cover image A Matter of Concealment

A Matter of Concealment

DeWitt S. Corp, DeWitt S. Coop, DeWitt S. Copp. W. W. Norton & Company, $18.95 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-393-02626-9

This subtle and intricate tale of espionage portrays a German scheme to keep the U.S. out of World War II. Embittered by personal betrayals in his youth, Scott Reardon, a former code clerk in Moscow's U.S. embassy, is the willing instrument of the scheme. The State Department is aware that something's up, and assigns Lt. Peter Burke, once an acquaintance of Reardon's, to the case. Having picked up the skills of the Russian as well as the German secret police, however, Reardon is more than a match for Burke. But when Burke is joined in pursuit by the Army, the FBI and England's M15, Reardon's back is to the wall. The plot abounds in detailat times to a fault. There are lapses of pace and clarity as Reardon's intentions are gradually revealed. But the story never relaxes its grip and, as a glimpse inside a murky and dangerous period in U.S. history, is rewarding as well. (Mar.)