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Thriller / suspense fiction

THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW

I.S. Berry

During the Arab Spring, an American spy's final mission goes dangerously awry in this "crackling debut thriller" (The New Yorker) from a former CIA officer that Joseph Weisberg, creator of The Americans, calls "the most realistic espionage story I've read."

Shane Collins, a world-weary CIA spy, is ready to come in from the cold. Stationed in Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia for his final tour, he has little use for his missionuncovering Iranian support for the insurgency against the monarchy. Then Collins meets Almaisa, a beautiful and enigmatic artist, and his eyes are opened to a side of Bahrain most expats never experience, to questions he never thought to ask. When his trusted informant inside the opposition becomes embroiled in a murder, Collins finds himself drawn deep into the conflict. His budding romance with Almaisaand his loyaltiesare upended; in an instant, he's caught in the crosswinds of a revolution. Drawing on all his skills as a spymaster, he sets out to learn the truth behind the Arab Spring, win Almaisa's love, and uncover the murky border where Bahrain's secrets end, and America's begin. I.S. Berry spent six years as an operations officer for the CIA, serving in wartime Baghdad and elsewhere. She has lived and worked throughout Europe and the Middle East, including two years in Bahrain during the Arab Spring. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and Haverford College. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, DC, she lives in Virginia with her husband and son.

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Book Published 2023-05-01 by Simon & Schuster

Comments

A stunning debut about an aging CIA case officer at the end of a lackluster career during the Arab Spring in Bahrain. The Peacock and The Sparrow beautifully captures the ambiance of a teeming port city in the midst of unrest where people aren't who they appear and no one can be trusted. Tense action that mixes with a beautifully rendered depiction of one man's descent into despair make this spy novel an instant classic.

UK: No Exit

Not since The Spy Who Came in from the Cold has there been such a riveting and thought-provoking story of international espionage. In the tradition of John le Carre and Graham Greene, former spy Berry has woven a twisted, richly evocative tale - one that plunges the reader into the depths of the Arab Spring and the blackest recesses of human nature. A breathless tour-de-force that smuggles the reader from the souks of Bahrain to the simmering streets of Phnom Penh, Berry's debut delivers the perfect spy tale.

Gritty, propulsive, dark, and twisty. The setting in Bahrain during the Arab Awakening is beautifully rendered; you can feel the swampy heat on the page.

Outstanding.The plot's many twists will captivate readers, and Berry's gorgeous prose is its own reward with echoes of le Carré and Graham Greene.

Berry crafts a literary version of Bahrain that is utterly sumptuous and delectable... From the absurdly disconnected expatriate world of the diplomatic community to the Shia slums and the waterfront, each of Berry's details pulls the reader further into the world she creates... exceptional.

EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL by an Americnan Author Read more...

Something very special in the crowded genre of spy fiction. Berry's book is the most realistic espionage story I've read, heart-stopping without any contrived glamour.