Welcome to Episode 176 of the Spybrary Spy Book podcast.
Spywrite's Jeff Quest speaks to author Alma Katsu, formerly with the NSA and CIA. Katsu’s latest book, Red Widow, follows a CIA mole hunt. It’s been optioned for television and is out in paperback on March 1st.
They discuss switching from NSA to CIA and back again, the explosive growth of social media and its effect on espionage, and the unique challenges women face in government bureaucracies. Plus, we talk a bit about some of the things Hollywood gets wrong about spies. All that and more in this episode of Spybrary.
Red Widow is ‘An exhilarating spy thriller about two women CIA agents who become intertwined around a threat to the Russia Division–one that’s coming from inside the agency.‘
More about Red Widow by Alma Katsu
Lyndsey Duncan worries her career with the CIA might be over. After lines are crossed with another intelligence agent during her most recent assignment, she is sent home to Washington on administrative leave. So when a former colleague, now Chief of the Russia Division, recruits her for an internal investigation, she jumps at the chance to prove herself once more. Lyndsey was once a top handler in the Moscow Field Station, known as the “human lie detector” and praised for recruiting some of the most senior Russian officials. But now, three Russian assets have been discovered–including one of her own–and the CIA is convinced there’s a mole in the department. With years of work in question, and lives on the line, Lyndsey is thrown back into life at the agency, only this time tracing the steps of those closest to her.
Meanwhile, fellow agent Theresa Warner can’t avoid the spotlight. She is the infamous “Red Widow,” the wife of a former director killed in the field under mysterious circumstances. With her husband’s legacy shadowing her every move, Theresa is a fixture of the Russia Division, and as she and Lyndsey strike up an unusual friendship, her knowledge proves invaluable. But as Lyndsey uncovers a surprising connection to Theresa that could answer all of her questions, she exposes a terrifying web of secrets within the department, if only she is willing to unravel it…
- Red Widow by Alma Katsu
- Alma Katsu Official Website
- Red Widow reviews on Goodreads
- More books written by Alma Katsu
The Fervor (Out in April) –
Spies, Lies and Nukes Conference (hosted by Valerie Plame) –
https://www.spiesliesnukes.com/
Alma’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/almakatsu?lang=en
Alma’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AlmaKatsuBooks/
Jeff’s Website – https://spywrite.com/
Jeff on Twitter – https://twitter.com/spywrite
