Khyber Pass

Summary

This historical novel, set in Washington and Pakistan in the 1980s, concerns a fictional Soviet attempt to install a puppet government in Pakistan in the last years of the Cold War. Two related stories unfold side by side. The first is the seduction, sexual and political, of a Pakistani general. A beautiful Soviet agent bewitches Bezar, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Pakistan, playing to his vanity and love of luxury. Meanwhile, her Moscow bosses have selected him as the man to overthrow the government in Islamabad and take over, effectively turning Pakistan from an American ally to a Soviet client state.

In Washington, a parallel seduction is taking place. "John Wilson," as he calls himself, had had a romantic relationship with Karen Donohue, now Deputy National Security Advisor to the President, back when they were high school students. At that time, he was called Pierre, and was the son of a Soviet diplomat posted to Washington. Now he reappears in her life with a secret rendezvous in Mexico. After years with no contact, he begs her to take him back. Lonely Karen believes that he is sincere, and the two start living together. Now, though, she is in a highly sensitive government position, and accepting cover identities and arranging secret rendezvous are dangerous breaches of security.

Don McDermit, an alert FBI agent, suspects that "John" is not who he says he is, and is determined to get to the bottom of his identity. As McDermit piles up evidence of Johns true background and motives, Karen must accept that she is living not with a long-lost beloved, but with a KGB spy. She also realizes how seriously she has compromised herself by not revealing earlier that she knew that John and Pierre were one and the same. The only way Karen can redeem herself is to pretend that she and John are closer than ever, in order to feed him — and the Kremlin — disinformation about American intentions. John/Pierre swallows the bait, and the Soviet-sponsored Pakistani coup détat meets unexpected resistance.

Commentary

Khyber Pass is an entertaining spy novel, alternating between international intrigue and personal dramas. As the action moves from Islamabad to Moscow to Washington, from venal generals to lonely, overworked White House staffers, readers are pulled into the story. A recurrent theme is the impact that one individuals emotional needs can have on world events. For example, General Bezars egotism makes him a perfect target for Soviet manipulation, and nearly shifts the international balance of power. On the other hand, Karens low self-esteem exposes her — and the nation — to peril at the hands of a cold-hearted imposter.

In this novel, the reader is constantly reminded of how the world has changed in 25 years. For example, phone booths feature in the story (remember them?). Even stranger is recalling a time when Pakistan figured in American minds not as an unstable terrorist haven, but as a staunch American ally and bulwark against Soviet expansionism. Technology that seemed unimaginably advanced in 1988, such as satellite surveillance and translation software, is now available to every cell phone user. But some things never change. Corruption and intrigue in high places, the hypocritical gap between public image and private behavior, and the cynical exploitation of vulnerable people by hostile forces remain as prevalent as ever.

Book Details

Volume: 144 pages
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing (Jan 1988)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805931090
ISBN-13: 978-0805931099
Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.9 inches
Editions: Hardcover

Visit my new website ShahzadRizvi.com