Ministers of Fire: A Novel [Hardcover]

Mr. Mark Harril Saunders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2012

Ministers of Fire opens in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1979, where, the author writes, “the world we know was born.” CIA station chief Lucius Burling, an idealistic but flawed product of his nation’s intelligence establishment, barely survives the assassination of the American ambassador. Burling’s reaction to the murder, and his desire to understand its larger meaning, propel him on a journey of intrigue and betrayal that will shake his faith in himself and in his country.

Fast forward to Shanghai in the spring of 2002: his marriage and career blown off course, Burling lives quietly as the American consul, but the attacks of September 11 threaten to bring his misadventures in Afghanistan back to the surface. A Chinese dissident physicist may be planning to sell his country’s nuclear secrets, and Burling recognizes the fingerprints of a covert operation, one without the obvious sanction of the Agency.

The dissident Yong’s escape route winds through an underground railroad of unauthorized churches and activists’ homes, drawing the violent attention of General Zu Dongren of the Chinese internal security service and his devoted lieutenant Li Xin. Drawn inexorably into their path, Burling must face both the ghosts of the past and a present world of global trafficking, fragile alliances, and the human need for connection above all.

Reminiscent of the best work of Graham Greene and John le Carré, Ministers of Fire extends the spy thriller into new historical, political, and emotional territory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ministers of Fire is a beautifully written, restrained, and passionate work by a writer who knows the ins and outs and intrigues of the New World Order all too well. His prose is alive with insight, his characters are both recognizable from the news and internally realized. His novel has psychological depth, action, and suspense. It’s a fine work and its author is a writer of great promise.”

—Robert Stone, author of Dog Soldiers and Damascus Gate

“Mark Harril Saunders’s first novel, Ministers of Fire is a brilliant, exciting and profound spy tale about, among other things, what it means to have faith… . (T)his is a classic CIA novel, thick with political and moral complications… . (A)n incredibly rich reading experience.“ (A Washington Post "notable work of fiction” from 2012.)   —The Washington Post

“In Mark Harril Saunders's gripping first novel, Ministers of Fire, tensions and ambiguities induce moral guilt and mortal dread…. Mr. Saunders makes his large cast of international characters come to life with quick strokes. Ministers of Fire deserves a place next to the works of such masters as Charles McCarry and Robert Stone.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Ministers of Fire belongs on the bookshelf with John le Carré and Eric Ambler. . . . I enjoyed it enormously.”   —John Casey, National Book award-winning author of Spartina and Compass Rose

“A Chinese puzzle thriller—intricate and richly layered.”   —Joseph Kanon, author of The Good German

“Veteran cold warriors confront the post-9/11 world in Saunders's impressive first novel, a complex spy thriller. . . . While the intricate plotting and vivid action scenes are sure to please genre fans, more general readers should also find plenty to enjoy, from Saunders’s meticulous prose to his closely observed characterizations.”

—Publishers Weekly (Starred review)

“Another treat supplied by (Ministers of Fire) is a window into the lives of the operatives and families of the CIA. . . . Here on the page are the stressed and fed-up wives. . . the estranged children in private schools and the frayed marriages. . . . And at the end of the story, Saunders delivers us not the Hollywood shoot-out of good versus evil one of his characters desires but something more complex, grey and real.”  —Washington Independent Review of Books

“I haven't read as good a prologue to a spy thriller all year. And given Mark Harril Saunders' aspirations, I couldn't have expected more. . . . The first full chapter carries us decades ahead to China where Burling, now in a more ambiguous operation than before, and several other characters, including the missing April's husband, posture and gesture against a Chinese crowd of agents, provocateurs, diplomats, dissidents and military. Saunders does all this quite deftly. More bullets fly, ideas bound against ideas, honor ducks for cover, and hope impales itself on the world of practical intrigue.” —Alan Cheuse, San Francisco Chronicle

“What separates Saunders' work from much of the espionage field comes in two rewarding areas; first, he creates fully fleshed characters, and second, his writing soars above the pedestrian, not only in his characterizations but also in his lucid descriptions of life in contemporary China and his intelligent take on the perils of clandestine efforts in a dangerous world where loyalty can be a liability.” —Jay Strafford, Richmond Times-Dispatch

About the Author

Mark Harril Saunders was born and raised in the Washington, D.C., area and holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia, where he was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. He has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, and China. His writing has appeared in the VQR, Boston Review, and the Virginian-Pilot, and in 2001 he was awarded the Andrew S. Lytle Prize for fiction from Sewanee Review. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife and three children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 344 pages
• Publisher: Swallow Press; 1 edition (May 22, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804011400
• ISBN-13: 978-0804011402
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Harril Saunders was born and raised in the Washington, D.C., area and holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Virginia, where he was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. He has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, and China. His writing has appeared in the VQR, Boston Review, and the Virginian-Pilot, and in 2001 he was awarded the Andrew S. Lytle Prize for fiction from Sewanee Review. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife and three children.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ministers of Fire April 19, 2012

By Emily

Format:Hardcover

Ministers of Fire is a literary thriller in the best sense of the term. It's both exquisitely written, with artful prose and dialogue reminiscent of John Banville or Graham Greene, and has plot twists and a narrative drive that keep you in suspense until the last page.

