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Summary
Summary
It's Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, but among the revelers on Canyon Road, a decidedly unholy scene is taking place. A desperate man, dressed all in black, feverishly seeks refuge for himself and the squirming bundle he holds tightly against his breast. Agent Paul Kagan's bundle is a baby who has the power to change the course of global events. His pursuers are his former colleagues--members of the Russian mafia who will stop at nothing to accomplish their mission. Now Kagan is a spy on the run--he must ensure this baby's survival, even if it will cost him his own life.
Just a short distance away, Kagan will find an unexpected pair of allies--a mother and her young son, who huddle together after a horrible episode of domestic violence leaves them home alone, with no means of transportation.
And so, with the exquisitely honed skills of his profession and the help and good faith of a weary woman and a disillusioned boy, Kagan must take on forces that will stop at nothing. In the course of a wild and violent night, the unlikely trio learn lessons of generosity, courage, and selflessness, discovering within themselves the luminous strength of the true Christmas spirit.
Author Notes
David Morrell is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight books, including his award-winning Creepers and Scavenger . Co-president of the International Thrillers Writers Organization, he is considered by many to be the father of the modern action novel. He resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife, Donna.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Set on Christmas eve in Santa Fe, N.Mex., this action-packed novel from bestseller Morrell (Creepers) may not achieve holiday classic status, but it does feature an appealing hero. Wounded and on the run, undercover agent Paul Kagan shelters beneath his jacket a five-week-old infant. Russian mobsters are after the baby, the son of a charismatic Palestinian, Ahmed Hassan, who preaches peace in the Middle East. Those who make their money off that struggle wish to silence Hassan by holding the baby hostage. Paul makes his stand in a house where Meredith and her crippled son, Cole, await the return of his abusive, alcoholic father, Ted. While setting interesting traps to foil his attackers, Paul tells a spymaster's version of the tale of the magi. This slim volume will make the perfect stocking-stuffer for deserving thriller readers. 5-city author tour. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Yuletide in Santa Fe, a good spy beset, and what's this about a very special baby? The charismatic religious leader has promised that, if accepted wholeheartedly as the miracle he is, his just-born could be the harbinger of world peace. While a glorious prospect to most, this is of course viewed with alarm in certain quarters. A depressed market and widespread joblessness loom for mercenaries and similar savage folk. Prominent in this unlovely subset is the Russian Mafia, hired by terrorists for $3 million (paid in advance) to kidnap the world-peace baby. This mission stays on track for a while, and then suddenly it's derailed. Tossing the monkey wrench is Paul Hagen, known to Mafia men as their admirably unprincipled and vicious colleague, "Pyotyr." Paul/Pyotyr is in actuality a double agent planted by American intelligence. He's so good that he has fooled even the highly placed Andrei, who's inordinately fond of Pyotyr the terrible. So the chase begins. Having kidnapped the peace baby from the kidnappers, Paul is on the run. Wounded and desperate, he stumbles on the Brody household and seeks shelter there, little knowing that Meredith and her son Cole are in desperate straits. Meredith is a battered wife, 12-year-old Cole a helpless, frustrated bystander, Ted Brody the alcoholic brute of a husband and father they plan to escape. Enter Paul and the baby, hotly pursued by Andrei and his coterie. For all concerned, it's a whole new way to experience the Christmas season. Thrillermeister Morrell (Scavenger, 2007, etc.) offers an item slender enough to fit neatly in a Christmas stocking, but the story's on the thin side too. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Morrell (Creepers, 2005) offers yet another change of pace in this compact, fast-paced combination of Rambo adventure (what he's known for) and plea for peace on earth. To get there, however, he's had to pull off a rather stunning maneuver turning the circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth into a spy thriller (with the magi as the spies). The tale unfolds within the contemporary story of an American espionage agent who outs himself to his vicious Russian bosses by running off on Christmas Eve with a package they've been hired to steal the baby son of a modern-day peacemaker. The agent's initially unwilling helpers are a woman (who has been terrorized by an abusive husband) and her young son, Paul. The breakneck pace allows little time for characterization, and the blood-and-guts level is high as Russian agents close in (even young Paul gets into the act), but along the way there's plenty of play with names and situations drawn from Bible stories. Given all that's going on, the novel comes together surprisingly well but then Christmas is the season for miracles.--Zvirin, Stephanie Copyright 2008 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Thriller author Morrell's (Creepers) foray into holiday fiction brings us an action-oriented spin on the Nativity story. International spy Paul Kagan is willing to risk his life to rescue a baby kidnapped by the Russian mob. Fast paced and well told, this is suitable for all collections. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
