The American Mission (urspr publ 2014; utgåvan 2015)

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Review program in exchange for an honest review.
This book presents the reader with an interwoven combination of political intrigue, African history, and social awareness. Any of these would have held my interest, but the combination is astounding. Matthew Palmer creates a terrifying image of a corrupt State Department and the lengths it will go to control a third world country. His description of the conditions of the villagers is in stark contrast to those people who live in the bigger cities. But despite the lack of amenities, the uplifting spirit and joy for life the small villagers exude made me smile many times.
Alex Baines was devastated by the massacre in Darfur. Because of the psychological scars he receives from his attempts to rescue the refugees in Camp Riad, he loses his security clearance and any long-range future with the US State Department. Stuck in a visa-stamping position, he is prepared to accept a civilian job when he receives a career- saving offer from Ambassador Howard “Spence” Spencer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When Alex arrives in Kinshasa, he soon discovers the power of the Consolidated Mining Company and its devastating grip on the riches and future of the Congo’s people. While attempting to balance his State Department tasking to look out for the US interests, he rescues Maria Tsiolo and a small group of scientists from Joseph Manamakimba and the Hammer of God. Slowly he begins to understand that nothing in the Congo is as it appears; who is good and who is bad begins to quickly blur. The thrilling story of how Alex and Maria save not only her town but the entire country is intriguing, exciting, and uplifting. In the end, good prevails and evil is banished. ( )

This is an amazing first novel for Matthew Palmer. Set mostly in Africa, it involves an American diplomat, a young Congolese woman geologist/mining engineer, and various other spies, politicians, and diplomats. Palmer's experience in the US Foreign Service in Africa gives the novel a level of authenticity, but it is a well told thriller, touching on many of the social and political issues of modern Africa. Read it!.
I received my copy through the Library Thing Early Reviewers program in exchange for a promised review, but no restrictions were placed on content of the review. ( )

It's hard to believe this is Matthew Palmer's first novel. He combines richly drawn characters with a complicated, breakneck-speed story as well as history and true events to make a very satisfying novel. The horrifying scenes of war and killing and destruction are no less horrifying because they are fiction - - because they are based on fact.

This is a hard-to-put-down book. I look forward to Palmer's next book! ( )

I enjoyed this book and when I received it, I thought it might remind me of Graham Greene's "The Honorary Consul."

In this story the reader follows Alex Raines. He was a rising star in the state department but after witnessing a massacre at darfur, it took something out of him.

He needed something but didn't know what. Then he got a call from his mentor who asked him to join him at the US Embassy in Kinshasa where he would be the number three man on the staff.

One of the first assignments is to act as mediator between a militarist chief and a number of people he kidnapped for ransom. He does a good job and meets Marie Tuolo, the daughter of a village chief.

Later, he's asked to be the go between from a mining company and the Congolese village where the company wants to mine.

In this village he sees the type of idyllic life and sees Marie again. Her father has been killed and she is an important figure. Alex learned something and had to decide if he was representing the American interests or that of the natives.

The book got better and better as I read, nervously turning the pages to see the ending of the political climate.

The suspense mounted and the final segment of the story was excellent. Back to a comparison with Graham Greene's novel, I thought that there was more suspense in "The American Mission," and better character development. ( )

The American Mission the debut novel by Matthew Palmer is a little slow to start but picks up quickly in the second half of the book. Well written, the American Mission has an interesting cast of characters and a quite plausible story line. Matthew Palmer, having worked in the Foreign Service for 20 years, has a solid understanding of foreign service policies and procedures which comes through in the novel. ( )