by Beatriz Williams
Ruth receives a postcard from her sister Iris, who disappeared with her husband from England years ago and now lives as a defector in the Soviet Union. Ruth doesn’t want to leave her comfortable life in 1950s New York, but the pull of events in the sisters’ past drags her unwillingly into a situation worthy of John Le Carré.
Likes: I loved the locations! Setting the pre-World War II portion in Rome, which I did not know much about, provided a welcome contrast with the parts of the book set in New York, London, and Moscow. I loved the contrasting voices of the sisters, Iris and Ruth. The plot had plenty of surprises. Best of all, the relationship between the sisters felt real.
Dislikes: I wished that the male characters had been fleshed out a bit more. Sasha is such a heel, Fox is such a G-man, and Philip is such a sainted aristocrat. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it stood out in contrast to the complex female characters. I also would have liked a little more of Ludmilla!
Overall: I enjoyed this book, even if it was a bit romance-heavy for my taste, and I will check out Williams’ other books.
“Moral advantage has its own priceless value, after all, a hefty solid weight in the column of your assets, and if you cash it in, you don’t possess this credit any longer. You’re no longer wealthy in the only currency that human beings really care about.”
Haiku review:
Ruth’s after Iris
Who followed a traitor to
Moscow. Or did she?
Liz Helfrich 