FLIRTING WITH DANGER The Mysterious Life of Marguerite Harrison, Socialite Spy

Saskia Maarleveld's appealing voice never disappoints in this true story of Marguerite Harrison (1879-1967), a widowed socialite who was fluent in several languages who volunteered to spy for the U.S. As a reporter in postwar Germany for the BALTIMORE SUN, she was able to file stories and send secret dispatches home. Maarleveld manages an objective distance yet still captures Harrison's incredible determination and the harrowing dangers she faced. Maarleveld's mastery of Russian names and places is impressive. She portrays Harrison's resilience and dismay when, after being imprisoned in Lubyanka in Moscow for espionage, she tries to warn of the probability of a second world war with Germany and the dangers of the Cold War with the Soviet Union--but, like Cassandra, she isn't believed until it's too late. Fascinating listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]