Saturday, December 09, 2006

The best spy stories

William Stevenson, author of the forthcoming Spymistress: The Secret Life of Vera Atkins, named the five best spy novels for Opinion Journal.

Number two on his list:

The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson

This is a portrait of the spy world foreshadowed by John Buchan--that is to say, our own. CIA agent John Wells is frozen out by his bosses after 9/11 when he shows impatience with their dependency on high technology at the cost of human intelligence. He transforms himself into a Muslim to make his lonely way into the heart of terrorism. Colleagues fear that he has defected, but his girlfriend and immediate superior at the agency, Jennifer, remains steadfast and finally helps Wells to thwart an al Qaeda plot in the U.S. Berenson knows the Arab world thoroughly, and "The Faithful Spy" is a meticulous portrait of the real and horrifying challenges that await us.

Click here to read about Stevenson's other picks.

--Marshal Zeringue