Agents of Treachery (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard Original)

From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Astonishingly, as mystery maestro Penzler points out in his cogent introduction, there has never been, until now, a collection of original stories devoted to spy fiction. Penzler has assembled 14 of the biggest names in the thriller genre—such as Lee Child, Joseph Finder, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, and David Morrell—who all rise to the challenge of writing a short story set in the complex world of international espionage. This unique anthology's best entry, Charles McCarry's The End of the String, which depicts an intelligence officer's role in a planned coup aimed at a despotic African president-for-life, will evoke comparisons with John le Carr? and Graham Greene. The superlative writing is matched by the variety, which ranges from tales with clever twists to straightforward ones, some contemporary, others with historical settings. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Starred Review Spy fiction and short stories are usually mutually exclusive. As editor Penzler points out in his introduction, spy fiction is usually lengthy, as the authors weave byzantine plots bolstered with double crosses, red herrings, and dozens of characters. Tough to fit all that into a few thousand words. He also points out this is the first anthology of original short spy fiction. The 14 authors include Lee Child, James Grady, Stephen Hunter, Andrew Klavan, and Stella Rimington, who was the director-general of Britain’s MI5. Child’s story centers on the particulars of assembling a special-ops team. David Morrell weighs in with the moral and professional dilemma of Andrew, a professional CIA interrogator who ultimately succumbs to . . . well, that’s the surprise. Stephen Hunter contributes a WWII tale in which love and a Mata Hari–like character play key roles. Charles McCarry introduces readers to a mysterious man on the Guinea coast in the fifties who assists an American agent and may have questionable motives. Espionage fans will absolutely love this collection of uniformly fine stories—a series of 500-page spy novels expertly distilled to their involving, suspenseful essence. --Wes Lukowsky

For the first time ever, legendary editor Otto Penzler has handpicked some of the most respected and bestselling thriller writers working today for a riveting collection of ...

Publishers Weekly

Astonishingly, as mystery maestro Penzler points out in his cogent introduction, “there has never been, until now, a collection of original stories devoted” to spy fiction. Penzler has assembled 14 of the biggest names in the thriller genre—such as Lee Child, Joseph Finder, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, and David Morrell—who all rise to the challenge of writing a short story set in the complex world of international espionage. This unique anthology’s best entry, Charles McCarry’s “The End of the String,” which depicts an intelligence officer’s role in a planned coup aimed at a despotic African president-for-life, will evoke comparisons with John le Carré and Graham Greene. The superlative writing is matched by the variety, which ranges from tales with clever twists to straightforward ones, some contemporary, others with historical settings. (June)

For the first time ever, legendary editor Otto Penzler has handpicked some of the most respected and bestselling thriller writers working today for a riveting collection of spy fiction. From first to last, this stellar collection signals mission accomplished. Including: * Lee Child with an incredible look at the formation of a special ops cell. * James Grady writing about an Arab undercover FBI agent with an active cell. * Joseph Finder riffing on a Boston architect who's convinced his Persian neighbors are up to no good. * John Lawton concocting a Len Deighton-esque story about British intelligence. * Stephen Hunter thrilling us with a tale about a WWII brigade. Full list of Contributors: James Grady, Charles McCarry, Lee Child, Joseph Finder, John Lawton, John Weisman, Stephen Hunter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Andrew Klavan, Robert Wilson, Dan Fesperman, Stella Rimington, Olen Steinhauer Introduction / Otto Penzler The end of the string / Charles McCarry Section 7(a) (operational) / Lee Child Destiny city / James Grady Neighbors / Joseph Finder East of Suez, west of Charing Cross Road / John Lawton Father's Day / John Weisman Casey at the bat / Stephen Hunter Max is calling / Gayle Lynds The interrogator / David Morrell Sleeping with my assassin / Andrew Klavan The hamburg redemption / Robert Wilson The courier / Dan Fesperman Hedged in / Stella Rimington You know what's going on / Olen Steinhauer. Never before published spy fiction from today's most exciting authors: Lee Child, Joseph Finder, Stephen Hunter, Charles McCarry, David Morrell, Robert Wilson, James Grady, John Lawton, John Weisman, Gayle Lynds, Andrew Klavan, Dan Fesperman, Stella Rimington, Olen Steinhauer 15 brand-new spy stories, especially written for this landmark collection. 15 world-class thriller writers, coming together for the very first time.