The Shiro Project

December 1, 2014
Originally published in French in 2011, this is the second of the author's Consortium Thrillers (after The Bleiberg Project). In 1957, a virus is unleashed in a U.S. Army research facility. In 2011, the entire population of a small town in the Czech Republic, is inexplicably wiped out. And Eytan Morg, a genetically modified Mossad agent, is shocked to learn that his friend and mentor, Eli, has been kidnapped by the Consortium, a shadowy organization whose goal of producing a master race (they supported Hitler, back in the day) might recently have entered a frightening new phase. To get Eli back, and to find out who's behind the events in the Czech Republic, Eytan must release his nemesis, Elena, from prison, but, as Eytan knows all too well, partnering up with this woman means putting his life on the line. Fluidly written and very cleverly plotted, the book is a fast-paced adventure that rarely slows down enough to let us really think about the inherent absurdities of its story. Lots of fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)