Bloodmoney

Revenge is a jagged-edged puzzle, and within the espionage community it can be even more lethal. Firdous Bamji grounds us firmly in the unfamiliar settings of Pakistan and the Middle East with clear, fluid name and place pronunciations. They're never stumbling blocks though the intricate mesh of relationships, clans, and shifting loyalties are all part of the deadly game played by the CIA, ISI, and now a new off-the-books, super-clandestine American outfit. Informed details and cultural anthropology are hallmarks of David Ignatius's intelligent thrillers, and that richness carries well into the audio format. Narrator Bamji hides in plain sight, a spy's trick. For listeners this means no overly strong presence--but instead the recessive storyteller making sure all goes according to plan. If you liked BODY OF LIES, find more engaging listening here. R.F.W. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

April 4, 2011
Foreign intrigue specialist Ignatius (The Increment) continues his fictional trek through terrorist hot spots with this timely thriller about the CIA's bungling attempts to influence Pakistan's shaky, insecure leadership. Sophie Marx, an agent hungry to return to the field after a high-level but boring desk job, works for a new intelligence unit disguised as a Los Angeles record company, Hit Parade, whose undercover focus is to control Pakistani organized terrorist cells through bribery. It's not working. Not only are the terrorist attacks continuing but CIA agents delivering the bribes are being murdered. To make matters worse, Hit Parade's secret funding sourceâa highly illegal strategy to skim money from the world's financial marketsâis rapidly becoming public knowledge. Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, is especially good at capturing the work environment at the CIA, where petty bickering, one-upmanship, and moral lapses often get in the way of sound policy.