While You Are Waiting…Daniel Silva

I don’t know about you, but I love a good spy novel.  Daniel Silva is one of my favorite authors and I have been waiting for his new book, The Cellist, since I finished the previous one last July.  His series character, Gabriel Allon, is an Israeli spy, as well as a talented artist and art restorer on the side.  He is cool under pressure, smart (like, ten steps ahead of everyone else smart), and not afraid to do the things that must be done to ensure the safety of his family, his agents, his country, and his allies across the world.  If you have not read Silva before, I recommend starting with the first in the series, The Kill Artist.  If you are looking forward to his latest like me, here are a few suggestions to tide you over while you are waiting.

The Impostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang

Julia Lerner seems to have it all – she is a top executive at the social media company Tangerine, she is a recent wife and mother, and she lives a wealthy glamorous lifestyle.  But Julia has a secret.  She is a Russian spy, chosen from a sea of candidates to come to America and gain a position of power in Silicon Valley.  She has done that and more, and now her handler is asking for private information about Tangerine users, which could get Julia into big trouble if discovered. It also causes Julia to stop and consider what exactly the Russians will be doing with this information. Alice Lu works in the IT department at Tangerine, a job beneath her abilities but a girl has to pay the rent. One day, she is performing a routine operation and sees a large amount of transmission activity from an anonymous user.  She is curious, but what she learns alarms her – could THE Julia Lerner be a spy?  Each of these women will have to decide what is worth defending and what lines they will cross to save themselves.

Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich

This is the first book in a trilogy featuring Dr. Jonathan Ransom, a surgeon working with Doctors Without Borders.  He and his wife Emma are on a ski trip in the Swiss Alps when a blizzard strikes and Emma is lost in a tragic accident as they try to make their escape off the mountain.  The next day, he receives an envelope with her name on it containing two baggage claim tickets.  Curious, he goes to the locker, but is attacked when he arrives. Fleeing with the contents of the locker, he discovers an incredible betrayal and now he is on the run, trying to stay ahead of those that are chasing him.  With his wife gone, he knows that he must discover the truth behind her secrets to stop a conspiracy that threatens the world.  Reich has created a great character in Jonathan Ransom – a man out of his depth, drawn into the high-tech world of spies, trying to do the right thing.  If you like this one, follow it up with Rules of Vengeance and Rules of Betrayal.

 American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

This is one that has been on my TBR list for a while.  Here is what the catalog says:  “1986, the heart of the Cold War. A young black woman working in an old boys’ club, Marie Mitchell’s FBI career has stalled out and her days are filled with monotonous paperwork. Given the opportunity to join a task force aimed at undermining Thomas Sankara, the charismatic revolutionary president of Burkina Faso whose Communist ideology has made him a target for American intervention, she says yes. In the year that follows Marie observes Sankara, seduces him– and has a hand in the coup that will bring him down. But doing so will change everything she believes about what it means to be a spy, a lover, a sister, and a good American”.  Sounds good, doesn’t it?

See below for other spy novel recommendations, from the masters of the genre (Ludlum, LeCarre) to those expanding the boundaries (Rosalie Knecht, Viet Thanh Nguyen).  Happy reading!