The Double Game

The highly accomplished Fesperman (Lie in the Dark), a veteran of the sophisticated, literary novel of intrigue, makes spy fiction a central "character" in this ambitious%E2%80%94but overly complex%E2%80%94story involving journalist turned PR man Bill Cage. The action opens in 1984, when Cage interviews Edwin Lemaster, a spy who became "the world's premier espionage novelist," and elicits a vague confession: that he might have betrayed his country just "[f]or the thrill of it." Fast forward to 2010 when Cage receives a hand-delivered letter%E2%80%94typed on his own stationary and on his own typewriter%E2%80%94that promises to deliver "the whole truth" about Lemaster. Cage plays along, deciphering the clue in the first note to find a "dead drop" to receive further instructions. The trail takes him to Vienna, where he had lived as a teenager with his father, a member of the diplomatic corps who might have had a toe in the world of espionage. One clue leads him to a meeting with his old flame, Litzi Strauss, and together they travel to Prague and Budapest. Cage is enveloped in a fog of intrigue, but it feels too much like an elaborate game%E2%80%94no real menace, nothing really at stake%E2%80%94and the reader's patience wears thin while trying to make sense of the intricately constructed and highly contrived plot. Still, perceptive readers%E2%80%94particularly those familiar with the spy literature%E2%80%94might still enjoy this beautifully written book. First printing: 40,000. (Aug. 23)