Safe Houses

"In this gripping new work of suspense from the author of The Double Game, a young woman discovers a nefarious truth at the heart of the CIA's operations in postwar Berlin and goes on the run for her life; years later she's gruesomely murdered along with her husband, and her daughter begins to chase down these startling secrets from her past. West Berlin, 1979. Helen Abell oversees the CIA's network of safe houses, rare havens for field agents and case officers amidst the dangerous milieu of a city in the grips of the Cold War. Helen's world is upended when, during her routine inspection of an agency property, she overhears a meeting between two people unfamiliar to her speaking a coded language that hints at shadowy realities far beyond her comprehension. Before the day is out, she witnesses a second unauthorized encounter, one that will place her in the sight lines of the most ruthless and powerful man at the agency. Her attempts to expose the dark truths about what she has witnessed will bring about repercussions that reach across decades and continents into the present day, when, in a farm town in Maryland, a young man is arrested for the double murder of his parents, and his sister takes it upon herself to find out why he did it"-- "A new novel from Dan Fesperman is always a twisty, well-plotted, intelligent delight. And Safe Houses is no exception. The germ of the story begins in West Berlin in 1979. Helen Abell oversees the CIA's network of safe houses, rare havens for field agents and case officers amidst the dangerous milieu of a city in the grips of the Cold War. But during her routine inspection of an agency property, she overhears a meeting between two people speaking a coded language that hints at shadowy realities and then, before much longer, she witnesses a second unauthorized encounter, one that will place her in the sightlines of the most ruthless and powerful man in the CIA. Her attempts to expose the crimes she has witnessed will bring about repercussions that reach across decades into the present day, when, in a farm town in Maryland, a young man is arrested for the double murder of his parents, and his sister takes it upon herself to find out why he did it . . . Those of us who are Fesperman fans know that his Cold War books are always tremendous fun, which resonate with the best of Le Carre and Tom Clancy. But with SAFE HOUSES he's also given us an intriguing murder mystery in a small town. And while Fesperman always gives us the most lifelike, layered, and thought-provoking characters, he's outdone himself with SAFE HOUSES two female leads, Helen Abell in 1979 Germany and Anna Shoat in present day Maryland. All of Dan Fesperman's prodigious talents are all on display with this wonderful new tale, from his gifts for historical recreation to technical know-how, to political intrigue. Crack the first few pages on this one and see if you don't agree"--