The Puppeteers [Paperback]

Ted Moss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2004

1983 - The Space Defense Initiative (Star Wars) is about to put the Soviet Union into a financial tailspin that they cannot hope to pull out of. The Soviet counterstroke for survival? Strike down the dominant engine behind the relentless U.S. defense buildup- strike down the President of the United States. Standing between the President and an assassin’s bullet is an unlikely team led by a reluctant CIA veteran, Bill Kelly. The American response is decisive and extreme. Kelly’s team is to eliminate the Soviet threat by taking out the mastermind behind the assassination plot.

With orders to terminate the leader of Soviet Union, Kelly must come out of hibernation, direct his team into one of the most heavily guarded locations behind the Iron Curtain and make sure all team members get out alive. With the threat of nuclear war hanging in the balance, capture is not an option.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ted Moss began his intelligence career in 1981 as a Counterinetelligence Specialist with the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division and has over twenty years experience in the U.S. Intelligence community. He worked throughout Europe during the Cold War and presently divides his time bewtween Newfoundland, Canada and his birthplace of Boston, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Last Knight Publishing Company (April 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972044213
• ISBN-13: 978-0972044219
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,063,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just a Cold War spy thriller..., May 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Puppeteers (Paperback)

Mr. Moss cleverly weaves the past with the present in this Cold War spy thriller and I believe the author has [on several levels] achieved something more than just a great spy novel. As an example, while this fictional account takes place in early 1984, actual newspaper passages such as the following dot each of the 59 chapters: "Senior Pentagon commanders now privately acknowledge that they and the administration seriously underestimated how long it would take to train the Lebanese Army as an effective security force." and "Officials revealed that U.S. Ships in the Mediterranean have been placed on high alert owing to creditable threats of potential suicide attacks by terrorists using aircraft." and "Terrorists wishing to acquire uranium cold easily steal it, a Los Alamos Physicist told the nuclear regulatory commission." and "In response to the future of U.S Marines in Lebanon, the President said any sudden withdrawal would raise concerns about U.S. commitment to the region." and so on. What man does not learn from the past, he is destined to repeat, as the saying goes. And for those not head-over-heals with this genre, the protagonist's impending divorce and child custody battle provides a realistic and often gut wrenching subplot. The book is set in the U.S., Russia, and several locations throughout Europe and the Middle East. On all accounts, I think the author clearly demonstrates he has walked his ground, but further, needs us to walk it too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When Spies were Spies..., May 29, 2004

By 

"fubarws" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Puppeteers (Paperback)

For those who long for the now seemingly simpler days of the Cold War, this is a novel in the early John Le Carre or Len Deighton tradition. Unlike many techno-thrillers of recent years that read more like the pages of Jane's Defense Weekly, the Puppeteers is powered by a strong, charachter driven plot that fully engages the reader. The author manages five point-of-view charachters without effort and draws the reader convincingly into their lives. And for those not drawn to this genre, I would say there is something in this book for everyone. The only minus was that the book started out a bit too busy. But by chapter three things had settled down and I was in for a good long ride. The author's handling of plot, charachter and wide-ranging settings more than made up for the intial buzz of activities he found necessary to introduce all of the players and issues. A great read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Did this really happen ?, May 23, 2004

By 

"matthew_jonathan" (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Puppeteers (Paperback)

Though ostensibly a fictional account, the accuracy and volume of historical events makes me wonder if the author might have had a more direct role the story. I particularly enjoyed hearing the private discussions of former leaders Reagan and Andropov as if I were in the room. I have never been to some of the places in the book such as Russia, Isreal, Poland, or East Germany, but Mr. Moss brings these places to life with vivid sensory detail. I have however lived in and written about Newfoundland (which also serves as a background) and I can say Mr. Moss brought me there again with his descriptions of St. John's and Argentia. On the only down side I sometimes found the plot a bit plot complex for the casual reader, but I guess we should expect no less from a former intelligece officer. This book is not for lazy readers.