New from Bourbon Street Books: THE GENEVA OPTION
by Adam LeBor

"The Geneva Option is very good indeed. LeBor writes fiction with the scrupulous focus of the journalist, the foreign correspondent, so the world he creates is driven by the sharp edge of reality—by the raw, brutal politics, by the monsters and desperate heroes—of a war that seems to go on forever."— Alan Furst, New York Times bestselling author of The Mission to Paris

"This thriller's prologue is a small masterpiece in showing how the seemingly banal—a worker taking a cigarette break on a balcony—can be upended into terror. The rest of the book fulfills the prologue's promise, in ways completely credible and, thus, even scarier. LeBor, a British journalist who has covered the UN for theTimes (London), brings an investigative reporter's deep knowledge to cracks within the UN's dealings... scene after scene of heart–clutching suspense... Must reading. "— Booklist (starred review)

Since its inception in the aftermath of World War II, the United Nations has been a lightning rod of controversy, sparking debates of its motives and overall effectiveness. Investigative journalistAdam LeBor delves into the inner workings of the oft maligned international organization with his gripping novel,THE GENEVA OPTION (A Bourbon Street Books Original; Harper Paperbacks; May 28, 2013).

The story opens in media res as Israeli–born representative to the UN Secretary–General, Yael Azoulay, calmly negotiates with the genocidal Rwandan warlord, Jean–Pierre Hakizimani. Yael's job is to cut the behind–the–scenes deals that oil the wheels of superpower diplomacy and big business; she has confronted men like Hakizimani before. From this first suspenseful encounter to the very final page, THE GENEVA OPTION never loses momentum, spanning three continents in a thrill ride of espionage, betrayal and collusion.

Returning to headquarters to find a front–page exposé of her activities inThe New York Times, Yael is immediately dismissed by her mentor, the man whose instructions she'd been carrying out—the Secretary–General. But the UN is Yael's life, and she wants answers. Going off the grid, Yael embarks on a mission to clear her name, soon finding herself in the crosshairs of the world's intelligence and security agencies as she uncovers a conspiracy of global proportions.

The first installment in a trilogy of intelligent conspiracy thrillers featuring Yael Azoulay, THE GENEVA OPTION introduces readers to a true 21^st century heroine, whose complex wit, tainted morality and feisty but emotional nature makes her utterly irresistible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam LeBor lives in Budapest and writes forThe Times (London), The Economist, the Financial Times, Monocle and numerous other publications. He is the author of a number of nonfiction books, including the ground–breaking investigative workHitler's Secret Bankers, which revealed the extent of Swiss complicity with the Third Reich (short–listed for the Orwell Prize);City of Oranges, which recounts the lives of Arab and Jewish families in Jaffa (short–listed for the Jewish Quarterly Prize), andComplicity with Evil, which revealed the United Nations' complicity in genocide.

The Geneva Option
By Adam LeBor
A Bourbon Street Books Original
ISBN 13: 978–0–06–220855–2; $14.99, 368 pages
On Sale: May 28, 2013

Advance Praise for THE GENEVA OPTION

"This thriller's prologue is a small masterpiece in showing how the seemingly banal—a worker taking a cigarette break on a balcony—can be upended into terror. The rest of the book fulfills the prologue's promise, in ways completely credible and, thus, even scarier. LeBor, a British journalist who has covered the UN for theTimes (London), brings an investigative reporter's deep knowledge to cracks within the UN's dealings... scene after scene of heart–clutching suspense... Must reading." — Booklist (starred review)

"British journalist Lebor... introduces brilliant and beautiful Yael Azoulay, a behind–the–scenes negotiator for the United Nations, in his gripping debut thriller, the first in a trilogy.... Those looking for a strong heroine in the mold of Lisbeth Salander will be satisfied." — Publishers Weekly

"The Geneva Option is very good indeed. LeBor writes fiction with the scrupulous focus of the journalist, the foreign correspondent, so the world he creates is driven by the sharp edge of reality—by the raw, brutal politics, by the monsters and desperate heroes—of a war that seems to go on forever. "— Alan Furst, New York Times bestselling author of The Mission to Paris

"A gripping and atmospheric thriller from a great writer. Yael Azoulay is a character I'm looking forward to reading about again and again." — Charles Cumming, New York Times bestselling author ofThe Trinity Six

"The Geneva Option has all the hallmarks of a classic, fast–paced thriller, while being buoyed by LeBor's deep, eye–opening knowledge of the subculture of international double–dealing. Get ready to be entertained and educated." — Olen Steinhauer, New York Times bestselling author ofThe Tourist