A Very Private Plot

In 1995, an ambitious U.S. senator wanted to weaken the power of the CIA, perhaps to the point of its elimination. To accomplish his goal, he tries to enlist Blackford Oakes - now retired - into his cause by forcing him to testify before a senate committee about CIA covert activities in 1985. The senator wants to know what President Reagan did at that time when informed of a plot by Soviet veterans of the war against Afghanistan to assassinate Mikhail Gorbachev, who had just risen to power. What will Oakes do? Will the senator be able to force him to testify? Or will Oakes be able to draw upon the wit and savoir-faire that have saved the day on so many occasions? Blackford Oakes novels have always had a very wide appeal, as readers are drawn by the delightful characters and intricate plots. "The Story of Henri Tod" and "A Very Private Plot" have plenty of both.