Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Spy | 2019 | Lauren Wilkinson | Buy |
Lauren Wilkinson’s standalone novels currently consist of American Spy, published in 2019. The novel follows Marie Mitchell, a Black FBI intelligence officer who is underemployed and frustrated by the racism she faces within the bureau. When she is recruited for an operation to undermine Thomas Sankara, the charismatic president of Burkina Faso, she accepts, only to find herself questioning everything about the mission and her own loyalties.
American Spy is told as a letter from Marie to her twin sons, giving the story a personal and urgent tone. Wilkinson blends espionage plotting with an examination of race, motherhood, and American imperialism. The novel was compared to the work of John le Carre and was recognized as one of the best books of 2019 by Time, NPR, and the Washington Post.