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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.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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