The Left-Handed Twin

Fans of Perry’s thrilling “Jane Whitefield” series won’t be disappointed with this latest entry (following A String of Beads), which finds Jane once again on the road helping a woman escape. For years, Jane has devoted herself to helping those who must disappear in order to survive. Sara comes to Jane on the run from her vengeful ex-boyfriend Albert, and Jane teaches the young woman how to create a new identity. Yet their cover keeps getting blown wherever they go. Jane eventually realizes that Albert is being helped by an especially sadistic member of the Russian mob with eyes everywhere—and they want Jane, not Sara. The tension ratchets up unbearably as Jane hides along the Appalachian Trail while being pursued by the Russians, but there is nothing she won’t do to protect her runners. Joyce Bean narrates in an appropriately calm way, and the pacing is maintained at a steady pace, which makes the tension even worse. Bean really inhabits not just the main character but the young and naïve Sara, out-of-his-depth Albert, and the many frightening Russians.