Another thriller featuring Sean Drummond, the wise-cracking, masculine guy, working as a one-man CIA, FBI, JAG Lt. Col. Is Man In The Middle a who-done-it mystery or an essay on the strife within the Bush II administration regarding our involvement in Iraq?
Regardless, I found Man In The Middle a story that should be read while wide-awake . This, because of the many characters and the involvement of each in this tale of intrigue.
I found it fairly uninteresting (except for the colorful Drummond wise-cracks) until page 180 of this 450 page novel. From then on the book read like an his Drummond in a meeting with Phyllis, his govt. boss..."And that's the problem. At the beginning of this case" (a murder of a US official) "we had lots of chances to do the right thing. The chance to find out about and expose Charabi." (the possible new head of Iraq). "The chance to expose Daniels" (the murdered US official) "and his bosses, to expose the truth about the crooked intelligence, about a possible betrayal, and along the way, we stumble into a money scheme that implicates a government that is a titular ally. Instead, we settle for a few garden-variety terrorists. I think you can see where that might turn the stomach of a good soldier."
Sean Drummond would put James Bond to shame with his priceless comments and wise-cracks that are often spoken at inopportune times. While a discussion was under way explaining the rivalries between the various Arab divisions (Sunnis. Saudis, and others) Drummond says "Even in America, our cities and reguons have their own quirks and idiosyncrasies; so if you're operating there, you need to be sensitive to that and adapt, or you stick out like a zit on the prom queen's nose. I mean, I once wore a Yankees cap and :Nixon's the One" t-shirt in Boston; I barely got out alive."
All in all, a novel with a lot going on: murder, betrayal, love, bad guys, more bad guys, cover-ups, and, of course, the wise-cracks.