What did I get?  Corruption of Power by G.W. Eccles
How did I get it? A competition win on Goodreads


Eccles has spent much of his career as a financial advisor in Russia and surrounding countries. This book is written by someone who knows first hand how Russian commerce and politics works, which makes all the more believable and disconcerting.
At heart it's a straightforward 'airport' type thriller. Our hero (Alex Leksin) is a troubleshooter, this time employed by the President to investigate problems on an overland oil pipeline that runs through central Asia. Relationships forged in previous Alex Leksin thrillers (of which I'm not familiar) are rekindled and moved on.
As he travels across several countries Leksin encounters spies, terrorists, politicians and ordinary folk. The characters have great depth and quirks of their own, including Leksin who has a dark habit of his own. There are surprises, decent chases and sharp dialogue. This book isn't from one of the more well known blockbuster publishing houses and it does show, but it's a decent yarn.

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