Lords of corruption

Josh Hagarty, fresh out of graduate school, finds no one will hire him because of a mistake from his past. When he receives a strange recruiting visit from a charity organization called NewAfrica, Hagarty decides he has no other option but to take the position. But after he arrives in Africa to oversee a massive farming and building project, he quickly realizes something is wrong. What he doesn't know is that his predecessor asked too many questions and was murdered. Soon Hagarty is asking the same questions: What is this underdeveloped country hiding? Is the enigmatic Gideon, the leader of NewAfrica, a charlatan, and is his group dedicated not to good works but to something sinister? Mills creates a great lead character in Hagarty; we root for him as he descends into a quagmire from which there may be no return. Charitable giving meets The Firm in this riveting page-turner.--Ayers, Jeff Copyright 2009 Booklist

In this lackluster suspense novel from bestseller Mills (Darkness Falls), ex-con Josh Hagarty, who's just earned an M.B.A., but fears his tainted past is a liability, leaps at a job offer from NewAfrica, a charitable organization that operates in Africa, despite his ignorance of the continent.ÅShortly after his arrival in an unnamed country devastated by civil strife, Hagarty learns his new employer concealed the truth about his predecessor's death. More disturbing revelations quickly follow that place him at odds with NewAfrica and put his life at risk. Assisted by two of the oldest cliches in the genre-the cynical journalist who sees his efforts as a chance for redemption and the attractive, selfless aid worker-Hagarty fights to expose the truth about his employer and the corrupt rulers of the country where he's been assigned. Some readers will groan at the plot contrivances that enable Hagarty to get out of a tight spot. 6-city author tour. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved