Not a review, but a book sharing. This may be of interest to the Dew Readers.
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THE ARGENTINE TRIANGLE:
A Craig Page Thriller
By Allan Topol
Hard on the heels of
The Russian Endgame comes author Allan Topol’s next great
thriller. Rife with the exotic backdrops and hairpin plot turns that put
Topol on the best-seller list,
THE ARGENTINE TRIANGLE is a heart-stopping foray into human vice coupled with power accelerating towards catastrophe.
After a fall from grace and drastic cosmetic
surgery in Switzerland, former CIA director Craig Page is enjoying a
new, exhilarating life racing cars across Europe. But when new
dangers threaten America and an old friend goes missing during a covert
mission in Argentina, will Craig be ready to step up to the plate?
Undercover in the glamorous world of Buenos Aires’
wealthy elite, Page finds himself on the brink of a terrible discovery.
General Estrada and Colonel Schiller have plans for Argentina,
but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. A world of brutality hidden in
the classified secrets of Argentina’s Dirty War comes to light, painting
an image of the cataclysmic future awaiting Estrada’s South America. To
expose Estrada and put an end to his plot,
Page is forced to implement every instinct, skill, and tool in his
arsenal. But when it comes time to close in for the kill,
Page meets with unexpected complications—love, lust, and a lethal game of cat and mouse.
In a world fraught with global conspiracy, Craig Page is king.
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Q &A with Allan Topol author
THE ARGENTINE TRIANGLE:
A Craig Page Thriller
1. You are an attorney – how did you get into fiction writing?
I always wanted to write
fiction from the time I was in college at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie
Mellon). That school did not have a creative writing class so I
persuaded an English professor who had taught creative
writing elsewhere to give me a private tutorial. I was also interested
in history and geopolitical affairs. Once I finished law school and
began working as a lawyer, I also wrote nonfiction articles on world
events. Some of them appeared in periodicals,
like the NY Times and Washington Post. However, I realized that
fiction could be a better vehicle for getting across an idea while
engaging the reader in a story. So I began writing fiction in 1978.
The first of my 10 novels,
The Fourth of July War, was published that year. It is a novel that deals with the U.S. energy crisis as a background issue.
2. How did you pick the thriller genre?
It is a very effective
vehicle for dealing with a geopolitical issue while telling an exciting
story. I also think it permits me to live a secret, exciting life
taking on challenges, solving problems, and dealing
with major issues affecting the United States. Often, I feel as if I
am living vicariously through one of my heroes. I have not been in the
CIA, but I know many people in the intelligence community. Writing
thrillers is my way of becoming a part of their
world.
3. Your latest novel takes us to Argentina – how did you choose that location?
I traveled to Argentina
once for vacation and was so excited and inspired by this exotic country
and its history, that I visited several more times to do research for a
novel. At the same time, I did research on
its history and on the internet. The diversity of the people and their
political struggles became the basis for my new novel,
The Argentine Triangle. The country has an amazing history. A
hundred years ago, it was the fourth largest economy in the world. Now
it is only third in Latin America. I became intrigued by what has
happened to this country and its wonderful people
who have so much potential. I also became interested in the Dirty War
and wanted to include that in my novel.
4. The Argentine Triangle is now a fourth in a series – tell us a bit about your lead character Craig Page.
Craig Page was formerly in
the CIA. He is courageous and patriotic, but refused to accept the
layers of bureaucracy in the agency. He refused to take orders from
people who fail to appreciate true dangers facing
the United Sates. He managed to prevent a terrorist attack in Madison
Square Garden, but was reprimanded for not following orders so he
resigned from the agency.
5. Is he based on anyone you know in your real life?
On one level, the answer is
no. On another, all of my characters are composites to some extent of
people I have known in real life.
6. Can a reader pick-up The Argentine Triangle having not read your former books?
The answer to this question is definitely yes. I have worked hard to make
The Argentine Triangle a standalone novel as are all of my others. This is particularly true in the case of
The Argentine Triangle because Craig Page is in a different place and different situations than in any of my prior novels.
7. Why novels with international roots? Most recently THE RUSSIAN ENDGAME, CHINA GAMBIT and SPANISH REVENGE?
I have always been
interested in international affairs, history, politics, and geopolitical
issues. The novel form lets me write about these in the context of a
fast moving page turner which will keep the reader
up at night.
8. How do you research a country to prepare to write about it – especially Argentina?
Travel to the place several
times. Read history books and current event books about it. Search
for further information on the internet and talk to people within the
country as well as those who once lived there.
9. Are some locations more challenging to writer about than others, If so why?
Russia and China are the
most difficult to write about because the governments do not permit free
movement and free exchange of ideas. As a result, it is much more of a
challenge to gather background information
for use in the novel
10. What is your writing process like, where and when do you typically do your writing?
I write longhand with a pen
and a pad and I literally write anywhere. On airplanes, in coffee
shops, and in restaurants. My preferred time and place is a study in my
house. Early morning.
11. When you’re not writing – what do you like to read?
I like to read histories
and biographies of important individuals in the world. Also books about
current affairs. These provide me with material for my novels.
Likewise, I am a veracious reader of The Washington
Post, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The
Economist. Those are all great sources of information.
12. What’s next after The Argentine Triangle?
My next novel after The Argentine Triangle will be
The Washington Lawyer. It is scheduled for publication in March 2015.
13. Please tell us anything else you’d like to share with potential readers.
My goal is to have the
reader learn something and be informed as well as turning pages, caught
up in the plot. I want my novels to be wake up calls for my readers
about important geopolitical issues in the world.
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In addition to his fiction writing, Allan Topol co-authored a two-volume
legal treatise entitled SUPERFUND LAW AND PROCEDURE. He wrote a weekly
column for Military.com and has published articles in numerous
periodicals including the
New York Times, Washington Post, and Yale Law Journal. He is currently a blogger for Huffington Post. For more information, visit
www.allantopol.com.
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THE ARGENTINE TRIANGLE: A Craig Page Thriller
By Allan Topol
Select Books, Inc., April 2014
320 pages
ISBN13: 978-1590791417
Fiction/Espionage