The French Revenge : Allan Topol

The French revenge

Two people wanting some alone time to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Hectic schedules and always being in the limelight both Anthony and Chiara just needed time to refuel.
Getting to their destination and deciding to go for a run on the beach, Anthony never mentioned the Black Mercedes Benz that was following them. As the ran dude by side and someone let off one shot and hit her in the chest. Fast thinking and she was taken to a hospital but the doctor there suggested she be moved to a safer location. With Anthony’s connections and his friend Renato she was taken by special medivac plane.
Things get tense when Anthony goes after answers and sometimes does not think it through. The police are not really following up on the shooter and he enlists the aid of Louise LaSalle the head of DGSE, the French Intelligence Agency. But Anthony has his own cache of connections and replays in his mind that he feels that Russian President Volkov is behind the shooting. Anthony learned that Volkov was planning to launch attacks to retake the three Baltic Republics: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. He even learned which Russian official in Moscow oversaw the operation. Peter Brezinski is the man named. He was told this by his contact, Stanislav because he thought it would lead to war and a disaster for his country.

Using his power on the subcommittee and as a former congressman, he called for hearings that brought this out in the open. He also enlisted the help of President Madsen to who persuaded the French and Germans to cancel energy contracts with Russia. He even convinced Madsen to impose financial sanctions not only in Russia but personally on Peter Brezinski, one of Volkov’s buddies. Canceling the invasion did not stop how Volkov feels about Anthony and he promised revenge. Is This why he went after Chiara? Added in her manager , Giacomo is relentless and unforgiving just wanting her to continue her tours and of course raking in the money. As for Louise she has her own agenda in mind and will carefully construct the downfall of Chiara claiming she spied for the Russian President hoping to plant doubt in Anthony’s mind about her.
Gilles Paola is dangerous, but he might have sources that could pinpoint the shooter.
Meet another dangerous foe: U. S. General Tyler who is the new president’s National Security Advisor. Tyler had his own agenda and hoped that Anthony’s reaction would be the one he was counting on.
Gilles is careful and his security director would prove quite helpful as Larenzu comes to Anthony’s rescue when danger befalls him.
Author Allan Topol sets up many obstacles, roadblocks, and situations that Anthony deals with, but he never sees the betrayals , deceptions and lies told by someone he thought he could trust.
A black Mercedes SUV followed them to La Villa. He described the entire events, but can he identify the shooter? When the incident is explained to Gilles and the plan of execution is devised the author takes us inside the mind of a serious criminal and yet Anthony does not have a choice as we find out the name of the shooter but just how will he be caught. Nikita Ivanov is the killer and he had his reasons for taking the job. Someone offered him 100 euros to complete this shooting and if he did not, he would pay with the lives of his wife and children. Blaming Volkov was the key as they claimed he was behind the attempt on Chiara’s life so, Anthony decided to go rogue and assassinate the Russian President with the blessing of someone not affiliated with Russia or France. Things are hidden in plain sight and even Louise is hoping to learn some truths but in the back of her mind she is hoping to rid the world of Chiara and resume her relationship with Anthony.
Chiara just wants to practice for her concerts but when she hears a conversation between Anthony and Louise her radar goes up and she realizes she better pay closer attention to their conversations and meetings.
Anthony has many connections and with Renato and his connections certain information comes to light but just who was part of this conspiracy shocked both when the truth came out. The shooter was identified but someone had to set him up for the fall and although his wife told him to bow out he did it in order for her to get the 100,000 euros because he had a terminal illness and wanted her taken care of. But, things did not go as planned, he was taken out as expendable and then we get to hear the voice of Yves Caron the French Interior Minister whose involvement was not surprising as he too needed money to keep up his lavish style of living. Yves, plus the man named Igor planned to take out Chiara. Volkov hired Nikita to take out Chiara and he supposedly wanted to recruit her as a spy but did not. Colonel Kuzetsov’s efforts to recruit her were call ed off. But Anthony while in the U.S. Congress wrecked Volkov’s attempt to reclaim and take over Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Getting even with Anthony was his goal but he did not order the hit on Chiara. Someone close to everyone is behind it but it would take several more murders and more surprises before Anthony learns the diabolical truth.
Once again Anthony goes off headstrong and decides to take matters into his own hands as someone is hoping that he will kill the Russian President and he has formulated a plan to do just that. But when rethinking and recalculating at the last minute he realizes that he is being set up and instead of assassinating him he takes a meeting and warns him that he might be in danger. Igor Mallovich is the man behind hiring Nikita to shoot kill Chiara and if caught he would blame it on the Russian President.
There are many who wanted to end the life of Volkov but none so obsessed as someone close to the President of the United States and this person even said that he should be given the power to take him out and have him assassinated. Years ago, he had a mistress and the result was the Russian President had her killed because she was spy for him and about to turn and leave. Revenge is at the heart of this novel as well as unrequited love and a fatal attraction. Someone will do anything to eliminate Chiara why?
The tensions rise and someone has a plan to not only get rid of Chiara but to take down the President of the United States hoping that the Vice President would he this person’s ally to carry out his mission and his plan.
From Yves position as French Interior Minister if the shooting took place in France, which it did in Corsica, he would oversee the investigation of the American or Igor. The plot was intricate, the players dangerous but someone was always a step ahead of Anthony and no matter who admitted what in the final accounting someone managed to take them all out but who?
Yves would not allow anyone to protect him and the result he became a casualty because of it. Igor was killed along with all his men making it hard to have any hard evidence against the one person closest to the President who would benefit from their deaths and from ridding the world of Volkov.
Meanwhile Chiara was uptight and knew that her concert was just weeks away and the piece she was going to showcase Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto NO 3, a magnificent piece that I listened to when writing this review, is technically challenging and he hopes to create a perfect performance still had her worried.
Things take on a sinister turn when Anthony gets a piece of information about the fourth conspirator and then piecing a plan together would mean possibly placing someone close to him in danger. Someone wants Chiara out of the way. Someone does not care at what cost to anyone else. Just what happens at the concert that places her in danger, and will this person succeed? Who is the reason for wanting her out of the way and why? Chiara is terrified and is fearing that the killer will make a second attempt. Just how far will someone go to perpetrate the perfect French Revenge? A political thriller of the highest magnitude and the suspense rises as this fast-paced novel will keep you holding your breath until the very last page or hopefully first note is played.
Fran Lewis: Just reviews