How One Sentence Ruined My Summer Reading

I spent last week on a beach in Florida (because everyone from Philly vacations in Florida in August).  I had left all my work at home, and was settling into a crime novel, David Hewson’s The Sacred Cut, about a serial killer loose in my favorite city–Rome.  It was a light read, so I was willing to go along with the murder that opens the novel — a gruesome killing under the oculus in the Pantheon with only one witness (those who’ve been there can tell you how unlikely that is).  Still, my willing suspension of disbelief dissolved when the protagonists, three Roman detectives, go to meet with a government agent at the U.S. Embassy:

The embassy official introduced himself as Thornton Fielding . . . Fielding was diplomatic and articulate.  He wanted their signatures on some non-disclosure papers too.
Falcone stared at the paperwork.  “This is Italy, Mr. Fielding.  I’m not in the habit of signing forms about what I will or won’t do in my own country.”
Fielding didn’t even blink.  “Technically, Inspector, this is the sovereign territory of the United States of America.  Either you sign these forms or you don’t get to see Agent Leapman.”

Technically . . . sovereign territory of the United States!  Really? This is exactly the sort of mistake that will drive away your international lawyer readership.  Indeed, I’d thought we got rid of the embassy-as-sovereign-island idea a century ago.  But, Mr. Hewson is not alone in perpetuating such errors about international law.  So, I think it’s worth reiterating my earlier offer–interested, prospective authors (or screenwriters) should feel free to forward manuscripts to me here at Opinio Juris.  For a small fee, I would be happy to make sure you maintain all the necessary thrills and plot twists in your story without screwing up the international law stuff along the way.