Straits of the Between — Allen Kent

When the CIA learns that the Panchen Lama, abducted as a boy by Chinese agents, is still living and wishes to be freed from Chinese captivity, Unit One agent Britt Haugen is assigned to locate and liberate the Tibetan holy man. With a small covert team, she enters tightly controlled Tibet, only to discover that the rescue operation is not what it seems. She and her team may be the hunted. “Straits of the Between” masterfully weaves together the mythical world of monks, monasteries, and mystery that is Tibetan Buddhism with an exhilarating chase across the top of the world as Britt and agent Manny Beg attempt to locate and rescue the man who should play a pivotal role in selecting the next Dalai Lama. In true Allen Kent fashion, “Straits” informs, thrills, puzzles, and entices, adding an element of outrage as we learn about Chinese efforts to supplant the true Panchen Lama and tighten Chinese control on this remote mountain kingdom. A classic international thriller in the vein of Kent's popular “The Wager,” and “The Shield of Darius.”