The Handler

by M. P. Woodward

First published 2022

Meredith Morris-Dale sits in a Langley conference room expecting termination. Her last CIA mission collapsed spectacularly. Instead, the Deputy Director delivers shocking news. A CIA mole embedded in Iran's uranium enrichment program has prevented nuclear weapons development by sabotaging centrifuges. The asset lost his daughter in an airliner attack and now demands extraction. He will only work with John Dale, his former handler. John happens to be Meredith's fired, disgraced ex-husband. Meredith must locate John and convince him to return to the field. Together they navigate CIA politics, Russian operatives, and their own bitter history. The mole manipulates both sides while Iran edges closer to nuclear capability. Meredith and John confront whether their fractured marriage can survive the mission's demands and whether they can trust each other enough to save their asset.

Genres: historical-fiction, suspense, mystery, action, espionage, political-thriller

Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, second-chance

Setting: Iran, Langley, Russia

Period: Contemporary

448 pages · Hardcover · Berkley

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