Ministers of Fire is a beautifully written, restrained, and passionate work by a writer who knows the ins and outs and intrigues of the New World Order all too well. His prose is alive with insight, his characters are both recognizable from the news and internally realized. His novel has psychological depth, action,
and suspense. It's a fine work
and its author is a writer
of great promise.
In Mark Harril Saunders's gripping first novel,
Ministers of Fire, tensions and ambiguities induce moral guilt and mortal dread.... Mr. Saunders makes his large cast of international characters come to life with quick strokes.
Ministers of Fire deserves a place next to the works of such masters as Charles McCarry and Robert Stone. * The Wall Street Journal *
Mark Harril Saunders's first novel,
Ministers of Fire is a brilliant, exciting and profound spy tale about, among other things, what it means to have faith.... (T)his is a classic CIA novel, thick with political and moral complications.... (A)n incredibly rich reading experience. * The Washington Post *
Veteran cold warriors confront the post-9/11 world in Saunders's impressive first novel, a complex spy thriller.... While the intricate plotting and vivid action scenes are sure to please genre fans, more general readers should also find plenty to enjoy, from Saunders's meticulous prose to his closely observed characterizations. * Publishers Weekly (Starred review) *
Ministers of Fire is no modest first effort at novel writing. It is, to my mind, a disquieting journey into the complex world of post-9/11 political intrigue; and that intrigue is layers deep in this book, embedded in Mark Saunders's gorgeous handling of character, landscape, and language. * The Spark, WMRA-radio *
Ministers of Fire can be compared to a John le Carre classic, with its complexity, atmosphere and deft use of language. Although it's a thriller, the varied pace, character development and ethical quandaries make it equally a 'thinker.'... (Saunders's) foray into book-length fiction is a great end-of-summer read. * The Virginian-Pilot *
Ministers of Fire belongs on the bookshelf with John le Carre and Eric Ambler.... I enjoyed it enormously.
Another treat supplied by (
Ministers of Fire) is a window into the lives of the operatives and families of the CIA.... Here on the page are the stressed and fed-up wives ... the estranged children in private schools and the frayed marriages.... And at the end of the story, Saunders delivers us not the Hollywood shoot-out of good versus evil one of his characters desires but something more complex, grey and real. * Washington Independent Review of Books *
What separates Saunders' work from much of the espionage field comes in two rewarding areas; first, he creates fully fleshed characters, and second, his writing soars above the pedestrian, not only in his characterizations but also in his lucid descriptions of life in contemporary China and his intelligent take on the perils of clandestine efforts in a dangerous world where loyalty can be a liability. * Richmond Times-Dispatch *
I haven't read as good a prologue to a spy thriller all year. And given Mark Harril Saunders' aspirations, I couldn't have expected more.... The first full chapter carries us decades ahead to China where Burling, now in a more ambiguous operation than before, and several other characters, including the missing April's husband, posture and gesture against a Chinese crowd of agents, provocateurs, diplomats, dissidents and military. Saunders does all this quite deftly. More bullets fly, ideas bound against ideas, honor ducks for cover, and hope impales itself on the world of practical intrigue. * San Francisco Chronicle *
A Chinese puzzle thriller-intricate and richly layered.
