Body of Lies

Starred review from February 12, 2007
Displaying his trademark expertise and writing skill, Washington Post
columnist Ignatius (Agents of Innocence
) has crafted one of the best post-9/11 spy thrillers yet. Subtly framing a highly elaborate plot, Ignatius tells the story of idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris, newly stationed in Jordan after being wounded in Iraq. After a failed initiative to flush out a terrorist mastermind known as Suleiman, Ferris, who's dedicated to forestalling further al-Qaeda attacks, develops an intricate scheme modeled after a British plan used successfully against the Nazis. Ferris's plot to turn the terrorists against each other by sowing seeds of suspicion that their leaders are collaborating with the Americans puts his personal life in turmoil and threatens his professional relationship with the head of Jordanian intelligence. Few readers will anticipate the jaw-dropping conclusion, and the pairing of first-rate espionage suspense with fully developed characters should propel this onto the bestseller lists and possibly attract Hollywood interest. Author tour.

When Dick Hill narrates a book that is elegantly crafted, with a challenging plot and fascinating characters, listeners are in for a treat. The politics of the Middle East after 9/11 form the backdrop as CIA Agent Roger Ferris hunts for a wily Al Qaeda fanatic known as Suleiman. Ferris has a plan that will cause Suleiman's terrorist organization to self-destruct. David Ignatius, a columnist for The Washington Post, draws contemporary scenarios that might happen tomorrow, as well as utterly believable, complex villains and heroes. While Ignatius's women characters don't ring true, offering little more than arm candy for the men, Hill's performances, from that of Near East CIA Chief Ed Hoffman to Jordanian spy Hani Salaam, add dimension, subtlety, shading, and a master narrator's finesse to the work as a whole. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine