The Truth Itself

July 30, 2018
At the start of this suspenseful tale from Rayburn (the pen name of South African author Roger Smith), Kate Swift, a disgraced CIA agent who’s been living under an alias in a tiny Vermont town and hiding from a sinister element from her past, stops two armed young men early in their attempt to commit mass murder at her six-year-old daughter Suzie’s elementary school. Knowing that the unavoidable publicity will expose her true identity, Kate flees with Suzie, first to Canada. As they travel the world—Germany, Thailand, and the Andaman Sea—Kate seeks and obtains assistance from two former high-ranking CIA employees: the man who trained and recruited her; and a clever, effective agent who was discredited when, as a consequence of an error he made in commanding the response to a hostage situation, 22 people were killed. As the bad guys close in, Kate fakes her death, and the ensuing intrigues put Kate and Suzie at great peril. A fascinating plot and arresting characters keep the reader thoroughly engrossed. Agent: Alice Martell, Martell Agency.