Isthmus

Rating:
Summary: A spy thriller with a lot of undercurrents
Review: Review of audiocassette version.

The backdrop of this spy thriller is the isthmus of central America during the decade of the 1980's. This was a time of troubles in the region, as the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua was receiving aid from the Soviet block and the United States was funding the contra armies. A low-level guerrilla war was also being fought in El Salvador. However, the two main characters are Israeli brothers, one a Mossad operative and the other an expatriate plantation owner in central America. Other major players are military men in the region, a renegade American Marine, two Libyan terrorists and an Israeli arms merchant whose only goal is to foster war in order to boost business.
There is betrayal, love interests, greed and all of the nuances that make for good spy stories. The major undercurrent is that a group of idealists is trying to end all of the hostilities by reviving the dreams of Francisco Morazan, who in 1842 attempted to unite most of the countries of Central America into one. Many people oppose such a union, including the superpowers and their surrogates, the arms merchants, those who want to maintain their power and authority as well as those who are simply afraid of change.
With a good story to tell, the reader, Charlie O'Dowd does an excellent job of using voice inflection to amplify the thrills of the book. It will keep your interest and have you rushing to insert the next tape when you reach the end of the previous.