The new book trailer for Smokescreen, my debut, published in 2013/2014. Thought I give it a fresh coat. Hope you like it. The novel is available at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords. You can start at Amazon or get it at the given links at my store.
Praise for Smokescreen
“Boundary-Breaking” Indie Reader (2016)
“A well written and totally absorbing political spy thriller” – Midwest Book Review
“Original and Bold Plotting” – The Examiner
“Authentic and Compelling”e-thriller.com
“An intriguing international thriller of conspiracy and espionage” – Crime Thriller Hound
“Bourne-like” – Times of Israel
“A Must Read for 2014”- Digital Journal
“Ample Adrenaline” – Millennium Post (India)
“International, Realistic, and Above All Intense ” – Book to the Future
“Extraordinary Thriller” – Expat Living Singapore
“Talib’s skill with settings was reminiscent of Barry Eisler’s fabulous John Rain series.” – Rabid Reader’s Review.
[Video Credit: Man in Window: Videvo]
I am pleased to unveil the book covers for my novel in translation in Spanish and Portuguese.
Smokescreen will be available in Spanish and Portuguese. The original English version was published in 2013 by Typhoon Media (Hong Kong).
The protagonist, Jet West, was contrived during my days working as a magazine reporter for Singapore Tatler. But the inspiration for the story came about much earlier and included observations of Singapore society and my stint in Cairo, Egypt.
Times of Israel book review
SYNOPSIS
La Cortina de Humo
En una antigua cafetería del Cairo, dos espías veteranos planean una misión secreta para resolver, de una vez por todas, el conflicto entre Palestina e Israel bajo la promesa de que Israel hará una gran concesión como parte de un tratado de paz.
En Singapur, Jethro Westrope, un periodista de una revista de sociedad, tropieza con una escena del crimen: En sus últimos momentos, la hermosa Niki Kishwani le da una grabadora digital, una evidencia que pone en peligro la vida de Jethro. Por si fuera poco, el periodista es incriminado por el homicidio de Niki.
Ahora Jethro tendrá que encontrar al asesino de Niki mientras se adentra cada vez más en una red de conspiraciones e intriga que involucra a miembros de los gobiernos de Singapur, Israel y Estados Unidos, cada uno con una agenda compleja, competitiva y potencialmente mortal.
En este contexto trepidante, Jethro tendrá que encontrar respuestas y salvar su propia vida, pero nada es lo que parece. De pronto se halla en el centro de un complot político diabólico y apabullante con grandes implicaciones globales.
Jethro se sorprende al descubrir que no sólo lo han incriminado por homocidio, sino también por asesinato político. En sus manos recae una responsabilidad que se vuelve más grande que su propio destino.
Cortina de Fumaca
Em um antigo café no Cairo, dois espiões veteranos planejam uma missão secreta para resolver – de uma vez por todas – o conflito israelo-palestino. A promessa: Israel fará uma concessão importante como parte do tratado de paz.
Em Cingapura, Jethro Westrope, uma jornalista de revista, tropeça na cena de um assassinato: a bela Niki Kishwani o dirige, em seu último suspiro, a um gravador digital, evidência que coloca a vida de Jethro em sério perigo. E, muito pior, ele é enquadrado pelo assassinato de Niki. Jethro sai em busca do assassino de Niki e é atraído para uma rede de engano e intriga envolvendo funcionários dos governos de Cingapura, Israel e Estados Unidos, cada um com uma agenda complexa, competitiva e potencialmente mortal.
Contra esse pano de fundo pulsante, Jethro corre para encontrar respostas e se salvar – no entanto, nada é o que parece. Ele se encontra no centro de um enredo político tão diabólico e abrangente em suas implicações mundiais que fica surpreso ao descobrir as manchetes de amanhã de hoje.
Ele está sendo criado não apenas como um assassino, mas como um assassino, e algo muito maior do que seu próprio destino está em suas mãos.
Buy Cortina De Fumaca at Kobo
Buy Cortina De Fumaca at Barnes & Noble
Buy La Cortina De Humo at iTunes
Buy La Cortina De Humo at Kobo
1)The novel was supposed to be set in a dystopian era.
2)The American ambassador, Michael Dexter, was initially a Caucasian. The African-American was another CIA agent named “Charlie Brown.” The characters were merged into one to simplify the plot.
3)The ambassador’s mansion was the actual property of the author’s grandfather.
4)An action scene in Manhattan, New York, was removed because it was deemed “redundant.”
5)The protagonist Jethro Westrope (Jet West) was initially known as James Gent, a brand for a toiletry company.
6)The protagonist initially drove a Pagani Zonda. It was changed to an MX-5 to accommodate his journalist salary.
7)The cat described in a Cairo scene is based on an actual character.
8)The secret underground base in Singapore is inspired by an actual location.
9)The mysterious island with the citadel is inspired by the old Dutch fortress, Fort Belgica, located in the Moluccas islands, Indonesia.
10)The novel is riddled with secret messages.
Shhh… don’t tell anybody.
During my years in Cairo, Egypt, I discovered, from speaking to many people in the business of business — including policemen, military officers, and Bedouins in the Sinai area — about the intricate tunnels built by Hamas and other Palestinian groups.
Due to the siege and blockade, the tunnels serve as a means of livelihood. The smuggling of goods from food, cigarettes to military equipment is unbelievable. If you can’t picture it, imagine the underground world built by Mr. Toad’s critter friends in The Wind in the Willows.
In writing my novel, I created a tunnel route in which a messenger travels from Egypt to Palestine before connecting to Jerusalem. This is one of my favorite scenes where I tried to invoke the sinister and tense atmosphere to give the reader an exact feel of what it would be like to be a Palestinian trying to infiltrate Israeli borders. The question is, did I imagine the route, did someone draw it for me or was I given a tour?
