Deep Lie

July 6, 1989
Winner of an Edgar for his debut in Chiefs, basis of a six-hour TV series, Woods presents another potential bestseller, vibrating with tensions created by covert operations in the CIA and the KGB. The heroine is Kate Rule, member of the team at Langley Field assigned to keep tabs on Soviet moves. Emulating male machismo, Rule grows impatient with her colleagues' caution and flies to Europe, on the trail of a Russian agent who has recently disappeared. The narrative switches alternately between fraught events in Russia and America, as Rule's suspect masterminds an invasion of Sweden. The story is packed with horrors and close calls, up to and including the demand for the Swedish government to surrender at the threat of a blast from a nuclear submarine. All the way, Rule and her few allies are caught in seemingly inescapable death traps set by traitors, trusted officials in Sweden and in Washington. An outsized cast of well-defined characters, nonstop action and clearly rendered locales make the novel a genuine if not entirely credible thriller. Reader's Digest Condensed Books selection. February 24

Narrator James Daniels provides the ideal level of intensity for this political thriller. He conveys the almost reckless determination of Katherine Rule, a deskbound CIA operative responsible for digging up clues about Russian activities. When Kate's superiors dismiss her concerns about suspicious Russian incidents, she risks her job--and her life--to take a dangerous trip to Europe for her own unauthorized snooping. Daniels's real strength is in portraying the Russian characters. Through his voice we understand the steely (and perhaps maniacal) aspirations of a Russian general, and the wavering commitment of a mid-level Russian naval officer with doubts about his assignment. Although slightly dated by its 1980s technology, this intricate spy story stands the test of time. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine