The novel starts out with some great action as Ulu Beg heads across the Mexican Border into SW United States on an unmentioned covert mission to assasinate a major political figure. Enter Paul Chardy, who lived and killed with Beg in Afganistan several years earlier. However, fate entered and Chardy had to double-cross his friend and now must enter back into the world of covert operations to thwart the assasination. Great premise, but lacking in the energy and action that becomes Hunter's trademark in his later works. This novel just seems to kick back and relax. We don't really get to know Beg or Chardy too well, a strength of Hunter's later works as well.
Overall, this isn't a bad piece of work, but definitely pales in comparison with Hunter's other novels. If you've read any of the books referenced above, you may want to take a pass on this one.