The Vanguardists by John Scheck
Luke is a CIA operative working for the Vanguardists, a small, secretive unit operating across Europe. Their job is to intervene quietly, deal with problems before they become crises, and protect American interests without provoking an international incident.
Gus is a different kind of operator. A former fixer who survived years working for three rival Mexican drug cartels, he has traded the criminal underworld for a new specialty: manufacturing success. He knows how to make people famous, turn obscure books into bestsellers, and create public enthusiasm where none existed before.
When Antoni, a man with dangerous connections, is killed in an apparent hit-and-run, he leaves behind a damning account of Serbian billionaire Radenko Graovac. With a past rooted in the wars of the former Yugoslavia, Graovac has reinvented himself as a respected businessman. He has money, political influence, and a ruthless instinct for self-preservation.
Luke sees an opportunity. If Graovac can't be brought down by conventional means, perhaps he can be discredited in the court of public opinion. With Gus orchestrating a campaign of manufactured stories and publicity, the Vanguardists set out to make the billionaire's carefully cultivated public image work against him.
But Graovac is accustomed to dealing with enemies permanently. As the campaign gains momentum, murder, intimidation, and retaliation become part of the game. And Luke's relationship with M, an American photographer who knows nothing about his real occupation, puts someone he cares about directly in the path of danger.
In a world where information can be manipulated, reputations manufactured, and truth buried, the most dangerous weapon may be the story everyone believes.