The Shadow Friends proves that just despite advancing in age your experience brings value that can impact the world, especially with the power of friendship on your side. Tess Gerritsen delivers another wonderfully fun and intense spy novel that grabs you early and keeps you engaged to the bitter end.
An infectious disease expert dies during a conference in Purity, Maine. He also happens to be a Russian defector, putting his death into a suspicious light that activates an investigation by the local friend group of CIA operatives known as The Martini Club. As the search for the truth evolves, it brings up emotional memories of a past mission for Ingrid Slocum, leading her to go off the grid with a former colleague/lover to draw out an enemy that escaped their grasp decades ago. While the rest of the group continue to probe back in New England, friendships and alliances will be questioned and they must rely on old skills to stay safe and avoid the death of those close to them.
This novel, and the series overall, is a wonderful departure from the typical testosterone-fueled and weapons-porn type of thriller, offering something cerebral and contemplative without sacrificing action and intrigue. It relies on the experience and skills honed over decades by wily vets of the espionage game. The Shadow Friends also provides a sliding door storyline that everyone can relate to. Thinking about a time in our lives where we reached a critical decision point, and even if things worked out you still wonder how picking the other option would have turned out. The exploration of this theme within a captivating, suspenseful and unpredictable story works fantastically well.
Grab your favorite cocktail, cozy up on the couch and enjoy watching the exhilarating work of seasoned operatives who might be out of the game, but the game isn’t out of them.
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Barrington Books
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