The Amateur Spy

Burned out by years of humanitarian aid work, Freeman and Mila Lockhart retreat to a tranquil Greek island. But on the first night of their new life they are surprised by three intruders who seem to know everything about Freeman—including a terrible secret he has kept from Mila—which they use to recruit him to spy on an old Palestinian friend in Jordan. Overnight, Freeman is plunged into the maelstrom of the Middle East—and is quickly in over his head.

In suburban Washington, meanwhile, a prosperous Arab-American couple, Aliyah and Abbas Rahim, are still grieving the death of their daughter. Abbas, an esteemed surgeon, blames meddlesome American officials, and Aliyah fears he may be reeling dangerously toward radicalism. Her efforts to head him off take her to Jordan, where, like Freeman, she is soon overwhelmed by circumstances.

As their paths converge, Freeman and Aliyah must swiftly separate fact from illusion, enemy from friend, even as they worry about the loved ones they left behind. The consequences of failure could be catastrophic. A blistering novel of intrigue, The Amateur Spy recasts the spy novel for the post-9/11 world—anyone might be watching, everyone is suspect—and it is Dan Fesperman’s most accomplished and galvanizing thriller yet.