Roller Coaster in Tehran by Y. I. LATZ

Roller Coaster in Tehran by Y. I. LATZ
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When we hear spy what pops up in our mind. James Bond. Right? Or now a days Jason Bourne. Both are very hi-fi. They are cold, calculating, suave, unemotional almost robotic and ruthless. But how are real spies?

This book gives a peek into the life of a real espionage agent. Amalia Tavori has to become a Mossad agent per force due to a useless husband. She is originally a roller-coaster engineer. She is sent to Tehran, Capital of Iran to spy in the garb of an engineer. General Khudadad is a feared monster in army. She starts working for a powerful business tycoon. He has 4 beautiful daughters and a very sick son, who needs a complex heart surgery. The surgery can only be done in three western countries which have sanctions against Iran. Last option is Israel which is out of bounds. Amalia herself is a mother of 3 and feels the pain.

Iran and Israel are like India and Pakistan. Arch enemies. So the tensions are high. I read another novel by the same author ‘I am not a traitor’. This one is way better than that simply because of this very fact. Amalia is not Bond or Bourne. She is a spy who has heart. She has emotions like us. She is not fearless and cool composed like Bond. She is terrified to death while entering Iran. Rightfully so. She is not a robot. She feels for the little Ali despite being Iran her enemy country. She lose his son and is not allowed to visit Israel. Her pain is real. It also shows the ruthless world of espionage which takes a physical, meatal and emotional toll on the operatives. This is not about exotic locales and shooting from the hip. The real job is mundane, boring, slow, tedious and dangerous. I liked the book showing the real face of this covert world.

There are some inconsistencies too. She has it too easy all the time. Everything falls into place for her without her enterprise all the times. The tycoon is a big shot in the protection of Iranian secret service. Still they can not make out what she is doing. Especially after Chrisitina dies in her place and she comes to close. Then there is the track of her son’s killer which is totally outlandish. Everyone is flying across international borders with impunity.

So keeping in view the pros and cons I give the book 3.5/ 5 stars.

P.S. Writing a book is a tedious job and labour of love. Views in the review are personal and with full respect to the hard work put in by the author. Please like/ comment/ mark helpful the review if you feel so.

Where to buy:

https://www.amazon.com/Roller-Coaster...

Blurb:

Imagine being sent to spy on your country’s worst enemy!
Dr. Amalia Tavori is a mother of three and an expert rollercoaster engineer with a short fuse and an insatiable appetite for adventure. She is forced to join the Israeli Mossad to save her husband from economic collapse. Amalia is sent under false identity to Tehran, the capital of Israel’s worst enemy, to help the Iranians build a grandiose amusement park.
Every day could be Amalia’s last!
Roller Coaster in Tehran reveals an intimate picture of the exceedingly dangerous daily life of an Israeli spy in Tehran. Amalia knows no boundaries and has no shame. She fools both her enemies and her operators from the Mossad, working out of her own deep inner convictions.
Can Amalia complete her mission without losing her life?
When a grave disaster befalls her family in Israel, it becomes even more difficult for her to perform her secret mission. This book redefines the concepts of loyalty, betrayal, enemies, and compassion. The image of an ordinary woman emerges – one who yearns for true love but who has been forced to become larger than life itself. She is prepared to sacrifice herself for her country, but not to sacrifice her life for an existence without love.
About Author
Y. I. LATZ is a playwright, journalist-researcher, and former editor, whose specialty is writing about matters of intelligence and economics. Roller Coaster in Tehran is his second book. His first, A Woman as a Fire, was a best-seller in Israel. LATZ wrote a play based on this book that was purchased by the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv, the largest theater in Israel.



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