Marilyn's Mystery Reads

Kendal Carter used to be a spy, but then she became a mother and left the espionage life behind.  Or so she thought until two armed and masked men invade her life in Switzerland, and she and her young daughter Rosie have to flee for their lives.

Kendal had grown up with a mother who was a spy.  They moved often, changing their names and personal histories, and Kendal had vowed, when her daughter was born, that she would give Rosie the stable upbringing that she herself had missed.  But now, four years later, she wonders if that was the right decision or if she’s able to protect her child.

She’s rescued by her friend Rico Ortez, another former spy who has now turned to guarding important clients in the corporate world with his company Bon Temps.  He has arranged for Kendal and Rosie to live in a beautiful London house, as impregnable as a house can be made, that comes complete with Joel, an aspiring espionage agent.  Joel, like Kendal, is working for Ortez’s firm.  He tells her that he’s working on an app called Cadu; it’s for school-age children.  Another employee at Cadu is Alex Shapiro, the father of a “mean girl” in Rosie’s kindergarten class, and Kendal tells Joel to keep an eye on him.

Over the Christmas vacation, Kendal, Rosie, and Joel rent a cottage in Suffolk.  Despite the inclement weather, the three visit a nearby park and are surprised to hear a tune coming from an ice cream truck.  When they walk over to the truck, Kendal is stunned to see the driver–Khalil Masoumi, her former lover and Rosie’s father.

On the book’s cover are the tantalizing words When Mother is the Best Cover.  The love of Kendal’s life is her almost-five-year-old daughter.  In their move from Switzerland to London, Kendal realizes the difficulties involved in being both a mother and an espionage agent; it’s a very difficult balance.  And she’s not the only mother in the book who is dealing with family issues that are hampering her work.

L. M. Kemp’s novel is an excellent read, and her descriptions of the many and varied characters are outstanding.  The twists and turns that occur in the book make this a terrifically suspenseful novel.

You can read more about the author at various sites on the web.

Check out the complete Marilyn’s Mystery Reads at her website.  In addition to book review posts, there are sections featuring Golden Oldies, Past Masters and Mistresses, and an About Marilyn column that features her opinions about everything to do with mystery novels.