*Hillhouse,
Raelynn. Rift Zone. Forge. August 2004. c.352p. ISBN 0-765-31013-9.
$24.95. Fiction.
It’s April 1989: discontented East
Germans have plotted to assassinate Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
and restore the old order before it’s too late. Meanwhile,
Faith Whitney, a smuggler of antiquities, reluctantly agrees
to deliver a package to Moscow when the Ministry for State
Security (Stasi) hints that they will reveal the whereabouts
of her father, long thought dead. However, she soon learns
that she is carrying high explosives that can be traced back
to the Americans. Aided by a lesbian KGB Colonel and a former
boyfriend, a Navy SEAL trained in defusing explosives, Faith
must use all her wiles to save her own life and to prevent
a cataclysm. Hillhouse’s much-ballyhooed debut is going
to create quite a stir, and justly so. Based on her own adventures
as a black market smuggler between East and West Berlin and
bolstered by meticulous research, the story shimmers with authenticity.
An original voice of unusual authority, a resourceful female
protagonist, sexual undertones, explosive tension, and tradecraft
galore add up to a spellbinding tale. Expect heavy demand,
as this appeals to male and female readers alike. Highly recommended.