Venezuela - Present Day

Tessa has been a ghost for the past eleven years. Well, technically ,she's now working for the National Geographic Society scouting far away countries for magazine articles, finding hotels, places to visit, etc. But eleven years ago, her death was staged after she got caught up in undercover work with one of the United States alphabet agencies. Then, she gets a call from the one man who knows of her existence…blackmail is such a nasty word. But Tessa is coerced to Venezuela to try to finally get this man and his hold on her off her back.

Logan Chambliss is a member of Dragon One, a group who does the dirty work US agencies can't handle -- and for a great price. He and his team are being sent to Venezuela to fix a situation started by the CIA, putting a look alike man in their government as Vice President after the real one is assassinated. No way can the world know we infiltrated someone into the government of another country, let alone a position of leadership, and start an international incident. In the middle of removing Ramos, the fake Vice President, he hits the alarm and everyone must escape before completing his mission. But before Logan entered the room, he noted someone else there, someone who escapes. It can't be Tessa; she was blown up eleven years ago.

Okay, now, you don't seriously believe our country doesn't sometimes do things we don't know about. One agency will mess with another country without our other intelligence agencies being aware of what's going on. Tessa has been running under the security radar, trying to carve a somewhat normal life for herself and letting everyone she ever knew think she's dead. She had one night of passion with Logan back then, but life must go on, and she runs her life extremely carefully, wanting to never work for the CIA again...until Logan suddenly pops up and needs help. Logan has never forgotten Tessa, and her sudden reappearance is a surprise. But when the mission doesn't go as planned, Logan and his team soon realize there is something else going on they were never informed about. There are helicopters, attempted assassinations, blackmailers, an intricate map of ancient languages, and the search for the ultimate weapon. What is it, you ask, well, that is better kept secret until you read the story.

I'm sure if you are the least bit interested in spy novels, Amy J. Fetzer is one of your favorite authors. The way she handles international affairs, our country's reputation, and intertwines them with constant action is her trademark. People are never who they appear to be, and almost everyone is hiding some kind of secret. Deftly handling different story lines, accentuating each one just long enough to weave it in with the others shows her expertise in managing each aspect of her novels.

In this intricately put together story, we meet many people involved with our government and its political and security actions. General Joseph McGill is now Acting Director of CIA Special Operations, and his predecessor, Elizabeth Jacobs, has left behind a situation of political dynamite. But dear old Elizabeth doesn't go easily and uses all her old training to try to evade arrest and finish her plan. Logan's fellow members of Dragon One are Max, Riley, and Sebastian. And a deep undercover agent, known to no one, but named Truman, gives me an impression his story might be next. There are the requisite evil characters, Eloisa Garcia, wife of the Vice President of Venezuela, and Salazar, her hired muscle, make an especially evil pair. Diego Salazar has no trouble killing anyone, and Eloise also feels no qualms about releasing the…whoops, can't let the cat out of the bag

If political shenanigans, international affairs, and secret agents are your secret vice (like mine) then COME AS YOU ARE by the premier writer of espionage books is just up your alley this month. Along with the other two books of the Dragon One series: Naked Truth (August 2005) and HIT HARD (June 2006) you will enter the underbelly of spies, government, and living on the edge of survival. So, draw the blinds, huddle under the covers, and make sure your phone isn't tapped while you enjoy a hair raising, spine tingling book.

Carolyn Crisher