Blood Makes Noise: Review

Whatever I might have been, whatever I might become, here, today, I am a man who keeps his promises. ~Michael Suslov (p.435)

Michael Suslov is a CIA agent in Argentina.  A man with slim ties to the former First Lady of Argentina, Eva Peron; he nonetheless has promises to keep and, as the saying goes, miles to go before he sleeps.  And before this story is over he will be called upon to keep those promises--even at the risk of his life.
  
When Eva Peron dies, her body is preserved and held in trust for the Argentine people--but her body vanishes from the vault where it was kept and moved from place to place.  Each time Evita's body is moved, devoted followers manage to find her and flowers are sent.  After sixteen years, the Argentine people want Evita back and Suslov is called upon to transport the body safely.  But there are more groups than one who want Evita's body...and moreover, they want to find the key to a Swiss bank box rumored to hold the millions that Evita reportedly stole.  Some of the people on Suslov's trail are rogue CIA agents, some are former colleagues, and some are former friends--but they all want Evita and most want the money.  It becomes more and more difficult for Suslov to determine who is on what side and it will be a long dangerous journey before Evita can be brought home and Michael can keep his promises.

After a somewhat slow beginning, this turns into a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader on her toes.  Lots of action and the chase in the final chapters is well worth the ride.  The best of the book is in the denouement and I enjoyed Michael's interactions with Gina and Hector.  And I have to chuckle when I think of the wool they pull over General Peron's eyes in those last moments.  I agreed to read this as a review request because of the story of Evita--I knew very little before and was intrigued by the historical context and mysterious circumstances.  It was very interesting to find out how many of the extraordinary events were factual.  Overall, a very solid and interesting read.  I give it three and a half stars, but if you are a thriller or espionage fan I can easily imagine it earning a higher rating.



[Disclaimer: This book was made available to me as an advanced reader copy--there may be differences between this copy and the final published version. My review policy is posted on my blog, but just to reiterate...This review copy was offered to me for impartial review and I have received no payment of any kind. All comments are entirely my own honest opinion.]