By: Terry Cornell

I have to admit I approached Conspiracy in Kiev with some trepidation. Curiosity won out and I’m glad it did. Because Zondervan Press is the world’s leading Christian book publisher, I wondered how Noel Hynd would manage to combine evangelical elements within a modern-day espionage thriller. I am not an avid church-goer and generally do not seek out material with a religious theme. However, I was impressed by how well Mr. Hynd incorporates faith, doubt, and Christianity within the story without overpowering the plot.

At the start, the reader is quietly introduced to Special Agent Alex LaDuca of the F.B.I., temporarily assigned to the U.S. Treasury Department investigating white-collar Internet crimes. We learn that she is planning her wedding to Robert Timmons, a Secret Service agent assigned to the presidential detail. As the story’s foundation continues to build, we discover that S.A. LaDuca, a practicing Christian, speaks five languages and is an expert marksman. She soon finds herself assigned to an undercover role to keep tabs on a Ukrainian-Russian mobster during the President’s visit to Kiev. The story’s transition from a passive start to page-turning action is artfully done. After the trip culminates in violence and chaos, LaDuca finds herself seeking answers — about her career, inner self, faith, and who she can truly trust. A seemingly unconnected subplot ties in by the end of the story, as we see LaDuca connect the dots.

The twists and turns of LaDuca’s journeys take her to South America and back to Europe. Hynd describes the settings so well, readers will feel they are alongside the protagonist experiencing the same sights and sounds. A lifetime bureaucrat couldn’t describe the inner workings of government agencies better than this. Mr. Hynd also throws in historical tidbits, such as President Kennedy’s non-use of the bubble top for his limousine on the day of his assassination.

Some elements of the story seem a bit contrived, however. For example, LaDuca’s intelligence, skills, and athletic prowess almost make her seem superhuman. But this is a novel, and an entertaining one at that! I anticipate reading the next books in this trilogy, following Alex LaDuca as she juggles — and struggles with — gripping exploits and intense life challenges.