The Moldavian Gambit

by

Brad M. Meslin

A smart, complex, and suspenseful geopolitical thriller – I couldn’t put it down!

The Moldavian Gambit by Brad M. Meslin is a new geopolitical thriller set during the early 1990s as the USSR began to decentralize and disintegrate. During an uprising against Soviet troops in the regional capital of Moldavia, terrorists steal a portable nuclear weapon from the Soviet’s armory and escape to parts unknown. It’s hardly a blip on the intelligence community’s radar. But when the thieves reappear with a deadly blackmail demand to give Moldavia its freedom, the whole world takes notice. 

The story is told from multiple points of view, including the thieves, world leaders, and operatives of the international intelligence community, the story is smart, complex, and rife with tension. Those holding the nuclear weapon are ruthless in the setup and implementation of their plan to bend the Russians to their will, and their plan is meticulous in its detailed execution. The story is a masterwork of moving parts, ulterior motives, betrayal, and sacrifice. The action moves across the globe as the number of entities involved grows. 

The author paints a vivid picture of conditions in the 1990s after Desert Storm and the state of governmental intelligence at that time, including actual events and the relationships in place with allies and opponents, and it is complex. The number of agencies involved in this country alone was surprising, and I was grateful for the glossary explaining the acronyms the author provided at the beginning of the book. Thankfully, each chapter is headed by a date stamp, setting a marker for the ongoing action that is coming from a myriad of sources all involved in the unfolding crisis. Later, that same time marker becomes a suspenseful countdown. As the race to stop the looming disaster accelerated, I was riveted to the story. 

I recommend THE MOLDAVIAN GAMBIT to readers of political thrillers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.