The Riddle (A James Acton Thriller, Book #11)

FROM USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR J. ROBERT KENNEDY

THE RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED.

THE WORLD STANDS ON THE BRINK OF WAR.

Russia accuses the United States of assassinating their Prime Minister in Hanoi, naming Delta Force member Sergeant Carl “Niner” Sung as the assassin.

Professors James Acton and Laura Palmer, witnesses to the murder, know the truth, and as the Russians and Vietnamese attempt to use the situation to their advantage on the international stage, the husband and wife duo attempt to find proof that their friend is innocent.

It is a desperate race against time as the innocent involved are hunted down without mercy. Facing impossible odds in a country where they have no friends and no hope of rescue, they stand alone.

From USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy, The Riddle is a heart pounding thrill ride spanning two millennia that pits Professors Acton and Palmer, along with members of the Delta Force’s Bravo Team, against the might of the Vietnamese military and the political machinations of the Kremlin itself.

"James Acton: A little bit of Jack Bauer and Indiana Jones!"

Though this book is part of the James Acton Thrillers series, it is written as a standalone novel and can be enjoyed without having read any
of the previous installments.

USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure
novelist based upon combined sales. He is the author of over twenty international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers series of which the first
installment,
The Protocol
, has been on the bestseller lists since its release, including occupying the number one spot for three months.
He lives with his wife and daughter and writes full-time.

"If you want fast and furious, if you can cope with a high body count,
most of all if you like to be hugely entertained, then you can't do much better than J Robert Kennedy."

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Find out more at
www.jrobertkennedy.com
.

For Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo.

#OttawaStrong

“The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some are even saying that it's already begun.”

Mikhail S. Gorbachev, November 8, 2014
On the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

“If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?”

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

On June 28, 1914 the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, and his
wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia. A
man named Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb, was the assassin of the future heirs
to the Austro-Hungarian throne, the Empire a significant power in Europe.

Bosnia
was  insignificant in comparison.

The
empire had existed at this point for 47 years.

It would
be gone in four, one man and his gun triggering a war the likes of which the
world had never seen.

And
hoped would never see again.

Enter
World War II, and almost fifty years of new conflicts, many of them proxy wars
between Communism and Capitalism as part of the Cold War.

Capitalism
won.

With the
end of the Cold War the world thought peace might finally be at hand, but with
a belligerent Russia inexplicably attempting to return to the old ways of the
failed Soviet Union, many think the Cold War we thought long gone is already
back.

And if
it is, could a single event trigger another crisis that might lead to a third,
and possibly final, world war?

A portion of this book recreates the night the Buddha died. It is
inspired by the actual accounts of that evening, with fictional intrigue added,
the death a backdrop to the historical portion of the novel.

No
disrespect is intended.

Vietnam National Museum of History, Hanoi, Vietnam
Present Day

Archeology Professor James Acton leaned forward, examining the
ancient drum crafted by the Dong Son civilization of the Red River Delta in
Northern Vietnam over two thousand years ago. Made of bronze and intricately
carved, it was nearly three feet tall and according to their guide, weighed in
at over two hundred pounds.

“It’s
beautiful,” gushed his wife, Archeology Professor Laura Palmer as she circled
the roped off artifact. “I’ve seen pictures of these but I’ve never seen one in
person.”

Acton
dropped to a knee. “Me neither.” His finger twitched, the overwhelming urge to
reach out and touch the artifact killing him.

“Would
you like to get closer?” asked their guide, Mai Lien Trinh, grinning.

Acton’s
head bobbed rapidly, Laura slightly more dignified in her response. “Could we?”

“Only
honored guests are allowed—” began Mai.

“I guess
that means ‘no’,” winked Acton at Laura.

She gave
him the eye.

Mai
looked at him curiously, then apparently decided he must be joking. She lifted
the belt from the retractable stanchion and waved them inside. It was almost
symbolic, the barrier only a couple of feet from the drum, but Acton felt like
he did the day Guns ’N Roses had released their Use Your Illusion double-album
and the clerk at Tower Records off Broadway had unlocked the doors letting the
gathered throng inside.

He had bought
his two CDs and it had only cost him three hours in line and a Classical
Literature class. He had torn the plastic wrapping off before he had even paid,
clicking the first CD in his Sony Discman before handing over the cash to pay
for his purchase, falling in love with Right Next Door to Hell before he had
even left the store. By the time he had reached his apartment, Coma’s bass drum
had him hypnotized.

It had
been a great day.

His best
friend and mentor, Gregory “Corky” Milton had chastised him, not understanding
the appeal. “They’re pussy metal. Give me Megadeth or Metallica any day.”

“Don’t
forget Anthrax!”

“Don’t
act like you listen to it. You only like Bring the Noise, poser.”

Acton
smiled at the memory as his fingers danced tantalizingly close to the ancient
drum, tracing the repetitive carvings ringing the instrument.

“Fantastic!”
he hissed as he bumped into Laura who was rounding it in the opposite
direction.

“It is
one of our greatest treasures. It is called the Ngoc Lu drum. It was discovered
by accident south of Hanoi in 1893 by a crew building a dike. It is thought to
be well over two thousand years old.”

Acton’s
head bobbed in appreciation. “The carvings are remarkably well preserved. It
almost looks like you could play it right now. He rose slightly, positioning
his hands to play.

“No!”
cried Mai.

Acton
laughed, grinning at her. “Just joking.”

Mai’s
hand darted to her heart as she ushered them outside the barrier, quickly
blocking off the artifact once more.

“I’m
sorry, Mai, I shouldn’t have scared you like that.”

Laura
punched him in the shoulder. “No, you shouldn’t have.”

Mai
smiled shyly. “I’m sorry, I’m just not used to dealing with Americans.”

“I’m
British. We’re even stranger,” said Laura with a laugh. “At least to Americans.”

Mai
shook her head then suddenly paled slightly as her eyes darted toward the
entrance to the room they were in. “Oh no, we shouldn’t be here.”

Acton
turned and saw a group of about ten or fifteen people enter, immediately
recognizing the United States Secretary of State, Jill Atwater. She had several
others with her, clearly American, several Vietnamese and a four man security
team.

Acton
smiled, recognizing two of them immediately, despite the dark sunglasses hiding
where they were looking. The two who had entered the room first he knew quite
well, Command Sergeant Major Burt “Big Dog” Dawson and Sergeant Will “Spock”
Lightman, two members of the Delta Force’s Bravo Team. Acton took a step toward
them to say hi when he noticed Dawson shake his head almost imperceptibly. He
caught Laura by the arm as she made toward them.