I came across Lauren Wilkinson’s debut novel American Spy while searching for something to read for the Cold War theme set by our little book club. American Spy is hugely different from the cold war spy thrillers I have read in the past. And it’s been a while since I picked up a spy thriller. I love the good old cold war days where there was certainty in the uncertainty and the assurance of double-crossing spies and honey traps set in America and Europe. Kim Philby, Juan Pujol Garcia, Red Sparrow. I don’t recall ever reading a spy thriller set in Africa, which adds a refreshing and unique dimension for me.

American Spy is the first spy thriller or any cold war themed novel I have read written by an African American writer. And that itself says a lot of my prejudices towards authors of spy thrillers or any books for that matter. A random Google search for the spy genre novelists does not produce even a single Afro American author.  

Wilkinson’s American Spy is written more like a memoir and storytelling is in a first-person narrative addressing the reader. We later find out the narrator is addressing her children through her letters or maybe a diary.

Frankly the pace or the plot did not excite me having read fast paced narratives from authors like Ben Macintyre or Le Carre’. 

This novel plays out between different time-periods and locations and is a story of oppression and how a black woman overcame challenges working for an American government dominated by white males.

The story begins with a gripping assassination attempt on the narrator, immediately pulling readers into a whirlwind of suspense and intrigue. As the plot unfolds, it intricately weaves together multiple narratives that span across different time periods and continents. Each storyline adds depth and complexity, creating a rich tapestry of events and characters that keep the reader engaged though I was slightly disappointed with the pacing of the story. 

I highly recommend this debut novel by Lauren Wilkinson and you will most certainly find it interesting if not captivating from start to finish.