At an ancient café in Cairo, two veteran spies plot a covert mission to resolve — once and for all — the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. The pledge: Israel will make a major concession as part of the peace treaty. In Singapore, Jethro Westrope, a magazine journalist, stumbles onto the scene of a murder: the beautiful Niki Kishwani directs him, in her last breath, to a digital recorder, evidence … evidence that puts Jethro’s life in serious danger. And, much worse, he is framed for Niki’s murder. Jethro sets out to find Niki’s killer and is drawn into a web of deception and intrigue involving officials from the Singaporean, Israeli, and American governments, each with a complex, competing, and potentially deadly agenda. Against this pulse-pounding backdrop, Jethro races to find answers and save himself —yet nothing is as it seems. He finds himself at the centre of a political plot so diabolical and sweeping in its world implications that he is stunned to discover tomorrow’s news headlines today. He is being set up not only as a murderer but as an assassin, and something much larger than his own fate is in his hands.
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The debut novel, SMOKESCREEN, by Khaled Talib is a riveting international suspense/thriller that has a unique plot, fast-pace action, and vivid descriptions.The story begins when unknown persons wants to kill the Israeli Prime Minster after the Israeli government secretly makes major concessions in a peace treaty with the Palestinians.The announcement of this historic peace deal is to be made in Singapore upon the prime minister’s visit. An unsuspecting high society magazine reporter, Jet Westrope, has been picked to be the scapegoat for this assassination.
Jet is first pulled into the diabolical plot when he is framed for the murder of a beautiful woman who had tried to warn him of this conspiracy. On the run from unknown assailants, Jet must find out who is her murderer to clear his name. But in his desperate search for the truth, he is drawn deeper into danger when he uncovers his involvement in the sinister plan to assassinate the prime minister.There are several unexpected twists and heart-throbbing action leading to the climax.
What make this novel stand out was the unique plot and unexpected twists. Khaled Talib is a master at creating heart-throbbing action scenes. His vivid descriptions of Singapore and other locations made me feel as if I was there. A must read international thriller/suspense.
SMOKESCREEN by Khaled Talib is a fast-paced political espionage thriller set on the beautiful island of Singapore that has you second guessing every characters’ motives and actions as you race to the climax and conclusion. Smokescreen is also an apt title for this debut novel.
Jethro Westrope, also known as Jet West, is a feature writer for Singapore’s leading lifestyle magazine, Society. He leads a very public and pampered life which makes him an easy scapegoat in a high stakes political assassination plot. The Israelis and Palestinians are brokering for a permanent peace in Singapore and Jet is to be used as a pawn and framed as the assassin of the Israeli Prime Minister. The plot has major worldwide political ramifications that not only effect the two major players, but also the U.S. and Singapore.
Jet is pulled into the twisted plot when he is framed for the murder of a beautiful woman who tried to warn him of what was planned. As he tries to clear his name and find out who is responsible, Jet seeks the help of Nicole Wong, a senior prosecutor on the island and also a friend of the murdered girl. Neither knows who they can believe or completely trust as they weave through a twisted web of spies, double agents, and patriots to get to the truth and clear Jet’s name.
This thriller was tightly plotted with action, several dead bodies, revelations of deceit and twists that I can’t reveal due to spoilers throughout. You have to keep close tabs on all the players and their motives. The politics are thought provoking and the author handles the information sparingly with no preaching or information dump. Jet is an interesting and sympathetic lead character. The other characters are all well fleshed out and intriguing as you try to figure out if they are ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
This is a debut thriller that delivers and will have you coming back for more from this author!