Given all that’s going on, the novel comes together surprisingly well-but then Christmas is the season for miracles. The tale unfolds within the contemporary story of an American espionage agent who outs himself to his vicious Russian bosses by running off on Christmas Eve with a package they’ve been hired to steal-the baby son of a modern-day peacemaker. The agent’s initially unwilling helpers are a woman (who has been terrorized by an abusive husband) and her young son, Paul. The breakneck pace allows little time for characterization, and the blood-and-guts level is high as Russian agents close in (even young Paul gets into the act), but along the way there’s plenty of play with names and situations drawn from Bible stories. Morrell (Creepers, 2005) offers yet another change of pace in this compact, fast-paced combination of Rambo adventure (what he’s known for) and plea for peace on earth. To get there, however, he’s had to pull off a rather stunning maneuver-turning the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth into a spy thriller (with the magi as the spies).
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