Trending among writers is the use of current world events as backdrops for novels. The Kremlin Conspiracy is one such novel. Joel C. Rosenberg follows the lives of two men from the late 1990s. One, Marcus Ryker hails from the United States. The other, Oleg Kraskin is a native of Russia. Both have compelling stories.
Much of The Kremlin Conspiracy involves sharing the life story of these two men. Rosenberg creates parallels in their lives. Both serve their country. Each marries for love and each brings a son into the world. But, their lives are also quite different.
Rosenberg carefully meshes real events over the time period into the story line. For example, the events of 9/11 are the catalyst for Ryker to enlist in the armed forces. Similar connections exist between real incidents and the plot. In fact only the most recent happenings involving North Korea were off-kilter. This is an intention of the author.
At first this approach was difficult to process. However, the characters created by Rosenberg were so compelling, the mix of fact and fiction became secondary. The reader is caught up in the lives of the main characters and their loved ones. The drama of their relationships and each traumatic event is believable, and sometimes heartbreaking.
Eventually the two men cross paths. At this point The Kremlin Conspiracy begins to rev up in action. Both men end up working together in the best interests of their respective countries. The action is the edge of your seat kind.
The patriotism reflected by both men is inspiring. Rosenberg takes great pains to show how each of the main characters matures. Both place duty before self.
Additionally, the author includes a spiritual aspect. This inclusion of the faith journey of one of the characters is well done. There is some contrast between the two characters in this regard. However, they share a common intellectual bent. Theology and philosophy are not far apart.
The Kremlin Conspiracy is well written. The characters are interesting and the plot well thought out. The ending may leave the characters hanging but not the readers. All who pick up this book should understand the warning the author is making. Consider putting this book on your reading list.