RED WIDOW

Narrator Mozhan Marno masterfully portrays the women and the American and Russian males in this complicated spy thriller. The story centers on Lyndsey Duncan, a CIA agent who is under scrutiny for an unsanctioned romantic relationship, and Theresa Walker, the Red Widow, whose husband was killed in a botched extraction of a Russian asset. What is most disturbing about the plot is the layers of deception and manipulation within the CIA. One wonders if this might reflect the reality that author Alma Katsu experienced in her 30 years of intelligence work. This is an engaging audiobook for careful listeners who can follow a plot that shifts between two points of view and includes many flashbacks, Russian names, and agent aliases. E.Q. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]