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You thought the "cold war" was over? Think again. Both USA and Russia are engaged in a new "cold" war over oil and resources interests and don't hold barrels to achieve supremacy. Power and politics weave a tangled web and Thomas finds himself stuck between the bear and the eagle.
Meet Sir Thomas Litchfield, an Anglo-Russian billionaire who isn't your ordinary oligarch. He has conscience for one and doesn't care for money or power, though he got both. Fluent in seven languages and full of charisma, he is well stepped in the worlds of criminal and political alike. He lives in England with his companion, Gunara, 36 years old Muslim woman from Turkmenistan, their 12 years old daughter Victoria and his best friend and bodyguard Mikhail. Thomas has both Russian and English citizenship and doesn't feel any particular loyalty to either country. He has strong ties to Russia though due to his business interests over there. Thomas is actually a pawn of Russia and serves its interests, albeit unwillingly.
The story vacillates between the present and the past as it describes global events and political and business conflicts. After leaving the army service, Thomas starts to build up his Empire in the ashes of Yeltsin's Russia. As time goes by, his business takes off and he becomes a man to be reckoned with.
A power struggle between Russia and USA over the control of a new Africa state makes things delicate. Thomas is drawn into the political games and is in danger of losing his wealth, if not his life, in the process. Another War is in the winds and it will be up to our Thomas to defuse it. Corruptions, treachery, regime change, oil resources, murders and havocs are just parts of this intriguing book.
Overall I quite enjoyed the story. The setting and descriptions were very well done, the characters were well drawn and the story came to life for me. I had a few issues with the books alas. The alternation between past and present confused me at first and it took some using to. The writing was rife with poor punctuation, inconsistent grammar and awkward sentences which interrupted the flow of the story. I am not a stickler for perfect grammar and give allowances for typos, but the awkward grammar distracted me. I had to reread some sentences several times to understand the meaning of them.
It is clear that the author knows what he is talking about. The book was full of useful information about past and current events. A lot of meticulous attention has been paid to mundane details in the story, but sometimes the author went overboard. There were many tiny details, too many, that didn't contribute to the story much. The author gives backgrounds of every minor character, even ones which just appeared once or twice. Cutting of some details and explanations and tightening up the plot, would improve the book. A better editing is recommended as well.
On the positive note, the story kept my interest and I loved the characters and found their personal story interesting. The author managed to bring together a whole bunch of colorful characters. You got to know the characters and what they went through mattered to you. I found myself immersed into the lives of the characters and tensing up when things would take an ominous turn, though some business choices of Thomas weren't really to my liking.
Despite my misgivings above, overall I have enjoyed the story and found it a great read. With intriguing situations coming left and right, the book managed to nettle my interest. I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to all lovers of the genre.
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