Corruption of Power
Author: G.W. Eccles
Genre: Thriller
Publication Date: December 14th, 2015
Publisher: Peach Publishing
Book Description:
Independent troubleshooter, Alex Leksin, is recruited by Prime Minister Saidov when the plan to reduce Russia’s reliance on an ever more hostile Europe is put at risk. Hell bent on expansion, President Karpev’s strategy is first to shift the markets for his country’s vast energy resources to the East and Saidov has been charged with overseeing a planned pipeline for Russia’s oil through Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to access these markets. Failure could mean catastrophe, spreading the conflict raging in the Middle East to Russia’s own borders.
Fearful that the pipeline deal might be tilting off course, Leksin has only twelve days to report back before Karpev is due to sign the pipeline contract with the Turkmen President in Ashgabat.
His investigation begins in Moscow at the conglomerate responsible for planning and funding the pipeline. Once the province of larger-than-life oligarch, Lev Usenko, the group is now run by his daughter, Vika, the woman Leksin was once to marry. Trickier still is the prospect of dealing with her embittered brother, Max.
Against a background of political corruption, state-sponsored terrorism and increased Taliban insurgency, Leksin moves on to Turkmenistan, one of the world's most sinister countries, right at the heart of Central Asia. Initially his enquiries reveal nothing to cause alarm. Other factors, though, suggest otherwise: wherever Leksin goes, someone tries to kill him; people in a position to help him are assassinated; and information turns out to be misinformation.
And when at last he discovers the truth, he finds himself unsure of whom he can trust as the stakes get frighteningly higher.
Fearful that the pipeline deal might be tilting off course, Leksin has only twelve days to report back before Karpev is due to sign the pipeline contract with the Turkmen President in Ashgabat.
His investigation begins in Moscow at the conglomerate responsible for planning and funding the pipeline. Once the province of larger-than-life oligarch, Lev Usenko, the group is now run by his daughter, Vika, the woman Leksin was once to marry. Trickier still is the prospect of dealing with her embittered brother, Max.
Against a background of political corruption, state-sponsored terrorism and increased Taliban insurgency, Leksin moves on to Turkmenistan, one of the world's most sinister countries, right at the heart of Central Asia. Initially his enquiries reveal nothing to cause alarm. Other factors, though, suggest otherwise: wherever Leksin goes, someone tries to kill him; people in a position to help him are assassinated; and information turns out to be misinformation.
And when at last he discovers the truth, he finds himself unsure of whom he can trust as the stakes get frighteningly higher.
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Excerpt
The last light was fading as Leksin clambered over the summit out of the valley. To the west he could just discern through the purple gloom the outline of vast canyons trending towards the Kopet Deg mountains. As far as he could see the terrain to the south, more or less in the direction of Garkent, looked broadly flat. Not that simple, though, he'd soon discovered. Coarse bracken now covered the ground, and the bristles ripped his trousers and scratched his legs as he waded through.
As he progressed, the silence was broken by the trickle of water somewhere ahead, subtle at first, then as he drew nearer, free-flowing and gushing. He found himself on the edge of a deep channel, through which a river eddied around misshapen boulders and rounded silt mounds. The dark crisscross of a trestle bridge stretched over the canyon, on the far side of which castellated greyish rock glinted in the moonlight. Leksin approached and tested the bridge warily. It creaked under his weight, and he jumped off immediately. Glancing back, he spotted a line of torch-lit pinpricks fanned out not far behind him. Damn, the helicopter pilot must have spotted him after all and alerted a patrol. The bridge was now his only means of escape. He backed off a few metres to get a running start, then ignoring the knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach, propelled himself forward.
The bridge swung wildly as he sprinted across, and the wooden struts snapped under the pounding of his feet. As he ate up the distance, one of the supporting trestles gave way, and the bridge tilted on its side. Hanging on for all he was worth, he used hands and legs to yank himself forward, bit by bit, all the time conscious that a single sudden, wayward movement would send him and the bridge crashing into the ravine. Eventually he reached the end, and he threw himself onto firm ground just as the echo of voices on the far side floated across the ravine.
REQUEST TO REVIEWERS: A number of reviewers have told me that they will be posting a copy (or extract) of their review to Amazon and Goodreads. Two points:
* The Goodreads link is https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28104692-corruption-of-power
* It would be enormously helpful, if it’s not too much trouble, if you were able to post your reviews, inter alia, on both the Amazon UK and the Amazon USA sites. This will start the Amazon algorithm going on both sites. (You can log into each site using your normal Amazon ID and password.)
* The Goodreads link is https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28104692-corruption-of-power
* It would be enormously helpful, if it’s not too much trouble, if you were able to post your reviews, inter alia, on both the Amazon UK and the Amazon USA sites. This will start the Amazon algorithm going on both sites. (You can log into each site using your normal Amazon ID and password.)
George Eccles, writing as G W Eccles, graduated from the London School of Economics with a law degree and subsequently became a partner in one of the major international financial advisory firms.
In 1994, George left London to move to Russia and Central Asia during the tumultuous period that followed the breakup of the Soviet Union. His work involved extensive travel throughout Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - often to places with restricted access to foreigners. During his time there, he advised a number of real-life oligarchs how best to take advantage of the opportunities that became available as regulation crumbled and government became increasingly corrupt. Against this background, while his novels are fiction, many of the anecdotes and scenes are inspired by actual events.
His first thriller: The Oligarch, was awarded a Silver Medal both at the Global E-book Awards 2013 and at the Independent Publishers Book Awards 2013, as well as being selected as IPPY Book of the Day.
George is married and now lives with his wife in a hilltop village not far from Cannes in the South of France.
In 1994, George left London to move to Russia and Central Asia during the tumultuous period that followed the breakup of the Soviet Union. His work involved extensive travel throughout Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - often to places with restricted access to foreigners. During his time there, he advised a number of real-life oligarchs how best to take advantage of the opportunities that became available as regulation crumbled and government became increasingly corrupt. Against this background, while his novels are fiction, many of the anecdotes and scenes are inspired by actual events.
His first thriller: The Oligarch, was awarded a Silver Medal both at the Global E-book Awards 2013 and at the Independent Publishers Book Awards 2013, as well as being selected as IPPY Book of the Day.
George is married and now lives with his wife in a hilltop village not far from Cannes in the South of France.
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