Rock, Paper, Scissors

Steve Samuel

When she was three years old, Sarah Peterson witnessed her CIA agent father's murder. Now, over thirty years later, she is in a high position in the Secret Service. She has earned her respect, her position, and reputation. Sarah hopes to use this position to track down her father's murder. When she is promoted to the head of security for the Secretary of State, she tapes a meeting her boss holds. Sarah's life changes permanently.

Jessica Baldwin is the grown daughter of one of the richest men in the world. She is kidnapped as a political pawn. No one except the kidnappers and her father know what has happened. The kidnappers have one demand - that Sam Baldwin stop a shipment he has going to the Middle East. He refuses and swears he will get Jessie back from the kidnappers.

Sarah continues to investigate what she overheard, unaware she is leaving a computer trace of her actions. She figures it out shortly before someone tries to assassinate her. She escapes this attempt and heads to New York. She knows about the kidnapping and hopes to be able to help the Baldwin family and bring down the perpetrators. She doesn't know much about Sam Baldwin and quickly learns that he takes his revenge when someone threatens those people close to him.

Rock, Paper Scissors is edge-of-the-seat, knuckle biting political thriller. The intrigue is well done. Even as the plot and the participants are revealed, it is difficult to tell whether Jessica will survive the kidnapping or not. Sarah is being followed by numerous people who would like to kill her for what she has learned. Sam Baldwin and his close friend, Hank Savage, an ex-marine, are determined to kill anyone who would dare threaten or harm his daughter and her unborn child. This is one where the reader can tell Sarah cannot win. If she does not get killed, she will not be able to keep her new position. She knows too much.

This is Steve Samuel's first novel. What an excellent debut!

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