Although political implications (past and present) abound between the US, Afghanistan, and China, perhaps what Saunders does best here is to take the reader into the inner workings of the minds of international spies in a way that is both humanizing and tragic. The somewhat flawed, empathetic characters he develops are memorable from the outset; opening in Afghanistan in 1979, we quickly are faced with a love triangle between April, a bracingly smart "hippie" anthropologist; Burling, an American spy whose love for April is clouding his judgment; and Lindstrom, April's husband and Burling's agent who has an axe to grind. The drama plays out both politically and personally on an international stage as the American ambassador (and Burling's boss) is assassinated, Burling's family and Lindstrom leave for the US, and Burling takes April with him on an ill-fated mission to meet with Chinese and mujahedin in Samarkand.

Fast forward to 2002, where we meet a cast of Chinese characters into whose offices and apartments, loyalties and insecurities, Saunders nimbly takes us. It is here that he reveals a distinct vulnerability in the lives of government officials and spies that the outside observer wouldn't normally see: "He doesn't know, thought Zu, starting toward the corner of the building where the cat had disappeared. He stopped to watch the cop swagger off toward his idling car. He doesn't know who I am...."

Saunders's careful crafting of sentences - "When April was gone, disappeared into the center of the world, her voice inside his head would still insist that he had planned everything--not just the night in Samarkand but all that surrounded it" - attention to descriptive detail, and mastery in capturing the predicament of the human condition results in a truly great read. Full of complex layers of political and personal intrigue. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Sophisticated and promising spy novel January 1, 2013

By Robert M. Baird VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Haven't finished this one yet. It is well-written, sophisticated and takes place in various locations over a period of time. The central figure has some regrets, and the writer doesn't soft-pedal the impact on the families of spies. Hadn't heard of the author before, but absolutely worth checking out.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A craftsman's debut September 24, 2012

By Mick

Format:Hardcover

I'll preface these remarks with the fact that I know the author, but I can say with hand on heart that I truly enjoyed this book. And I admire it.

The author manages to build the narrative pace of the plot quite elegantly, and you find yourself in the thick of the action, and intrigue, with a genuine stake in the outcome for a rich cast of believable, flawed-in-very-human-ways, characters.

Adding to the joy of a John Le Carré-esque plot (including a real gift for the psychological soup that makes up interesting characters and their gray-area motivations), is Saunders's keen eye for detail in description and inventiveness in imagery. I stopped at several times as I read to jot down "I wish I'd said that" moments.

Highly recommended for fans of espionage thrillers and all things China. Or if you just like your fiction infused with lucid, thought-catching moments, this might be for you.

2.0 out of 5 stars The book that stayed out in the cold March 18, 2013

By M. Mastrogiacomo

Format:Hardcover

Yes, it was well-written and intricately plotted. However, it violated the primary law of fiction. I never cared one way or another for ANY of the characters. Brrrr!

5.0 out of 5 stars good book March 6, 2013

By fwpc

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I don't usually read this sort of book but really enjoyed it. It is a thriller but also has a deeper story in it.

2.0 out of 5 stars cumbersome, slow January 4, 2013

By william a austin

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

have to wade through too much gratuitous stuff. characters are wooden, plot moves slowly, plot points are confusing. hard to get through it

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ministers of Fire June 11, 2012

By CES

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Full disclosure: Mark is my brother, so I may not be the most objective reviewer of this book. However, our shared history allows me to say how well he has captured the peculiar interplay between personal lives and events on the world stage experienced by those in government service and their families. As in the life we experienced growing up, family milestones for the characters in Ministers of Fire are often dated in reference to geopolitical events, and vice versa, and tensions between personal and professional priorities can be wrenching.

As a literary scholar, I can say that the book is also beautifully written, but never overwritten, with complex, nuanced characters, and a deep moral seriousness that refuses easy answers to complex questions, either personal or geopolitical.

At the same time, it's a very good read, especially hard to put down in the last 100 pages or so, when the plot twists and turns with often-breathtaking speed, sometimes leaving the reader as bewildered as the characters themselves. In the end, much is explained, and some issues resolved, while the reader is left pondering the vast gray areas revealed by a web of conflict dense with competing goals and ideals, none completely pure, but few entirely evil.

7 of 15 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Lacking Verisimilitude July 18, 2012

By John Nielsen

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The book starts well, and I cannot disagree with a word said about it by the other two reviewers. HOWEVER, I think plausibility is important in this genre, and so I stopped short on page 17, when the protagonist hopped into a light aircraft and flew to Samarkand, in the USSR, in 1979! After some time spent there, with no encounters with Soviet authorities, away he went again, back to Afghanistan. This seems to me incredible: the region was a hotbed of military activity after the pro-Soviet government came to power in Kabul the year before. Outright Soviet invasion of Afghanistan occured later the same year, and as the fate of Korean Air Flight 007 showed four years later, the Soviets were rather protective of their airspace. Unless someone can explain how these events are remotely believable, I have to say that the other virtues of the book are wasted.