Kingmaker is a masterful tale containing powerful, well developed characters as well as surprising twists and turns which will crush the reader's wildest perceptions. Just when I thought I had the course of events in this suspenseful novel figured out, the next chapter would completely dismantle my detective work. Alexey Braguine, obviously draws from extensive experience in Africa to skillfully paint a picture of the beautiful yet brutal continent with his words. He also displays his multilingual abilities by showcasing the great number of languages used in the book by many characters. His apparent knowledge and mastery of various subjects shine through well within the pages of Kingmaker.

A brief plot synopsis:

After the mysterious disappearance of two agents in Africa, John Trager, a former CIA agent who seeks to 'retire' is blackmailed into conducting one final operation for the CIA. Trager is sent with orders to find out what happened to the two missing agents, as well as to report on the activities of a suspicious Russian soldier. Reluctantly, Trager is deployed to Zengawal, Africa with very little information, and only a couple of names scrawled on paper as leads for initiating his search. Quickly Trager realizes he may be in over his head, and there is more to this beautiful and mysterious African nation than meets the eye as a multitude of manipulative organizations, including his own U.S. Government seek to misdirect Trager, and play their own deadly political games in Africa. Eventually teaming up with a beautiful and enigmatic anthropologist, Simone Loriot, John Trager seeks to set the course of events in Zengawal in a direction of peace and discover the truth behind all of the masks of deception ... but instead he finds his true purpose in redeeming what could be labeled a misspent life.