrophe. Although Robinson and Lhota had been partners in many covert operations in Europe, Robinson turns a deaf ear to his friend's entreaties. When Lhota is murdered in Guatemala, presumably by Uzhok, Robinson is consumed by remorse and vows vengeance, to the serious detriment of his career, family life and personal safety. His crusade carries him to Czechoslovakia, Guatemala and the far reaches of the U.S. While the story is extremely well written and the author displays an instructive familiarity with Guatemala, by the middle of the novel the plot verges on the surreal, probably to camouflage Morgan's difficulty in ascribing galactic implications to the hunt for Uzhok. It is never made clear what Uzhok finally intends to do (only what he has already done); as a result this putative thriller leaves the reader underwhelmed.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Former Foreign Service officer Morgan has used his years of experience to produce a very suspenseful spy thriller. Protagonist Daniel Robinson, a CIA officer, is beginning to doubt the purpose of his life and work. In the midst of this crisis, he discovers that a friend has been killed by an old enemy. Robinson begins investigating this death on his own, breaking agency rules. He is pursued through several countries by this enemy, as well as by FBI agents who believe he may have crossed over to the other side. The story of Robinson's hunt is interrupted by pieces of a mysterious diary which contains clues about the motive for the murder. The author integrates these pieces well, so the reader does not get lost. Some of the characters are quite memorable, particularly a scar-faced Guatemalan general, an award-winning poet. The diary and the humorous bits make this book a little different from others of the same genre. For popular fiction collections.
- Kathy Armendt Sorci, IIT Re search Inst., Anna polis, Md.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.