The Foreign Service Journal - November 2017

48 NOVEMBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL It is two stories in one: a mystery and a spy story, set 50 years apart and woven together in alternating sections. The first story follows Christopher Chaffee, a disgracedWash- ington power broker whose father, a French diplomat, died in a Vichy prison in 1944—or so Christopher believes, until a letter, received decades after it was posted, upends his life. The letter leads him to Tangier’s ancient medina in search of the father he never knew. The second story takes place in Morocco during World War II. Rene Laurent, Christopher’s father, struggles to maintain his integrity and his life in the snake pit of wartime Tangier. The stories of father and son intertwine as Christopher unravels the mystery of his father’s fate. First-time novelist Stephen Holgate is a former member of the Foreign Service who spent four years at U.S. Embassy Rabat. The peripatetic Mr. Holgate also worked as a congressional staffer, managed two electoral campaigns, acted with an improvisational theater group, worked as a crewmember of a barge on the canals of France, and lived in a tent while working as a gardener in Malibu. He has published several short stories and many articles, and successfully produced a one-man play. His second novel, Madagascar , is due out in 2018. He lives in Portland, Oregon. Tenth Year in the Sun M.L. Wonder, Bliss Life Press, 2017, $11.97/ paperback, $1.99/Kindle, 297 pages. A decade after their pact to reunite, Adoma awaits the arrival of her three best friends on a remote island off the east coast of Africa. Memories of the events that have transpired since the four last saw each other come alive, revealing the twists and turns of life and love. Adoma recently left her former beau, a powerful businessman, and started over as a songwriter. But betrayal makes love seem virtually impossible. Meanwhile, Casey’s wild ways affect her employment—and possibly even her chances of finding true love. After Genna‘s husband‘s unthinkable secret comes to light, their perfect image and life begin to publicly collapse. And sweet Mya falls for a toxic man who exposes her pain and changes the course of her life. Their reunion reaffirms the value of friendship, but then a turn of events threatens the life of one of the four. Will their sisterly bond survive, or will the reunion sever what binds them, forever? Proceeds from the book will help support Malaria No More, a nonprofit committed to ensuring that no more children die from a mosquito bite. Ghanaian-born, M.L. Wonder dabbled in poetry in high school, but it was diplomatic experience that inspired her and helped bring out her talent for writing. A member of the State Department Foreign Service for 10 years, she served overseas in Egypt, Colombia and South Africa. She describes Tenth Year in the Sun , her first novel, as standing “at the intersection of women’s fiction and West African culture.” She lives in Austin, Texas. The Vineyard Victims: A Wine Country Mystery Ellen Crosby, Minotaur Books, 2017, $25.99/hardcover, $12.99/Kindle, 336 pages. In spite of being saddled with massive campaign debts from the recent election, bil- lionaire Jamison Vaughn seems to have the perfect life. But when the real estate mogul, Virginia vineyard owner and unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate suffers a fatal car crash, Lucie Montgomery suspects foul play. Everyone else in Atoka, Virginia, is sure that Jamie must have lost control of his car on a rain-slicked country road. After all, what pos- sible reason could he have for committing suicide … or was it murder? Before long, Lucie uncovers a connection between Jamie and some of his old friends, members of an elite group of academics, and the brutal, 30-year-old murder of a brilliant Ph.D. student. The investigation into the two deaths grows more complicated when someone from Lucie’s past gets involved, forcing her to confront old demons. The race to solve the mystery becomes intensely personal as Lucie realizes someone wants her silenced for good. Ellen Crosby, the wife of veteran FSO André de Nesnera of the Voice of America, began writing mysteries under her maiden name when her husband was posted to Geneva. This is the eighth volume in her Virginia wine country mystery series, which began with The Merlot Murders . She has also written a mystery series featuring international photojournalist Sophie Medina, and Moscow Nights , a standalone. Previously she was a freelance reporter for The Washington Post , Moscow correspon- dent for ABC News Radio and an economist at the U.S. Senate.