The breathtaking new thriller by suspense master David L. Robbins of a conspiracy so explosive, it could only be told as fiction. You know only half the story. Now the other half will blow you away. Can one man make history—and can another change it with a single bullet? It was a question that Professor Mikhal Lammeck had devoted his life to answering. An expert on history’s great political assassinations, he’s come to Havana in the spring of 1961 to seek the answer firsthand. For the more he sees of Cuba’s charismatic revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, the more he’s convinced that he’s witnessing that rarest anomaly: the man who can change history…and who therefore must be murdered.
The wild CIA plots, the treacherous double crosses, the near- miraculous escapes, are already legendary, but it seems as if Castro’s number is finally up. With a massive U.S.-backed invasion of the island looming, a trap has been set that not even Castro can escape. The players of this deadly assassination game are as varied as they are lethal—organized-crime figures, CIA agents, the Cuban underground, even a reclusive American billionaire. And now, perhaps most unlikely of all, a distinguished history professor.
Mikhal Lammeck is thrust dead-center between a Cuban secret-police captain and a chillingly amoral American CIA agent. It’s a devil’s bargain, one that Lammeck has no choice but to accept, and it will give him unprecedented access to the secret history of one of the twentieth century’s greatest coups. Lammeck suddenly finds himself no longer only studying history, but making it. He soon becomes the unwilling mentor of a young man who’s arrived in Cuba—a confused marine sharpshooter determined to become the century’s most infamous assassin.
Seamlessly blending history and fiction into an electrifying page-turner, The Betrayal Game is that rarest of all thrillers—a novel so vividly real, it might very well be true.
Professor Mikhal Lammeck, last seen in The Assassins Gallery (2006), when he was charged with foiling an attempt on FDR’s life, returns for another brush with history. In 1961, with the world still stunned by Fidel Castro’s rise to power, Lammeck goes to Havana to witness what he believes will be the dictator’s assassination. He doesn’t realize that he will become the key to the success or failure of the scheme. Along with building suspense, Robbins’ dialogue-heavy tale includes fascinating reflections on the complexities of who to trust and how to choose one’s allies, all of which provides considerable insight into the cold war at its peak. Surprises await along the way, although the biggest twist might be obvious to a history major. The novel concludes with two sets of annotations: one to reference while reading and the second to use only after the entire novel is finished. This betrayal game should be played by anyone with a love for blendings of history and suspense; fans of Stephen Hunter’s Havana (2003), also about a planned assassination of Castro, will be especially interested. --Jeff Ayers
David L. Robbins was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 10, 1954. He grew up in Sandston, a small town east of Richmond out by the airport. His father was among the first to sit behind the new radar screens in the air traffic control tower. Both his parents, Sam and Carol, were veterans of WWII. Sam saw action in the Pacific, especially at Pearl Harbor.
In 1976, David graduated from the College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia, with a B.A. in Theater and Speech. He didn't know what to do for a living, having little real theatrical talents, so he decided to attend what he calls the "great catch-basin of unfocused over-achievers": law school. He received his Juris Doctorate at William and Mary in 1980. Robbins practiced environmental law in Columbia, S.C. for a year to the day (his father demanded back the money for law school if David practiced less than one year - he quit two weeks before the anniversary but got Sam to agree that two weeks of accumulated vacation could be included) before turning his energy to a career as a freelance writer in 1981. He began writing fiction in 1990.
Robbins has published nine novels: Souls To Keep, a cosmic love story (published by HarperCollins in 1998); War Of The Rats, set during the battle of Stalingrad (published by Bantam in 1999; the basis for the movie Enemy At The Gates); The End of War, about the fall of Berlin at the end of WWII (Bantam in 2000); Scorched Earth, placed in the American South, about a church burning and contemporary racism (Bantam, 2002); Last Citadel, set during the great tank battle of Kursk on the Eastern Front of WWII (Bantam, 2003), Liberation Road, a tale of the battle for France in WWII told through the perspectives of two minorities in the U.S. Army, a black truck driver and a rabbi chaplain (Bantam, 2005) The Assassins Gallery, (Bantam, 2006,) an alternate history political thriller supposing the assassination of FDR in 1945, and The Betrayal Game, a sequel to The Assassins Gallery revolving around the events of the Bay Of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 and the CIA's many attempts to kill Fidel Castro. His latest novel, Broken Jewel (Simon & Schuster, 2009) is set in the Philippines in early 1945, at the Los Baños internment camp. The novel involves the rescue of 2100 Americans before their execution by the Japanese, and the story of a Filipina "comfort woman." Broken Jewel was described by Kirkus (starred review) as "...a remarkable story, brilliantly told."
The audio version of War Of The Rats was nominated for an Audie, as one of the top three unabridged novels of 2000. Likewise, the audio of Last Citadel was named one of Library Journal's top 3 recordings of 2005. His books have appeared on the NY Times Bestseller list, and been published in sixteen languages. For his wartime novels, David has been referred to by Kirkus as "the Homer of World War II."
Robbins resides in Richmond, Virginia. He is an accomplished guitarist, playing blues for years, but now he studies Latin classical. At six feet six inches tall, he stays active with his sailboat, shooting sporting clays, weightlifting, and traveling to research his novels. He is a founding co-chair of the James River Writers, a non-profit organization in his hometown of Richmond that helps aspiring writers and students work and learn together as a writing community. He has taught at Virginia Commonwealth, and as writer-in-residence at his alma mater, the College of William and Mary. Currently, he is the chairman and co-founder of the non-profit Podium Foundation, an organization which has created a literary journal, arts website, and several literacy programs for Richmond Public High School students (PodiumFoundation.com). His website address is Davidlrobbins.com.
This review is from: The Betrayal Game (Hardcover)
As someone who avoids the "spy thriller" genre, I took a leap of faith when I picked up The Betrayal Game at the library. About page 9, I realized what a fantastic leap I had taken.
The Betrayal Game is labeled a work of suspense, but it's historic and political complexities, along with an unforgettable cast of characters, propel The Betrayal Game beyond the pigeonhole of a simple "suspense" novel and into a truly brilliant work of American fiction.
David Robbins effortless weaving of fact and fiction entices the reader to seek out the Annotations he so brilliantly includes at the novels end. (Note: Don't read Annotations II before finishing the book!) The characters--of which Cuba herself is as central and complex as any human--are rich with emotion and complexity. Though never quite sure of their motivations and true loyalties, each is sympathetic and brilliantly constructed.
With America on the brink of invading Cuba, CIA agent Bud Calender--a man consumed with his own role in history--enters the life of Brown professor, prominent historian, and expert on assassinations Mikhal Lammeck. Lammeck, in Cuba to witness history firsthand, is thrust headfirst into the worlds of the Cuban underground, American Mafia, Cuban secret police, and the CIA; all of whom are determined to see Fidel Castro dead.
From sometimes comical CIA assassination plots--to a young Marine sharpshooter destined for a history of his own--The Betrayal Game will leave you breathless and wondering "what if?"
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This review is from: The Betrayal Game (Hardcover)
Everyone wants Castro dead. Or do they? The CIA, KGB, Mafia, and the Cuban rebels are all pursuing their own agenda for the future of Cuba. The interesting and plausable hero from the Assassin's Gallery, Mikhal Lammeck, is back to guide the reader through the intricate labyrinth Robbins has created using the actual events of 1961. To say more might give away some of the surprises.
David L. Robbins accomplishes what should be the goal of all historical novelist: to entertain and inform. He gives us a symphony of plots, counter-plots and betrayals. Using direct and elegant prose, he hits all the right notes and makes beatiful music. Bravo, Maestro!
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