"An exciting romantic international thiller"

Following the death of her husband, George Washington English Lit Professor Sam Marlowe, Verity fell apart. She has taken a sabbatical from her job as a State Department analyst that has lasted six months and uses vodka to forget her grief. Her superiors believe that Verity, once one of their best employees is now a high security risk.

Still her boss Dick Pedro informs Verity that she has been chosen to work a situation in her specialty, the India- Pakistan desk. Apparently deep cover operative Michael Straight has learned that a new player in the area, the Kashmir Freedom Party, has been receiving weapons with the help of someone in the State Department. Verity is to meet her childhood friend Kahlid Mohammed who will only tell her insider information but he is assassinated before the information is exchanged. With only Michael to depend on, Verity tries to get out alive while insuring hundreds maybe thousands do not die in a terrorist cause.

Fans who enjoy an exciting romantic international thriller that never slows down once Jasmine Cresswell takes her audience to Asia will want to read THE CONSPIRACY. The story line is loaded with action that provides an engaging look into life in battle scarred Kashmir. Verity is a heroine struggling with the death of her husband and her feelings towards Michael that adds guilt to her grief, but the romance though warm takes a back seat to the suspense and tour of this part of the world. Sub-genre fans will fully relish that wild ride that feels so genuine with all the news of the India-Pakistan dispute, especially over Kashmir.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 23, 2001

Summary

Verity Marlowe's life has spiraled into a haze of alcohol and self-pity following the death of her husband. The State Department considers her a security risk, but when terrorist violence erupts overseas, they have no choice but to call her back on assignment.

Michael Strait has lied to Verity about his profession, his feelings and his past. Can she believe him when he insists that the only way to save her life is to trust him? In a high-stakes game of international terror and million-dollar payoffs, someone is determined that she should die. If Verity trusts the wrong person, it will be the last mistake she'll ever make.