Casablanca meets Notorious in a Hitchcock-style thriller of espionage, romance, adventure, and intrigue➱ The Unlikely Spy by Sophie Schiller Book Sale & Giveaway
One woman on a hopeless mission in Panama.
How far will she go to help the Allies?
The Unlikely Spy
by Sophie Schiller
Genre: Historical Spy Thriller
Casablanca meets Notorious in a Hitchcock-style thriller of espionage, romance, adventure, and intrigue.
During the Great War in 1917, Emma Christensen is a young widow who returns to the islands to reclaim the life and the villa she left behind. When she discovers that her husband has disinherited her in favor of his young heir—an illegitimate son—she soon finds herself penniless. She is approached by Cornelius Smith, a businessman who offers her an alternative: infiltrate the suspicious Hamburg-American Line and spy on its nefarious leader, Julius Luckner, to gain valuable business intelligence for his firm. It doesn’t take long for Emma to realize that both Smith and Luckner are not as they seem. Close to the Allies but even closer to the enemy, Emma bravely engages in missions that could blow her cover at any moment. But with the Panama Canal at stake, how far will she go to help the Allies? A thriller in the style of Hitchcock that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
"A
great read about a female spy during WWI...a really good, fast paced
historical thriller." -Chelsie S., Vine Voice
A
gripping and suspenseful World War I spy thriller from an
accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer.
**On Sale Now For Only $1.99!!**
Excerpt 1
Emma rolled up the paper and
stuck it inside a cigarette. She stuck the cigarette back in its pack and
closed it. Then she crept downstairs to deliver it to Maxwell, who received it
with a nod. She returned to her room and locked the door behind her, still
jittery. She got dressed and fixed her hair and makeup, wondering why Julius Luckner
had invited her to the dinner party. Something about it rattled her. He was an
enigma. What he did after work was a mystery to everyone. He lived alone in a
fine house in Queen’s Quarter and rarely had visitors. He was a bit of a loner,
never married, but socially very suave. From what she could tell, he had few
close friends aside from Otto Schmidt and the steamer captains. His charm and
savoir faire opened many doors for him, but the nature of his business and his
past dubious dealings meant that his relationship with the governor was
cordial, but not close. He mostly kept a low profile around town. What Emma
failed to notice was that, across the square, the man in the brown suit was
watching her every move, waiting for her to leave the hotel.
Excerpt 2
Emma picked
up her bags and continued walking, feeling a great sense of unease. She had
entered a dangerous game where the price of failure was death. She tried not to
think about it. Instead, she focused on her success. She had earned the trust of
the German Consul, and that was no small thing. She had him practically eating
out of her hands. Finally, her confidence was growing after weeks of
devastating losses. The feeling stayed with her as she hailed a cab and
continued to the hotel. But when they reached the Queen Emma, she realized she
was not out of hot water yet. While the hotel was in a safe and pleasant
district, some of the denizens were anything but. The Queen Emma was a three-story
colonial-style building in the most fashionable part of Willemstad, but
something about it gave her a queasy feeling. As she registered, the clerk eyed
her, and she felt the people in the lobby scrutinizing her every movement. They
were speaking in a dialect she could not understand. Yes, she was being
watched, as all foreigners are. That was to be expected. She wondered if they
would search her room after she left, so she vowed to keep the suitcase with
its treasure in her sight at all times. She felt as if their creepy eyes could see
inside the bag and the feeling made her stomach twist in knots.
Excerpt 3
She gripped the pistol in her
right hand and racked the slide, then added a bullet to the barrel. Now it was
ready. She flicked the lever to “safe” and set the pistol down on the
nightstand. Perhaps now she could sleep. She lay down, pulled the sheet around
her, and turned off the light. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but she
could not fall asleep.
Outside, the moon cast a
luminous glow on the surroundings. Crickets croaked their nightly serenade and
the stars lit up the heavens. The palm fronds billowed in the breeze. The waves
crashing on the rocks sent an ominous warning. Emma found it difficult to sleep
in a different bed, and impossible to relax when she had so much on her mind,
so much responsibility on her shoulders.
She got up and peered outside.
Despite the late hour, there were still people milling about, laughing, and
heading to restaurants and casinos. Horse carriages trotted past while
motorcars meandered down the streets, their glowing lights like the eyes of a
puma. Sounds of amusement echoed from the restaurant below. Lights shone from
the ships in Manzanillo Bay, creating a scene that was idyllic, almost
peaceful. Further out, she could see the lights on the ships waiting to enter
the canal. There was a long line of them that suspended off to the horizon.
Each one had its own purpose and destination. Each one could be sunk at any
time by German torpedoes or hidden bombs. She shivered. An explosion along the
canal would cause chaos for the Allies. The Kaiser would gloat in his victory.
His generals and their underlings would launch even more attacks. Emma could
picture Luckner in his office toasting his triumph, patting himself on the back
even as the embers of the canal still glowed.
She went back to bed and
covered herself with the sheet, trying to block out her worries. But it was
impossible. She had a sense of impending doom. And for some strange reason, the
hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Sophie Schiller is an author of historical fiction and spy thrillers. She loves stories that carry the reader back in time to exotic and far-flung locations. Kirkus Reviews has called her "an accomplished thriller and historical adventure writer." Publishers Weekly called her novel, ISLAND ON FIRE, "a memorable romantic thriller", her novel RACE TO TIBET, “a thrilling yarn,” and her TRANSFER DAY, “a page-turner with emotional resonance.” Kirkus Reviews called her latest novel, THE LOST DIARY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON, "an engaging coming-of-age story of heartbreak, bravery, honor, and triumph." Her latest novel is THE UNLIKELY SPY, a historical spy thriller set during WWI. She graduated from American University, Washington, DC and lives in Brooklyn, NY.
I would enjoy this story. Sounds really good.
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