Publication Date: September 26, 2024
Elliot Jones is a cross between Sam Spade and Jack Ryan. He’s a no-nonsense Special Agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service who won medals for shooting at the Summer Olympics.
The U.S. Secretary of State is in a loveless marriage. She has invited the Oil Minister of Kuwait to dinner in Georgetown followed by opera at the Kennedy Center. In Act III of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello, a shot is fired, but no one hears a thing. The Minister slumps in his seat. Blood oozes from his chest. The Secretary is only inches away. Was she the target? Was she in love with her guest?
Jones is tasked with leading the investigation. He soon discovers that the Oil Minister was in the crosshairs of a global battle among the super powers for energy.
Political intrigue with international ties provides the basis for Otello’s Oil by D.W. Layton.
Set in 2031, the story delivers a multi-faceted storyline covering the oil trade, politics, espionage, and an assassination carried out at the opera.
Central in the story is Secretary of State Lynne Farnsworth, a career politician who gets caught up in a web of deceit and betrayal. The author uses historical figures within the story to build a sort of “Who’s Who” in American politics.
The challenge for the reader, though, is being able to navigate the “up and down” momentum. For example, the first two chapters set up a heart-pumping foiled ferry explosion featuring a senior agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes challenging to wade through the political details and keep track of the various characters.
The book serves as the first in a series that will be followed by St. Crispin’s Eulogy.
Otello’s Oil illustrates the lengths political figures will go to in order to retain power.
D.W. Layton’s diverse life experiences—from running with the bulls in Pamplona to practicing international law at the World Trade Organization—bring a level of authenticity and adventure to his writing. A passionate lover of the arts (he’s even appeared in two operas at the Kennedy Center), Layton draws on his rich background to create compelling, realistic characters and intricate plots. With a career spent navigating the complexities of international law and global politics, Layton brings a unique perspective to the political thriller genre.
