I Spy

Chris Pavone’s debut spy novel The Expats is fast paced and suspenseful. Kate, who has been working for the CIA for the last 15 years, never told her husband Dexter what her job was. When Dexter lands a lucrative job in Luxembourg Kate jumps at the chance to quit the Agency, leave her double life behind and start anew as a stay-at-home expat mom. But soon Kate suspects all is not as it seems and there is something fishy about their new friends as well, or is it just paranoia? And why did her husband lie to her about one of his trips and why are his shoes muddy? Is he also not who he seems? This book has all the twists and turns of a good spy story without the usual politics, violence or gore. SG

Out of this World

The meteoroid which impacts off the Maine Coast in Douglas Preston's novel Impact starts this story off with a bang. NASA and government agencies soon become involved when it turns out that this meteoroid is much more than it seems and appears to be tied to radioactive gemstones found in Cambodia. Abby Straw, a college dropout and astronomist wannabe, who searches for the meteoroid to sell it on ebay, also becomes embroiled in the craziness to come. This novel isn't the best writing by Preston, who is well known for his novels Relic and The Codex and for the many books he has co-authored with Lincoln Child, but it is a solid page turner that keeps you going. Look for Preston & Child's new book Cold Vengeance out this month. SG