This fast-paced CIA thriller set in Turkey is a breathless modern tale of terrorism, murky ambitions, double-dealing and innocence maligned, and it’s certainly very readable: I got through it in a couple of days. But it is weakened considerably by its complete implausibility, which I shall detail with relish in just a moment. Let’s set the scene. Naive US intern Penny Kessler has been working at the American Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, for just three weeks when she wakes up in the Ankara state hospital with a piercing headache and vague memories of an explosion. She is one of the few survivors of a terrorist bomb that detonated at the American Embassy’s Fourth of July party, killing swathes of people. Penny has also become the poster girl for the tragedy, thanks to a photo of her, dazed and blood-drenched, pulling an American flag from the rubble. Suddenly everyone is very interested in her. But are they really just interested in her welfare? Or is there something more sinister going on? Before Penny knows it, she’s on the run – and there’s no one she can trust...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/02/28/liars-candle-august-thomas/ ( )

I haven’t read a good thriller (or in fact, any thriller) for ages. Liar’s Candle appealed to me because it’s written by a woman and it seemed a bit different than the rest of the pack. After reading it, I can confirm that this is a great thriller that doesn’t fit the standard mould and showcases a great new voice in the genre.

So why is Liar’s Candle different? The main character is a young woman, Penny Kessler. Penny is in Ankara, Turkey as part of a summer intern programme for college at the American Embassy. She’s worked her butt off to make it there and speaks fluent Turkish. She hasn’t really been doing anything too exciting but is mesmerised by one of her colleagues Zach. After a 4th July party at the embassy that ends with an explosion that kills many, Penny becomes the darling of social media when a picture of her escaping with an American flag goes viral. For Penny, that’s when the trouble starts. There are parts of the US government that believe she knows more about the bombing that she’s letting on. The Turkish government think she could be useful to them. But Penny doesn’t remember a thing – she just wants to help find Zach. As she manoeuvers through near misses and escapes, she realises that there are more secrets than anyone else knows. She has the power to extract them all…

This story never stopped. There was always action with a number of very close calls. Yes, of course you will need to suspend your disbelief at times but Liar’s Candle is such a fun ride that you will be happy to do so. I found all the double crossings and good guy/bad guy changes easy to follow, and there were a couple of surprises with who had what intent. The setting of Turkey also made for a refreshing change as it’s not a country I know a great deal about and I couldn’t pick out more than two words in Turkish before I started. August Thomas has captured the environment (heat and all) beautifully, showing the everyday life in addition to the madcap pace Penny is running at. Thomas also excels at the dialogue. Her characters speak naturally and with a healthy dose of sarcastic humour, which made me giggle in several places. It’s a refreshing twist in a genre that can be a little too serious.

I was pleased to see that a second book featuring heroine Penny will be released in 2019. It will be interesting to see how her now-ruined innocence fares after the events of Liar’s Candle – will she join the CIA or will she look for a quieter diplomatic life?

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

Penny Kessler is an intern at the US Embassy in Turkey. A bomb goes off there during the Fourth of July celebrations, killing over 250 people. Penny is injured and wakes up in hospital. A photo of her holding a US flag has become a symbol of the atrocity to the world’s media and everyone wants to know about her.

Penny is also of interest to her political masters and the Turkish authorities who think she has important information about the bombers, but she is bemused. She doesn’t think she knows anything and has to escape those who threaten her and try to work out why they want her.

I’m not normally a big action thriller fan, but I got caught up in the drama here. It was fun to see Penny put into a situation you think she can’t possibly escape and then see how she does. I found Penny’s mixture of intelligence and naivety convincing. The plot relies on quite few things falling into place for her but I guess that goes with the genre.

The story also takes in many locations and elements of Turkish life which were interesting to read about. The author explains the politics of the region with enough detail to make the story go but without overwhelming the general reader.

She highlights the competing interests and the moral ambiguity of the different factions, even those who supposedly represent the same institution. I thought the portrayal of Christina Ekdahl was particularly interesting. She is a senior CIA figure who has many admirable qualities but in getting to where she is has suffered losses and made compromises which have shaped her.

