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James Bruno is the author of three bestselling political thrillers. He has been featured on NBC's Today Show, in The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Huffington Post, regional NPR and other national and international media. His political thrillers PERMANENT INTERESTS, CHASM, and TRIBE have been Amazon Kindle Bestsellers, including #1 in both Political Fiction and Spy Stories. HAVANA QUEEN, an espionage thriller set in Cuba, is now out.
Mr. Bruno served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State for twenty-three years. He previously worked as a military intelligence officer and as a journalist in New York. The author is currently 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 worked in a presidential protection detail with the Secret Service overseas. He also knows the Pentagon, CIA and other foreign affairs agencies well. Mr. Bruno is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.
Based on his experiences, James Bruno's stories possess an authenticity rarely matched in the political thriller genre. If you like taut, suspense-filled thrillers written by someone
Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers' Favorite
Meet Harry Brennan, CIA officer and go-to guy on Afghanistan. When his mission in Afghanistan is aborted and he finds himself back in Washington, Harry starts digging until he finds out what everyone doesn’t want him to know. And it comes as no surprise to Harry that it’s all about money, or oil to be exact. As the Western world’s need for oil increases, something must be done to break the stranglehold of the Arab world on oil supplies. A secret deal has been struck to get a U.S.-financed trans-Central Asian oil pipeline to the Arabian Sea built through Afghanistan and Pakistan. This scenario would bring Croesus-like wealth for the oil companies, back-channel cash to politicians and cement American political and economic supremacy in Central Asia at Russia’s expense. It would also force the Afghan allies to share power with the Taliban so pipelines could be built and US troops finally withdrawn. Harry becomes enmeshed in the double and triple cross of the relentless Washington political machine. In a surprise turn of events, Harry finds himself branded a traitor and fleeing for his life from jihadists in Afghanistan and Predator drones in Yemen, a target of his own CIA, while trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter.
This is a brilliant book that is well paced and plotted with many interesting layers. The author has created in Harry Brennan a likeable, maverick character, with a conscience that compels him to do the right thing. The author is a former insider, and the book has undergone US government censorship, which explains the occasional ‘vague’ patch. However, nothing can detract from this riveting read. Harry Brennan’s dry, laid-back inner monologue adds to the appeal of the author’s style. Readers will also enjoy Harry’s pertinent, humorous references to the books, movies, and well-known personalities of popular culture that underscore his worn, somewhat cynical take on politics. The author has an eye for detail and a style of rich description that the eager reader will appreciate. I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommended.
