A MOST CLEVER GIRL

Narrator Tavia Gilbert is far and away the best thing about this audiobook in which a lonely sad sack American woman who joins the Communist party to make new friends is suddenly then appealing enough to be irresistible to the top Soviet spymaster in the U.S. and shrewd and talented enough to succeed him as spymaster herself. This provides lots of scope for Gilbert's long suits, which include sympathy, intensity, conviction, and a splendidly entertaining wardrobe of accents. The setting, a sort of fan fiction for lovers of the hit TV spy drama "The Americans," is also full of promise. Unfortunately, the book itself is preposterous, with an illogical setup and structure, utterly inconsistent characterizations, and writing to match. Gilbert performs heroically and amazingly makes it weirdly compelling. B.G. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]