There were times I forgot to breathe while reading The Book of Spies, the newest novel by New York Times bestselling author, Gayle Lynds. The writing was so fast, the action so believable, and the characters so realistic, I forgot I was reading and thought I was the one in the chase down a long flight of stairs pursuing who I thought might have been my dead husband. I was angry for having done time in jail for his death. I felt confusion, betrayal and real anger. I used my skills in karate to stop the guards at the museum entrance who were trying to interfere with my pursuit. I felt impeded by my clothing. I was out of breath from the sprint to find out who this man was and why he was running from me. "Charles!" I screamed. "Stop!"When I returned to earth, I unclenched my fists and laughed out loud--"That was fun!" And then I scrolled down to the next chapter for more.
The Book of Spies is being called Gayle Lynds' best work ever. And it is her most challenging. After nine stand-alone novels, Lynds embarks on her first series. And in doing so has engrossed herself as never before. "I'm a wallower," Gayle says. "But a wallower in a nice way."
When writing, she soaks herself in the immersion of her characters and storyline instead of misting herself. She's a visual person who sees her scenes. She's not a slave to the form and function of writing. She's an empath who feels the words and her way around her storyline. Once the body of the book is created, she dresses it by diving into research and fills in the intricate details that makes the read authentic.
The Book of Spies is the story of a seemingly quiet and studious museum curator, Eva Blake who is unwittingly dragged into the world of international espionage. She's searching for a relic from the era of Ivan The Terrible, a gilded and bejeweled treasure worth hundreds of thousands of dollars--The Book of Spies. People have died horrible, unimaginable deaths in the hunt for such a book--long believed to be legend. But the book is real, as is the entire collection of the Library of Gold and Eva Blake finds herself in middle of the search, first to clear her name in the accidental death of her husband--a respected rare books expert -but also to save herself when everything she thought she was turns out to be its own brand of fiction. Eva's life intersects with Judd Ryder, a former CIA operative, who himself, is searching for those responsible for gunning down his father. Somehow it's all related and the two set off to piece together their fractured lives and become an unusual duo, battling a band of international bad guys--a book club that owns the coveted Library of Gold in which The Book of Spies belongs.
Every author loves book clubs, but this ain't your old Aunt Minnie's book club. These guys aren't passing meatloaf pie and sneaking sips of white wine in between discussions of plot and character development. These villains are funding nefarious projects that threaten world peace with high finance and reveling in the power of possessing some of history's greatest prizes. They must be found! They must be stopped! For the sake of good, honest and law abiding book club members everywhere, they must be punished for their evil deeds. And who better to disband this band of bad guys than Eva? Hell hath no fury like a ticked-off curator, and Eva has a secret past of her own. She's not as meek and mild as she appears. And that's part of why the book is so fun. Lynds doesn't open an artery to spill the story at your feet. She has a way of pricking your finger to uncover the devilish details of her characters a drop at a time.
But why a series, when stand-alone novels have buttered her bread and allowed her to jam for so many years? Call it creative insanity. A need for more challenges. A loneliness for reoccurring characters to keep her company. A Mount Everest to climb. "What makes this fun is the torture," Gayle says with a chuckle. "We writers like to go to the edge of a branch, turn around and start gnawing."
But the challenge isn't just for her, but for her readers. "I want them to feel satisfied, that they've learned something and feel smarter."
In her former life Gayle actually worked in the corridors of real life espionage. She once held top US security clearance as the editor of a think tank that did defense work. She answered the door for the spooks and held their confidences. Once her oath of secrecy expired she began writing from her experiences. She incorporated the things she knew about real spy-work and began weaving yarns with authentic fibers. Which begs the question of whether or not the Department of Homeland Security is looking over her shoulder as she creates books like The Last Spymaster, The Coil and Masquerade. Her answer is, no. The secrets she held only had a twenty year shelf life. And for the most part, all of the spies she knew in real life are now dead and dust. But the authenticity in which Lynds writes lives on.
When not toiling over manuscripts or devouring research, Gayle is busy with the entire International Thriller Writers organization. In fact, she is one of the co-founders. Under the umbrella of not having nearly enough to do in her spare time, she and David Morrell saw the need to promote mystery writers as serious authors. She and Morrell tapped other noted authors, Lee Child, Tess Garrison, David Dun and M.J. Rose to put together an organization to give thriller writers a voice and a safe haven. I asked Gayle how one finds the phone numbers of the likes of Child and Rose, Steve Berry and Joe Moore to lend their resources and influence to a fledgling organization. Do they all hydrate themselves at the same watering hole? Do they stand on the same corner waiting for the Bestseller's bus to prattle by? She laughed and reminded me that she used to work for spies.
This July at ThrillerFest, Gayle Lynds will be a spotlight guest.
