January 17, 2024
I reviewed this one for the New York Times and enjoyed it immensely. What seems, on the surface, to be a tale of a CIA-led plot to assassinate a Russian KGB killer, is much deeper: a tale of a young woman, a CIA asset, who discovers how much she cares for the family of the KGB officer -- and how much she likes even the target himself. This is the sort of moral ambiguity that seems to fascinate novelist Lea Carpenter, the way living a double life and every day making your cover, that critical and deeply embedded lie, feels real to everyone around you. It’s also what makes “Ilium” such an unexpectedly moving novel. Bonus? Carpenter really knows her spy craft.