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Permanent Interests
Readers of Silva, Forsyth and Ludlum will enjoy this taut political thriller in which corrupt White House officials sell out to the American and Russian mobs to re-elect a weak President Corgan at all costs. American ambassadors and Russian spies who get in the way are killed. Diplomat Bob Innes falls into this conspiracy of political intrigue and murder and becomes the target of hired assassins and Russian mafia hitmen. He and Lydia, a beautiful Russian escort to powerful men, work with the FBI to bring down the President's men and the Russian mob's Godfather. Al Malandrino, a colorful New York mob boss, becomes their unexpected ally. PERMANENT INTERESTS authentically captures political intrigue, greed and treachery in the highest levels of government. And it all comes crashing down in face of relentless pursuit of the truth by the system's would-be victims.
392 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
33 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
James Bruno
13 books18 followersJames Bruno is the author of four bestselling books. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, CNN, Fox News, SiriusXM Radio, in The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Huffington Post, and other national and international media. His spy-mob thriller PERMANENT INTERESTS and CHASM, a thriller about war criminals, have landed simultaneously on three Amazon Kindle Bestseller lists, including #1 in Political Fiction and #1 in Spy Stories. They were joined by TRIBE, a political thriller centered on Afghanistan. HAVANA QUEEN is an espionage thriller set in Cuba. THE FOREIGN CIRCUS, a book of satirical essays on U.S. foreign policy is also an Amazon bestseller. Mr. Bruno is a contributor to POLITICO Magazine and Washington Monthly, and an instructor at ThrillerFest.
Mr. Bruno served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State for twenty-three years and currently is a member of the Diplomatic Readiness Reserve, subject to worldwide duty on short notice. Mr. Bruno holds M.A. degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and Columbia University, and a B.A. from George Washington University.
His assignments have included Cuba, Guantanamo Naval Base (as liaison with the Cuban military), Pakistan/Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Washington, DC. He has spent ample time at the White House and has served in a Secret Service presidential protection detail overseas. He also knows the Pentagon, CIA and other foreign affairs agencies well.
The author is honored to have been denounced by name recently by the Castro propaganda machine for his latest thriller, "Havana Queen."
Based on his experiences, James Bruno's novels possess an authenticity rarely matched in the political thriller genre. His political commentary in POLITICO, Fox News, Washington Monthly, SiriusXM Radio and foreign media has won national and international attention. If you like taut, suspense-filled thrillers written by someone who has actually been at the center of the action, read James Bruno's books. You will not be disappointed!
Mr. Bruno served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State for twenty-three years and currently is a member of the Diplomatic Readiness Reserve, subject to worldwide duty on short notice. Mr. Bruno holds M.A. degrees from the U.S. Naval War College and Columbia University, and a B.A. from George Washington University.
His assignments have included Cuba, Guantanamo Naval Base (as liaison with the Cuban military), Pakistan/Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Washington, DC. He has spent ample time at the White House and has served in a Secret Service presidential protection detail overseas. He also knows the Pentagon, CIA and other foreign affairs agencies well.
The author is honored to have been denounced by name recently by the Castro propaganda machine for his latest thriller, "Havana Queen."
Based on his experiences, James Bruno's novels possess an authenticity rarely matched in the political thriller genre. His political commentary in POLITICO, Fox News, Washington Monthly, SiriusXM Radio and foreign media has won national and international attention. If you like taut, suspense-filled thrillers written by someone who has actually been at the center of the action, read James Bruno's books. You will not be disappointed!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 8, 2013
ESPIONAGE AND SUSPENSE IN A CONTEMPORARY SETTING
Permanent Interests is a startling account of espionage and suspense in a contemporary setting. Twenty-five years ago, the Red Army withdrew from Afghanistan and Mikhail Gorbachev became president of the USSR. The world had begun to tilt. Before the end of 1989, the Berlin Wall had fallen, the USSR had crumbled into dust and the poles of worldwide, geo-political reality had flipped. Everything changed. There was a new game in town. To what extent and in what way was not apparent at the time. Now it’s 2013, and we’re finding out. Fortunately, we have James Bruno to explain everything. Case you haven’t noticed, the entire world has turned inside-out.
