Ministers of Fire

Starred review from February 27, 2012
Veteran cold warriors confront the post-9/11 world in Saunders’s impressive first novel, a complex spy thriller. After introducing Lucius Burling, a brilliant and dedicated CIA agent, in 1979 Afghanistan, the story moves forward to 2002 to find him serving as consul in Shanghai. His one-time superior, Gordon MacAllister, enlists Lucius to investigate an attempt to smuggle the dissident nuclear physicist Yong Beihong out of China. Unbeknownst to Lucius, the man helping Beihong is an old compatriot from the CIA’s Afghanistan operations, Jack Lindstrom, who left the agency after his wife disappeared into the hands of the mujahideen. As Beihong and Jack journey to freedom, the Chinese intelligence chief Gen. Zu Dongren follows closely behind. While the intricate plotting and vivid action scenes are sure to please genre fans, more general readers should also find plenty to enjoy, from Saunders’s meticulous prose to his closely observed characterizations. Agent: Neil Olson, Donadio & Olson.

June 15, 2012

In 1979 Kabul CIA station chief Lucius Burling survived an ambush that kills the American ambassador, but he couldn't grasp what happened or why. Then on his next mission, he fell in love with the wife of a co-agent. Fast forward to 2002. Burling is now the American consul in Shangahi. A dissident Chinese physicist may be planning to sell his country's nuclear secrets, but is this operation being carried out without the CIA's involvement? VERDICT Saunders can write, but his complex story would have been easier to follow if written in a less literary style. The narrative continually crashes to a halt with long descriptions and prose that calls attention to itself. The love triangle and the characters are fine, but suspense is lacking. Espionage novels should rock, but this one is merely karaoke.--Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

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