Shelve under: Travel, Romance, Art Theft, Hostages. Librarian and CIA agent-in-training Quinn Ellington and her handsome spy boyfriend James “Bond” Anderson find themselves in the middle of an international incident when the Indian ambassador is kidnapped from a Library of Congress event. The key to saving the ambassador is tangled up with a long-lost sacred library, a desecrated temple, … library, a desecrated temple, and some very modern machinations. At least their cover as blissful newlyweds isn’t too hard to pull off . . .
“Do not miss out on this fun-filled ride.”
—RT Book Reviews on The Librarian and the Spy
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The second book in the Librarian and the Spy Escapade, A COVERT AFFAIR by Susan Mann is just as much fun as the first! Quinn and James are wonderful together once again on their new adventure through India.
I really feel these books fill an interesting niche. They are action spy thrillers with romance, adventure and interesting, intelligent plots, but they are not as violent or strictly action driven as most in this genre. I like to call these books “cozy spy thrillers” and just what I am looking for to curl up with for an afternoon adventure.
Quinn Ellington has moved to D.C. and is now a reference librarian at the CIA. She will be training at The Farm to become an agent like her boyfriend, James Bond Anderson. Their relationship is progressing and it is because they are close and Quinn has a passionate love of books and knowledge that they are both sent on a mission as husband and wife to the Punjab district in India. To save a kidnapped ambassador’s life, they have to find and return a stolen Sikh library of historic and religious books.
Ms. Mann had me completely engrossed in the descriptions of India and especially the Punjab district. Her information on the Sikh culture and history displayed extensive research and it was well paced throughout the story without feeling like an info dump. The Indian characters were believable and empathetic.
Quinn is an empowered female heroine, who uses her intelligence as well as her physical prowess. James is her perfect hunky, spy hero who is also learning to not be overly protective and let Quinn investigate avenues on her own. Their banter is fun and entertaining. The sexual relationship is hot, but not overly explicit. This book can be read as a standalone, but Quinn and James’s relationship changes and grows in each book.
This is a series to follow!
A Covert Affair by Susan Mann is the second book in her Librarian and the Spy Escapade series and was another fun and intriguing mystery.
Quinn is now at the CIA library but being trained as an agent, as well. She does love her work in the library but is over-the-moon about being trained as an operative. Her and James’ relationship is growing and more of their characters is shown in this story. I also really enjoyed how much of the history of India and it’s residents of all religions were described. I found this information to be vital to the overall plot as Quinn and James are assigned to hunt down a kidnapped ambassador and a lost treasure, the Sikh Reference Library. The facts regarding this part of Indian history was enlightening for me; and I appreciated the detail which Ms. Mann used to make this an integral part of the story.
A smoothly paced plot with facts, red herrings, and twists to keep me turning the pages to find out who was behind the kidnapping made an very enjoyable afternoon read.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Zebra Shout via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.