In this changing world, adaptation, learning and growth are the keys to survival. That this edict equally applies to forces from the darkside, along with the rest of us, should come as no surprise. In Permanent Interests, James Bruno lays it out for everyone to see. I’m amazed this novel ever saw the light of day. More astounding is that Bruno has followed up with two more blockbusters: Tribe (Jul 16, 2011) and Havana Queen (Apr 25, 2013). His first novel, Chasm (Feb 6, 2007), I’ve totally overlooked. He claims all this is just fiction, but it certainly comes across with a ring of truth that bites harder than, Bubbie, my old Rottweiler.
Blast straight through all of Bruno’s masterpieces. Do it before they’re pulled off the shelf and buried at sea somewhere. I found Bruno’s characters fascinating and alive. His scenes are vivid and quite often chilling. In Chapter Nine of Permanent Interests, the visit to Pironi’s Restaurante outdoes the scene in Goodfellas, where the camera follows Ray Liotta around as he introduces various Wiseguys, like Nicky Eyes and Jimmie Two Times. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3y43...] In the background, you can hear Mina Mazzini singing Il Cielo In Una Stanza (The World We Love In), a song so beautiful it nearly rips the heart out from your chest. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11mejV...] Bruno tops all this, while dropping an occasional one-liner on you funny enough to make you laugh out loud. But, trust me, Permanent Interest is no comedy. Suspense builds and bullets fly all the way to the book’s heart-pounding conclusion.
It has been my pleasure to discover the fascinating world of James Bruno. Those having read my past reviews will find this is my longest to date—and for good reason. If you’re a fan of Allan Furst, Philip Kerr, Olen Seinhauer or David Ignatius—as I am—then you’ll also want your spezzatino di manzo served with a healthy portion of realism—just like in James Bruno’s stories.
Abbondanza! And good reading.
Permanent Interests is a startling account of espionage and suspense in a contemporary setting. Twenty-five years ago, the Red Army withdrew from Afghanistan and Mikhail Gorbachev became president of the USSR. The world had begun to tilt. Before the end of 1989, the Berlin Wall had fallen, the USSR had crumbled into dust and the poles of worldwide, geo-political reality had flipped. Everything changed. There was a new game in town. To what extent and in what way was not apparent at the time. Now it’s 2013, and we’re finding out. Fortunately, we have James Bruno to explain everything. Case you haven’t noticed, the entire world has turned inside-out.
In this changing world, adaptation, learning and growth are the keys to survival. That this edict equally applies to forces from the darkside, along with the rest of us, should come as no surprise. In Permanent Interests, James Bruno lays it out for everyone to see. I’m amazed this novel ever saw the light of day. More astounding is that Bruno has followed up with two more blockbusters: Tribe (Jul 16, 2011) and Havana Queen (Apr 25, 2013). His first novel, Chasm (Feb 6, 2007), I’ve totally overlooked. He claims all this is just fiction, but it certainly comes across with a ring of truth that bites harder than, Bubbie, my old Rottweiler.
Blast straight through all of Bruno’s masterpieces. Do it before they’re pulled off the shelf and buried at sea somewhere. I found Bruno’s characters fascinating and alive. His scenes are vivid and quite often chilling. In Chapter Nine of Permanent Interests, the visit to Pironi’s Restaurante outdoes the scene in Goodfellas, where the camera follows Ray Liotta around as he introduces various Wiseguys, like Nicky Eyes and Jimmie Two Times. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3y43...] In the background, you can hear Mina Mazzini singing Il Cielo In Una Stanza (The World We Love In), a song so beautiful it nearly rips the heart out from your chest. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11mejV...] Bruno tops all this, while dropping an occasional one-liner on you funny enough to make you laugh out loud. But, trust me, Permanent Interest is no comedy. Suspense builds and bullets fly all the way to the book’s heart-pounding conclusion.
It has been my pleasure to discover the fascinating world of James Bruno. Those having read my past reviews will find this is my longest to date—and for good reason. If you’re a fan of Allan Furst, Philip Kerr, Olen Seinhauer or David Ignatius—as I am—then you’ll also want your spezzatino di manzo served with a healthy portion of realism—just like in James Bruno’s stories.
