In the turbulent years after the rise of the Berlin Wall, Germany stood dangerously divided between freedom and Communism. Dodging border patrols and guard posts, a silent few were able to cross the borders of the Iron Curtain to deliver needed supplies, always at the risk of their own lives. This is the past Faith Whitney knew. The daughter of an active smuggler of religious paraphernalia, Faith was raised on the danger that such a life brought with it, a danger that can rip lives apart, even that of a mother and daughter. Now grown and living in 1989 Germany, Faith continues to smuggle goods across the border, narrowly slipping by the East German Stasi each time. But her activities haven't gone unnoticed. The Stasi have recruited her to deliver a package to Moscow, a package that must be delivered within forty-eight hours . . . or Faith will be eliminated. Her payment: the long-desired location of her missing father. The danger mounts as Faith is secretly contacted by the beautiful and seductive Colonel Bogdanov of the KGB, who also wants the package at any cost. Barely surviving harsh interrogations, and unsure of whom to trust, Faith turns to her ex-fianc?e, Naval Officer Max Summer, the only man with the know-how to get her and her delivery to Moscow in one piece. On the run, the more they discover about the package, the more they realize that delivering it will likely cost them their lives. Little do they both know that the package is part of a larger plan, one that could affect the result of the Cold War in ways no one ever imagined. Raelynn J. Hillhouse has constructed an engrossing novel of espionage, action, and heart-pounding danger. Told with knowledge and authenticity, Rift Zone takes you inside the workings of communist East Germany and the Soviet Union.
Rift Zone is an enormously entertaining book. Set in a pivot point of history, it captures the texture of the moment, with an eye for genuine details of that place and time. The book is populated with interesting characters, and takes the reader for a thrilling ride across the Iron Curtain just as it was crumbling. It's great escapist fare, highly recommended for summer travel.
When 's The Sequel Out?
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Being a thriller novel reader, I aways compare books with Clancy's novel; how they pull you in and hold your attention. Well this book did all that and more for me. Not only did it engage me in the story immediately but it held my attention like Clancy. However noted differences dirverge here. Hillhouse provides a genuine suprise chuckle scattered throughout; sometimes at the most inauspicious moment. Whereas most thriller novels, involving obfuscatory Russian names, are difficult to resume and keep everyone straight, given the inevitable family diruptions, Hillhouse has a way of presenting that I found eased me back into the story and characters without having to regroup and glance back to keep eveyone identified. This was a totally unexpected storyline. A female heroine. Just the right amount of everything here, except.......when's the sequel out?
Fascinating Spy Thriller
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
RIFT ZONE opens as Faith Whitney searches for antique china in East Berlin. As she leaves the store with her packages she's told by the manager two men were in the shop earlier asking questions about her. She badly needs a multi-entry visa between Berlin and Russia and in order to get it, is looking to obtain a sponsor as a visiting professor--but we soon find this is only a cover for her real profession. Faith is a double-espionage agent, well-known by insiders, trusted by no one, but highly sought after just the same, simply because she's the best there is and nobody has ever caught her in the act. To further complicate her life, she's trying to find her father while trying to dodge all the people who want to either use her or kill her, and maybe both. At the same time, on another part of the continent, Margaret Whitney heads up an orphanage for Armenian children and fiercely fights to protect them while she smuggles weapons inside of Bibles. Hillhouse has created a riveting story of suspense and adventure drawn from her own background. This, her first novel, covers post-cold war relations and spans the European continent as well as the US. My husband, a real spy thriller buff who normally refuses to read spy thrillers written by women, also read it and said this book is great. He's right, it is. RIFT ZONE, is interesting, intense and frightening; a real sink-into-it-and digest-it thriller.
Rapidly Moving Action
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
The action of Rift Zone moves rapidly from one peril to the next with interwoven schemes by the heroine, Faith, to checkmate her adversaries. The plot is well structured utilizing the author's knowledge of Germany and Russia to make several dynamic scenes seem plausible. International consequences with probable nuclear war is expected unless Faith and her two associates can thwart the plans of a group of high ranking East German and Russian conspirators. One of these associates is a highly capable lesbian lieutenant colonel in the Russian Service whose motivations are not certain until late in the book. The other associate is a past lover who is an American demolition expert. Finally, the confrontation with the conspirators results in the resolution of a mystery, who is/was Faith's father (a clue is given earlier), and leads to an exciting climax culminating in an unexpected scene at the end.
Rift Zone
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Le Carre lives in a woman's body. This author knows her territory and it shows. She brings us in to the pre glasnost world in East Berlin and immerses us in a complex thriller/mystery. An easy read that I couldn't put down once I got past the first 60 pages. The first pages aren't bad, it's just it took a while to get into the characters. A great first novel.
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