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travellingbookjunkie's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
maryreadstoomuch's review against another edition
4.0
I love, love, love spy thrillers, even though I would be a terrible spy. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for my ALC of The Cover Wife, a book about the adventures of Claire, a much better spy than I could hope to be. Happy belated pub day - this book was published July 6th!
The Cover Wife follows Claire into 1999 in Hamburg, where she poses as the wife of an academic peddling a new Koranic translation. She ends up falling into another, much more important operation. As Claire seeks to learn the truth, she follows Moroccan Muslim Mahmoud as he gains access to an al Qaeda terrorist cell. Can Claire discover the cell's secrets?
I really enjoyed the multiple storylines in this book - getting Claire and Mahmoud's perspectives really filled out the story. Dan Fesperman has created a complex plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked. The story is dramatized from real events, which made it feel even more devastating to hear. Fesperman is a great narrator - the only downside of having a single narrator for the multiple perspectives was that it was easy to get confused as to who was narrating, Claire or Mahmoud. But I enjoyed his voice and intonation - he clearly has a talent for narration as well as for writing. I recommend this one if you like thrillers by Tom Clancy, Daniel Silva and the like!
The Cover Wife follows Claire into 1999 in Hamburg, where she poses as the wife of an academic peddling a new Koranic translation. She ends up falling into another, much more important operation. As Claire seeks to learn the truth, she follows Moroccan Muslim Mahmoud as he gains access to an al Qaeda terrorist cell. Can Claire discover the cell's secrets?
I really enjoyed the multiple storylines in this book - getting Claire and Mahmoud's perspectives really filled out the story. Dan Fesperman has created a complex plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader hooked. The story is dramatized from real events, which made it feel even more devastating to hear. Fesperman is a great narrator - the only downside of having a single narrator for the multiple perspectives was that it was easy to get confused as to who was narrating, Claire or Mahmoud. But I enjoyed his voice and intonation - he clearly has a talent for narration as well as for writing. I recommend this one if you like thrillers by Tom Clancy, Daniel Silva and the like!
bookmadjo's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first experience of Dan Fesperman’s work, and I have to say it won’t be my last, because I really enjoyed his writing style, and the subject matter. I found The Cover Wife to be an intelligently written spy thriller that kept my attention throughout. It follows CIA agent Claire Saylor as she goes undercover as the wife of a Professor at a conference in Hamburg. Parallel to Claire’s story is that of Mahmoud Yassin, a member of the Hamburg cell, a group of radical Islamists plotting something big, and recruiting new members in order to build the cell.
This is a fictionalised story drawing on the knowledge that some of the radicals in the Hamburg cell of radical Islamists went on to be some of the hijackers involved on 9/11 together with others who were also involved in the 9/11 plot. I find it really interesting when some of the characters within a fictional story are infamous in real life, and some of the characters that Mahmoud interacted with were the hijackers. This book weaves fact seamlessly into fiction, which added to the tension. We also get another perspective, from a member of another agency, given that there are occasions when agencies do not work together for a common goal.
The Cover Wife was a thoughtful and intelligent spy thriller that is both gripping and poignant, given that we already know what happened on 9/11.
This is a fictionalised story drawing on the knowledge that some of the radicals in the Hamburg cell of radical Islamists went on to be some of the hijackers involved on 9/11 together with others who were also involved in the 9/11 plot. I find it really interesting when some of the characters within a fictional story are infamous in real life, and some of the characters that Mahmoud interacted with were the hijackers. This book weaves fact seamlessly into fiction, which added to the tension. We also get another perspective, from a member of another agency, given that there are occasions when agencies do not work together for a common goal.
The Cover Wife was a thoughtful and intelligent spy thriller that is both gripping and poignant, given that we already know what happened on 9/11.
betsy550's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
rheagoveas's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
brewtifulfiction's review
4.0
This is a book with high energy and a story that packs a punch.
I'm almost at a loss for words.
I read this story rather rapidly and when I reached the end I felt chills.
The ending is quite haunting.
Intelligent, the writing is clearly well researched and there is plenty of detail which really helped bring the story to life.
I'd describe The Cover Wife as a political thriller, one where the stakes are extremely high.
My attention was held from start to finish.
I'm almost at a loss for words.
I read this story rather rapidly and when I reached the end I felt chills.
The ending is quite haunting.
Intelligent, the writing is clearly well researched and there is plenty of detail which really helped bring the story to life.
I'd describe The Cover Wife as a political thriller, one where the stakes are extremely high.
My attention was held from start to finish.
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