Abbondanza! And good reading.
May 17, 2015
When the American ambassador to Italy, a bungling political appointee with a dubious personal reputation, is brutally murdered in Rome, the Washington bureaucracy is quick to label it a politically-motivated terrorist killing. But, mid-level diplomat Bob Innes, who is thrust into the middle of the mess, thinks it’s a different thing altogether, and in his efforts to prove his thesis, finds himself targeted by bureaucrats attempting to cover up malfeasance, and the Russian mob.
Permanent Interests by best-selling author James Bruno is a compelling story of bureaucracy at its worst, the back-room deals that make Washington the quagmire it is, and how crime and political greed intersect. Underlying non-stop, graphic action there is also a story of human dignity, decency, and love, in a story that will keep you reading from page one.
While I found the description of the Marine Security Guards who stand watch at our embassies a bit off—the commander of the Marine guards is usually a senior sergeant, not a major as Bruno depicts in his story—the story pins the tail very accurately on the bureaucrats in Washington and elsewhere who are often more concerned with their next promotion than in actually doing something useful. Bruno writes about these things with credibility and a ring of authenticity. Sure, it’s fiction. After all, it is a political thriller. But, take it from someone who has worked there, it’s not all that far from the truth.
Permanent Interests by best-selling author James Bruno is a compelling story of bureaucracy at its worst, the back-room deals that make Washington the quagmire it is, and how crime and political greed intersect. Underlying non-stop, graphic action there is also a story of human dignity, decency, and love, in a story that will keep you reading from page one.
While I found the description of the Marine Security Guards who stand watch at our embassies a bit off—the commander of the Marine guards is usually a senior sergeant, not a major as Bruno depicts in his story—the story pins the tail very accurately on the bureaucrats in Washington and elsewhere who are often more concerned with their next promotion than in actually doing something useful. Bruno writes about these things with credibility and a ring of authenticity. Sure, it’s fiction. After all, it is a political thriller. But, take it from someone who has worked there, it’s not all that far from the truth.
March 8, 2012
I wanted to like this book. It's an intriguing premise, and I like the genre. And there were parts that I enjoyed.
But I could NOT stand the main characters. They were stiff, very rigid. I actually didn't care much about any of them. (I know I care about a character when I simply cannot put the book down because I HAVE to know what happens next - and I'm sad for the story to end because I feel like I'm missing a friend. And I didn't have that with any of the protagonists.) But the villains were well constructed, and settings were beautifully described.
If you like character-driven stories, pass on this one. But if you don't mind cardboard characters and unbelievable romances (yes, plural), then this isn't so bad.
But I could NOT stand the main characters. They were stiff, very rigid. I actually didn't care much about any of them. (I know I care about a character when I simply cannot put the book down because I HAVE to know what happens next - and I'm sad for the story to end because I feel like I'm missing a friend. And I didn't have that with any of the protagonists.) But the villains were well constructed, and settings were beautifully described.
If you like character-driven stories, pass on this one. But if you don't mind cardboard characters and unbelievable romances (yes, plural), then this isn't so bad.
September 27, 2011
Wow, what a surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I stepped out of my normal genre a bit and I'm glad I did. I am now going to read Chasm. I will keep you guys posted.. My advice is give James Bruno a shot, you could do much worse.. Thanks James for a great read
February 23, 2013
Very well written book. I do wish he'd included a comprehensive dictionary for all his foreign language though.
August 12, 2016
Riveting political espionage thriller: this is not "terrorism" as we think.we know it, or as we expect. Instead, this revolves around a conspiracy far more insidious, one which cares not who had to die, nor how many. The unlikely but likeable hero sort of falls into the case (wrong place, wrong time) and demonstrates his.good moral character by determining to unravel, and end, this conspiracy.
September 14, 2016
The characters have no soul. The dialogue is lame. The plot is far fetched. The story was only mildly interesting.
Tell me again--why was reading this book a good idea?
Tell me again--why was reading this book a good idea?
September 3, 2016
Ok - good beach book - only I waited until after vacation to read it. Far fetched plot, cardboard, stereotype characters. But it was a free Kindle book so.....
April 8, 2012
Pretty good. Spy conspiracy book. Not my usual read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews