Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

Well, the elections here are over.  While not discussing the outcome, I could not be happier that the process has ended.  Last time we met, I chronicled the depth of my family being literally harassed by both sides of our political system.  On the last day before voting, we received 35 phone calls.  Yes, you read that correctly, THIRTY-FIVE phone calls, and that is just on the land line.  Then there were the cell calls and endless texts. The night into morning of the election...we received a text from a presidential campaign at 3:45 in the morning.  It was telling us to get up that the polls here opened at 6.  Talk about intrusive and presumptuous.  Next, we received texts repeatedly throughout the day, again from a presidential campaign, with our name, address, polling place, and hours.  Wanting to know when we were going to vote.  Would we be walking, driving, or carpooling?  Could we bring a friend? Before you say it, yes, I know this is public record but the fact they a party would look it up and coordinate it with my cell phone is just poking their nose in my business.  Then we received one of those letters in the mail that you likely saw on the news.  It had our name, address (obviously since it was mail), and those of our neighbors, and which elections we voted in and those we didn't and the same voting record for our neighbors.  It then threatened to tell them our record if we didn't vote and tell our friends and family.  Anybody that thought it was not threatening needs to learn to read.  It was like some movie with bumbling people running around, only sped up, with the phone constantly ringing on the land line, cell phone, texts, and mail flying up in the air.  Phew. To all of those in politics, I am an adult.  I am fully capable of making my own decisions.  I really don't need your party shoved down my throat.  Despite whom you preferred in the election, this behavior was coming from both sides.  Something needs to change. To be honest, my only escape has been reading, same with hubby.  He's been reading up a storm, including Beatriz Williams, one of his favorites.  He wants to recommend a book to you that will transport you away from your troubles.

I recently read Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams.  This is a story about loyalty, to country and to family. Ruth is working in a fashion house in New York.  She receives a postcard from her sister, Iris.  Iris is decidedly cheerful, unusual since the last time they spoke, many years ago, they had a falling out.  Making things more suspicious, Iris and family, including American diplomate husband, are in Russia. Alarm bells start going off for Ruth, as she realizes something is very wrong.  Ruth soon finds herself posing as the wife of Sumner Fox, a counterintelligence officer in an effort to get behind the iron curtain and into Moscow to save her sister.

This book is high on character development and, of course, plot.  Well-paced and as you might suspect given the topic, there is lots of suspense.  Interesting and enjoyable throughout, we are rewarded with a satisfying end.  If you like spy thrillers, definitely worth your time.