And for a moment she'll get to revel in the release of her newest novel, The Book of Spies, to be released in April by St. Martin's Press. It marks her newest adventure with Eva Blake and Judd Ryder. She'll carry them with her as she develops their next big caper. It will be a tough act to follow. The Book of Spies is Raiders of the Lost Ark for literary people. So pack your passport and prepare to trot the globe in an intense, adventure packed romp--but a word of caution. Set a timer to remind yourself to breathe.
The Book of Spies is the story of a seemingly quiet and studious museum curator, Eva Blake who is unwittingly dragged into the world of international espionage. She's searching for a relic from the era of Ivan The Terrible, a gilded and bejeweled treasure worth hundreds of thousands of dollars--The Book of Spies. People have died horrible, unimaginable deaths in the hunt for such a book--long believed to be legend. But the book is real, as is the entire collection of the Library of Gold and Eva Blake finds herself in middle of the search, first to clear her name in the accidental death of her husband--a respected rare books expert -but also to save herself when everything she thought she was turns out to be its own brand of fiction. Eva's life intersects with Judd Ryder, a former CIA operative, who himself, is searching for those responsible for gunning down his father. Somehow it's all related and the two set off to piece together their fractured lives and become an unusual duo, battling a band of international bad guys--a book club that owns the coveted Library of Gold in which The Book of Spies belongs.
Every author loves book clubs, but this ain't your old Aunt Minnie's book club. These guys aren't passing meatloaf pie and sneaking sips of white wine in between discussions of plot and character development. These villains are funding nefarious projects that threaten world peace with high finance and reveling in the power of possessing some of history's greatest prizes. They must be found! They must be stopped! For the sake of good, honest and law abiding book club members everywhere, they must be punished for their evil deeds. And who better to disband this band of bad guys than Eva? Hell hath no fury like a ticked-off curator, and Eva has a secret past of her own. She's not as meek and mild as she appears. And that's part of why the book is so fun. Lynds doesn't open an artery to spill the story at your feet. She has a way of pricking your finger to uncover the devilish details of her characters a drop at a time.
But why a series, when stand-alone novels have buttered her bread and allowed her to jam for so many years? Call it creative insanity. A need for more challenges. A loneliness for reoccurring characters to keep her company. A Mount Everest to climb. "What makes this fun is the torture," Gayle says with a chuckle. "We writers like to go to the edge of a branch, turn around and start gnawing." But the challenge isn't just for her, but for her readers. "I want them to feel satisfied, that they've learned something and feel smarter."
In her former life Gayle actually worked in the corridors of real life espionage. She once held top US security clearance as the editor of a think tank that did defense work. She answered the door for the spooks and held their confidences. Once her oath of secrecy expired she began writing from her experiences. She incorporated the things she knew about real spy-work and began weaving yarns with authentic fibers. Which begs the question of whether or not the Department of Homeland Security is looking over her shoulder as she creates books like The Last Spymaster, The Coil and Masquerade. Her answer is, no. The secrets she held only had a twenty year shelf life. And for the most part, all of the spies she knew in real life are now dead and dust. But the authenticity in which Lynds writes lives on.
When not toiling over manuscripts or devouring research, Gayle is busy with the entire International Thriller Writers organization. In fact, she is one of the co-founders. Under the umbrella of not having nearly enough to do in her spare time, she and David Morrell saw the need to promote mystery writers as serious authors. She and Morrell tapped other noted authors, Lee Child, Tess Garrison, David Dun and M.J. Rose to put together an organization to give thriller writers a voice and a safe haven. I asked Gayle how one finds the phone numbers of the likes of Child and Rose, Steve Berry and Joe Moore to lend their resources and influence to a fledgling organization. Do they all hydrate themselves at the same watering hole? Do they stand on the same corner waiting for the Bestseller's bus to prattle by? She laughed and reminded me that she used to work for spies.
This July at ThrillerFest, Gayle Lynds will be a spotlight guest.
And for a moment she'll get to revel in the release of her newest novel, The Book of Spies, to be released in April by St. Martin's Press. It marks her newest adventure with Eva Blake and Judd Ryder. She'll carry them with her as she develops their next big caper. It will be a tough act to follow. The Book of Spies is Raiders of the Lost Ark for literary people. So pack your passport and prepare to trot the globe in an intense, adventure packed romp--but a word of caution. Set a timer to remind yourself to breathe.
Paula
L. Tutman is an Emmy Award winning journalist and award winning
author of DEADLINE!, currently working as a TV journalist in Detroit.
She has some 30 years in the news business, obviously beginning her
career when she was six...no, make that three. Using her background as a
former police reporter, she weaves real life stories and experiences
into compelling mystery thrillers. Her second novel, part two of a
series is due November 2009.
