Chapter 3 -The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

On a beautiful, sunny day at the beach, it is hard to believe that there are dark forces in the universe or nefarious people hiding in dark corners doing dark deeds. One of my customers introduced me to true spy books and I am hooked! I guess you might call this genre my guilty little pleasure. Some of my favorites are listed below. These will definitely keep your interest.

Clever Girl by Lauren Kessler - Almost better than any popular fiction spy story, this true story of Elizabeth Bentley is mesmerizing. A graduate of Vassar, Bentley became a leading spy and spy handler for the Russians before and during WWII. You won't believe what you read!

The Hotel at Place Vendome by Tilar J. Mazzeo - Subtitled Life, Death, and Betrayal at the Hotel Ritz in Paris, the book tells the story of the Ritz during Germany's occupation of Paris between 1942-1944. There are good guys and bad guys and, of course, those you are not really sure about making for a very enlightening read.

True Believer by Kati Marton - Marton details the life of Noel Field who is believed to be Stalin's last American spy. Field was one of many of his generation who believed that helping Stalin was helping to defeat Hitler and Mussolini. Another good but hard to believe book!

Spy: The Inside Story of How the FBI's Robert Hanssen Betrayed America by David Wise - A more recent addition to the true spy genre, this book identifies how Robert Hanssen spied for Russia for 22 years in what is considered the "worst intelligence disaster in US history." A scary and intriguing read!

So do you have any genres that you just have to read? Do you have any true spy books to add to the list? Let me know!