Friday, February 08, 2008

Pg. 69: David L. Robbins' "The Betrayal Game"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: David L. Robbins' The Betrayal Game.

About the book, from the publisher:
The breathtaking new thriller by suspense master David L. Robbins of a conspiracy so explosive, it could only be told as fiction. You know only half the story. Now the other half will blow you away.

Can one man make history — and can another change it with a single bullet? It was a question that Professor Mikhal Lammeck had devoted his life to answering. An expert on history’s great political assassinations, he’s come to Havana in the spring of 1961 to seek the answer firsthand. For the more he sees of Cuba’s charismatic revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, the more he’s convinced that he’s witnessing that rarest anomaly: the man who can change history … and who therefore must be murdered.

The wild CIA plots, the treacherous double crosses, the near- miraculous escapes, are already legendary, but it seems as if Castro’s number is finally up. With a massive U.S.-backed invasion of the island looming, a trap has been set that not even Castro can escape. The players of this deadly assassination game are as varied as they are lethal — organized-crime figures, CIA agents, the Cuban underground, even a reclusive American billionaire. And now, perhaps most unlikely of all, a distinguished history professor.

Mikhal Lammeck is thrust dead-center between a Cuban secret-police captain and a chillingly amoral American CIA agent. It’s a devil’s bargain, one that Lammeck has no choice but to accept, and it will give him unprecedented access to the secret history of one of the twentieth century’s greatest coups. Lammeck suddenly finds himself no longer only studying history, but making it. He soon becomes the unwilling mentor of a young man who’s arrived in Cuba — a confused marine sharpshooter determined to become the century’s most infamous assassin.

Seamlessly blending history and fiction into an electrifying page-turner, The Betrayal Game is that rarest of all thrillers — a novel so vividly real, it might very well be true.
Among the praise for The Betrayal Game:
"Along with building suspense, Robbins’ tale includes fascinating reflections on the complexities of who to trust and how to choose one’s allies, all of which provides considerable insight into the cold war at its peak. Surprises await along the way. This betrayal game should be played by anyone with a love for blendings of history and suspense."
Booklist

"In The Betrayal Game, David L. Robbins has created a tour de force thriller that is equal parts John Le Carre and Daniel Silva. A razor-edged game of assassins and revolutionaries set against the backdrop of Fidel's Cuba. A riveting historical thriller crafted with a master's touch. I defy anyone to predict the final twist."
—James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Judas Strain

"David Robbins writes with an assured narrative tone, never producing a jarring sentence or a clumsy piece of dialogue. His story is laced with authenticity and utter realism. Food for thought on every fascinating page. A born stylist, The Betrayal Game unfolds with vivid velocity to an explosive end with a clever surprise. Don't spoil it by reading the last few pages first."
—Steve Berry
Read an excerpt from The Betrayal Game and learn more about the author and his work at the official David L. Robbins website.

The Page 69 Test: The Betrayal Game.

--Marshal Zeringue