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Our world is a volatile place. Each day, news reports cover tension and unrest both on the other side of the world and down the street. In her debut novel, Liar’s Candle, scholar and author August Thomas follows a young American woman as she gets caught in the middle of a conflict far from home.
The story races though Turkey with Penny Kessler, a young State Department intern who finds herself pursued by the Turkish government, the CIA, and a terrorist organization after she survives the July 4th bombing at the US Embassy. After an image of Penny emerging from the rubble lands on the front of every newspaper in the world, she ends up in the spotlight—and not just because she survived. Everyone seems to think that Penny knows more than she does—and they want it enough to kill anyone in their way.
It doesn’t take long for the action of this breakneck spy thriller to kick off—and once it gets started, it doesn’t let up. The story moves from the Turkish presidential palace to the CIA’s headquarters at Langley, from bustling streets to hidden caves, as Penny fights to survive.
The young heroine quickly finds herself in over her head, caught in the middle of secret deals and espionage. Penny is young and sometimes maddeningly naïve—just a college kid on a summer internship. She expected to spend the summer exploring and running errands—not hunted by spies and trying to escape torture and terrorists. And she never thought that the people she befriended weren’t what they said they were. But after the Embassy is bombed, she becomes both a national symbol and a target—and she’s forced to learn a whole lot about spycraft in just a short amount of time.
Of course, not everything here feels entirely believable, but the story is loaded with twists and turns, with bribery, blackmail, and backstabbing. The tension is heavy, and the action is non-stop, with a new threat arriving with every new chapter. And the complexities and surprises make for a thrilling read.
With its young and inexperienced main character, Liar’s Candle offers a different take on the typical spy thriller. And while Penny isn’t always the strongest character, her story is fast-paced and entertaining. It definitely isn’t a lazy, laid-back beach read. It’s a wild ride that’s sure to keep you guessing.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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