Liar's Candle: A Novel

Written by August Thomas

Narrated by Rebekkah Ross

In this brilliant debut thriller, reminiscent of the works of John le Carre and Olen Steinhauer and infused with the authenticity of the author’s travels, a young American State Department intern based in Turkey becomes “the woman who knows too much” and is marked for death.

Penny Kessler, an intern at the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, wakes up in a hospital on the morning of July 5th to find herself at the center of an international crisis. The day before, the Embassy was the target of a devastating terrorist attack that killed hundreds of Penny’s friends and colleagues. Not only has a photograph of Penny as she emerged from the rubble become the event’s defining image, but for reasons she doesn’t understand, her bosses believe she’s a crucial witness.

Suddenly, everyone is intensely interested in what Penny knows. But what does she know? And whom can she trust? As she struggles to piece together her memories, she discovers that Zach Robson, the young diplomat she’d been falling for all summer, went missing during the attack. And one of the CIA’s most powerful officials, Christina Ekdahl, wants people to believe Zach was a traitor.

What actually happened?

Penny barely has time to ask before she discovers that her own government wants her dead. Soon, with only a single ally—a rookie intelligence officer fresh out of the Navy—she is running a perilous gauntlet, ruthlessly pursued by Turkey’s most powerful forces and by the CIA.

To survive, Penny must furiously improvise. Tradecraft takes a lifetime to master. She has less than thirty-six hours. And she’s only twenty-one years old. This is her first real test—one she can’t fail.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Apr 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781508253570

August Thomas

August Thomas began her first novel, Liar’s Candle, at age twenty three. Fluent in Turkish, she has traveled and studied in Turkey as the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, and holds Master’s degrees from Bogaziçi, Istanbul’s top public university, as well as the University of Edinburgh. She also has two degrees from the University of Massachusetts. A travel writer as well as a novelist, she lives in Massachusetts. You can find her at AugustThomasBooks.com.

Reviews for Liar's Candle

[katevane · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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

[anissaannalise-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This spy/terrorism novel set in Turkey, kicks off with an explosion at the US Embassy which causes massive loss of life. The heroine is Penny, a young intern who survives the bomb, but soon falls under suspicion of involvement. Penny is a very likeable heroine, although her ability to evade capture and her grasp of the various levels of intrigue and corruption stretches credulity at times. I liked the fact that Connor, with whom she teams up, is happily engaged to some one else.

I enjoyed this rollercoaster of a story, although I struggled to keep up with some of the twists and turns - it was the sort of story where (if it had been a movie) I would have been asking my husband to explain what was going on in places. Not too gory and full of action.

Recommended.

[fredreeca · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Set in the unique place of Turkey, this book starts with a bang. A bomb explodes at the U.S. embassy party, killing hundreds of people. One of the survivors is a young intern, Penny. Penny wakes up in the hospital after the bombing with very few memories of the event. The photograph of her emerging from the rubble sends her on the ride of her life. What does she know?
The setting of the embassy in Turkey is really what first interested me about this story. This unusual place, customs and people added so much to the saga. But, the character development in the tale is really weak. I had no connection whatsoever to any of them. Christina, the boss of the CIA, is the worst. To me...and this is my opinion, she is not the force she should be.
The intrigue and the location is what kept me reading. It is a wild ride and action packed. With many plot twists and conspiracies you never know what spin will be next.
This novel is not due for release until April. Forgive the early review. Plus, I usually do not say much about the price of an ebook...but $12.99 for this one....I would wait for a sale.