I.S. Berry - The Peacock and the Sparrow: A Novel

12/02/23 • 46 min

Undercover: Action, Adventure, Spy & Thriller Writing

During the Arab Spring, an American spy’s final mission goes dangerously awry in this explosive and “remarkable debut” (Joseph Kanon, New York Times bestselling author) from a former CIA officer that is perfect for fans of John le Carré, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Alan Furst.

Shane Collins, a world-weary CIA spy, is ready to come in from the cold. Stationed in Bahrain off the coast of Saudi Arabia for his final tour, he’s anxious to dispense with his mission—uncovering Iranian support for the insurgency against the monarchy. But then he meets Almaisa, a beautiful and enigmatic artist, and his eyes are opened to a side of Bahrain most expats never experience, to questions he never thought to ask.

When his trusted informant becomes embroiled in a murder, Collins finds himself drawn deep into the conflict and his growing romance with Almaisa upended. In an instant, he’s caught in the crosshairs of a revolution. Drawing on all his skills as a spymaster, he must navigate a bloody uprising, win Almaisa’s love, and uncover the murky border where Bahrain’s secrets end and America’s begin.

“A breathless tour-de-force, the perfect spy tale” (Ian Caldwell, author of The Fifth Gospel) and dripping with authenticity, The Peacock and the Sparrow is a timely story of the elusiveness of truth, the power of love and belief, and the universal desire to be part of a cause greater than oneself.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

John Wemlinger - The Road to Empire

A young officer rises through the ranks until he must choose career or family. Wemlinger is masterful at leading you through it all. —US Army Colonel Tom Johnson (Retired)

Unable to forget the horrors of 9/11 or the Iraq war that killed his friends, aviation science student Jack Rigley enrolls in Western Michigan University’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. As Jack’s college graduation nears, he and his fiancée, Annie Miller, find themselves headed to Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he will learn to fly helicopters. This career move, however, does not sit well with Danny Miller, Annie’s father, whose older brother was killed in Vietnam flying helicopters.

In spite of his objections, Jack and Annie choose the military and face the trials of military life: family separations caused by long deployments to dangerous combat zones, relocations to meet the needs of the service, deaths of loved ones, and the tug of heartstrings firmly rooted where each grew up, in Empire, Michigan. Ultimately, Jack will be forced to make a difficult choice: family or career, the very same choice America’s truest heroes must make every day while serving our country.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

James Stejskal - Dead Hand

Russia has won the war in Ukraine and is eyeing the Baltics next. The world stands on the precipice of war.

When a spy deep in the Kremlin contacts his handlers and mentions a code word for an insane Russian plan for winning a nuclear war, it sets off alarm bells in Washington.

A legendary CIA officer is sent to meet him. Former Special Forces and CIA operator Joshua Devlin is coaxed out of retirement to be his backup, with promises that the job will be little more than babysitting. But things go sideways, initiating a chain of events that throws Devlin back into a deadly world where failure could mean nuclear Armageddon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.