The Wayward Assassin

Quellette, who grew up in the Boston area, studied international relations as well as Russian language and culture at Harvard and Boston Universities. She’s worked as an intelligence officer for the CIA and on Capitol Hill for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Her work and travel experiences inspired the character of Maggie Jenkins, a clever and fearless CIA analyst, and gives the novel’s plot authentic touches. In this compelling spy thriller, Maggie sets out to track down the Chechen rebel who killed her fiancé (even though her supervisors assure her the assassin is dead). Aware of their subterfuge, she goes rogue to track down Zara, who she finds has plans to attack U.S. citizens. Her chase follows his trail from Russia to London and, finally, to the Washington, DC, area. Erin Bennett, who performs the novel, is a precise and nuanced performer who is adept at bringing the drama alive (and keeping it alive) with conviction.