I’m always wary when publishers make big promises for first novels. I think comparing this one to John le Carré is pushing it a bit but it’s an entertaining, pacy thriller.

I received a copy of Liar's Candle from the publisher via Netgalley.
This review first appeared on my blog katevane.com/blog ( )

As soon as I saw the summary for this one, I had to read it. I don't run into very many books that give a glimpse into the life of Foreign Service Officers or the diplomatic intern life, so I had to read it. I'm so glad that I did as it was quite a page turner.

Penny is an intern at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey and owing to the happenstance of surviving a horrendous bombing, her life is further turned upside down in a race against the clock. With so many people on so many sides looking for Penny, it's difficult to know who she can trust. That includes the CIA operative along for the ride, Connor. They're both sucked into a maelstrom of overlapping lies from all sides and bullets and bombs being tossed at them too, as if they didn't have enough challenges. There's a lot at stake and the truth is being crafted by official puppeteers on both sides. I quite enjoyed the pace for the most part. I am guilty of wanting Penny to have mentioned some things to aid in Connor helping her to put the puzzle together, that were kind of a big deal to me (& to the solution ultimately) but then this would've been a novella not a novel. The descriptions of Turkey were lovely and I quite enjoyed Penny's personal interactions with the Turkish people along the way. While this story doesn't end completely happily (it can't given the body count), some of the worst offenders do get what's coming to them and there was a measure of satisfaction in that. This was a fairly quick read with chapters that aren't overlong and each ending on a propulsive note.

Overall, I'm mostly glad for the focus on those who serve in posts abroad and the important diplomatic work that happens by regular dedicated people. It's not glamorous, the pay isn't great, the hours are long, the stretches of time away from family and home country are long and mostly they go completely unknown & unnoticed by the citizenry they serve.

I've been on a really good streak this year with my ARC choices and I'll be looking for the next from August Thomas (who has a very good debut on her hands here). Recommended.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Liar's Candle by August Thomas is a highly recommended thriller.

Penny Kessler is a 21 year-old intern at the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, when, during a 4th of July celebration at the embassy, a bomb explodes killing 256 of Penny’s friends and colleagues. Penny is in the hospital, sedated, and doesn't realize that a picture of her has gone global in the media and she is the face that represents the international incident. Showing up at her bedside in the hospital, demanding that the doctor give her something to make her regain consciousness is Frank Lerman, a senior State Department official who is assisted by Connor Beauregard. Her boss, Brenda Pelecchia, tries to stop him to no avail.

Penny is briefly questioned about her relationship with Zachary Robson, an embassy employee who disappeared after the explosion, but then the Turkish Prime Minister arrives and takes her to the presidential palace as an "invited" guest/prisoner of Melek Palamut, daughter of the president. She is being questioned about Zach and everyone assumes she has some information that they all want. Penny miraculously manages to escape from the Presidential Palace and manages to run into Connor, who has been sent to retrieve her. Soon it becomes clear that there is a whole lot more going on than either Penny or Connor realize. Penny is believed to have crucial information everyone wants and someone wants them both dead. Penny has become the woman who knew too much, but what does Penny know?

Liar's Candle is a fast-paced thriller written with a nod to sheer escapism. Thomas, who was a Fulbright scholar in Turkey, captures life in Turkey and the local atmosphere, with an eye for detail, quite well. Do Penny's many astounding escapes and strategic feats stretch credulity? Sure they do. Do you have to suspend disbelief to enjoy the novel. Yup. Is it worth it to get to the end? It certainly is worth accepting everything this young, naive, untrained 21 year-old manages to accomplish in order to enjoy the story. The novel held my attention throughout, even when I was surreptitiously rolling my eyes over some spectacular exploit Penny pulled off. The bad guys are bad, the good guys good. Was I entertained? I certainly was and the rapid pace helped keep me reading.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Scribner via Netgalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/04/liars-candle.html ( )