The Paris Protection

The President of the United States (POTUS), Abigail Clarke, is in Paris, surrounded by her Secret Service and more agents than should be necessary, for a summit of nations. The SS has done their homework and found the best place to keep her safe. They’ve placed snipers on nearby buildings, agents on the ground around the exits, and flown in their own food and chefs. They’ve checked building schematics and evaluated the tunnel system below Paris. However, when a vibration through the walls of the hotel register higher than general building movement in an area with no known fault, the agents are forced to evacuate the President to a safer place. Interrupted during a meeting, the President tries to keep up and keep calm to help the Secret Service do their job. The group tries going to the ground floor to meet the motorcade but are stopped by a gunfight and spreading fire, so they head back upstairs. When their attempt at escape from the roof proves impossible, they again head down into the building. The terrorists seem to know the moves the SS will take, so their plans become a yo-yo of action.

Devore has done his homework and created a believable, action-packed roller coaster story. He packs in historical figures and events, about warfare tactics and assassination attempts throughout American and general world history. His use of acronyms for many of the electronic devices, military equipment, and code names used by the military and Secret Service may throw some readers off, but the pace is so quick that most won’t be deterred. The back stories of the main characters help to provide an explanation for some of their actions and feelings of impotent rage and scorn. Readers just may lose fingernails over this one, as the POTUS and her security detail tries to avoid a highly organized and well-planned assassination attempt.