CORRUPTLY PROCURED

by Michael Bowen ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 1994

Retired State Department insider Richard Michaelson (Washington Deceased, Faithfully Executed), dusting himself off after a bombing at the Library of Congress leaves him scarred and a priceless Gutenberg Bible missing, wonders what Kulturkampf, the terrorists-of-the-month claiming responsibility for the bombing, have to do with the law firm of Stevenson, Hughes & Cross, where he's been offered a factitious job leaking State info just before senior partner Aaron Palmer gets killed. The connection seems to be Karla Schuller, a hieromaniac German diplomat lurking at both scenes -- but, his investigation goaded by Congressional hopeful Wendy Gardner, Michaelson soon realizes that the Kulturkampfers are hopeless duffers who never could have choreographed the outrages they've claimed and predicted; the cunning actual motive is currency speculation on a scale so gigantic that the speculators are willing to imperil Euro-unification by some climactic act of sabotage only Michaelson can hope to prevent. Not as lighthearted as Michaelson's earlier outings; this time, Bowen's wit shows in the cunning of every plot and counterplot. It's enough to boggle your mind, though fortunately not Michaelson's.

Pub Date: March 15, 1994

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 256

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1994

Categories: FICTION