Undeceived

Spycraft and the decline of the Cold War combine in Cox’s slightly chaotic homage to Pride and Prejudice. The early 1980s are an exciting time for West Virginian Elizabeth Bennet. She’s finished college and been hired by the CIA as a linguist, fulfilling a dream held since her teen years, and she hopes to honor the memory of her father, a CIA agent who died in the line of duty. Rather than the boring State Department translations she was expecting, she’s assigned to investigate William Darcy, the agency’s equivalent of James Bond, and a man she finds repugnant. What follows is a breathless, headlong charge through the Communist countries of Europe, burning through assignments and identities as Elizabeth attempts to discover the truth about William. Inconsistent characterization draws the focus away from the lovingly intricate detailing of the lives of spies, culminating in a disjointed, somewhat confusing ending that feels disconnected from the rest of the narrative. The unveiling of the obvious villain, done in a predictable manner, is lightened by the unintentional hilarity of the absurd degree of coincidence. (Feb.)