Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this interesting novel. This is a very different kind of spy story. In the end, I’m not sure if I liked it that much or not. It left me with a weird sense of “hmm, what did I just read”? If you’re looking for an interesting story that’s more of an internal take on espionage, this might be for you. If you’re looking for a pulse-pounding, car-chasing kind of spy story, this isn’t that.

An absorbing trip into espionage, war, heroes, trust, lies and truths, committed warriors and accidental players who inadvertently enter a stage on which they do not belong. I generally do not like modern stories that attempt to copy or explain mythology or heroic tales of Homer or others. But this one caught me up and left me nearly breathless. I recommend it.

In Ilium, Carpenter gives us a story of long-delayed revenge in the hidden world of international covert operations. A world in which some of the players are advancing the goals of nations, others are simply contractors, and some act as brokers of secrets. All are ruthless.

In London, a woman of twenty-one with few prospects and a gut full of resentment, is seduced by a sophisticated older man. He introduces her to a social circle that she could have barely imagined. We know there’s something a little sinister about the meeting since she’s being watched. At the same time, she is hypnotized by the beauty and possibilities that suddenly surround her.

Another whiff of the sinister comes when we’re privy to her seducer’s thought that “…she was dissatisfied, the hallmark of vulnerability.” In this circle she meets and marries Marcus, only to be widowed six weeks later. Their short marriage prepares her to present herself as an aspiring art dealer with extensive knowledge of the market. Marcus, it seems, has a script and timeline written for their life together.

As she notes, most people take a lifetime to find themselves. I was offered one complete.

Marcus inserts her into the household of Edouard, who she describes as being “…like a movie star on holiday.” His luxurious compound is on a tiny peninsula in southern France. The pretext is her art dealership. The family compound in Cap Ferret is crusted with mysteries: Why does Edouard “usually sleep outside the house?” Who are all the people and children coming and going? And what is the story with the specially-built circular building, which is described as a gallery for Edouard’s commissioned series of paintings depicting the Iliad?

The connections among the key players dating back to the war—a war that they agree has never ended—slowly unfold. Keeping the reader trying to fit the puzzle pieces together right to the end.

Exciting brain teaser.

At first I didnt like this book. Slow moving and overly literate(as compared to the usual stuff I read). But the book grew on me. Covering the themes of love/honor/redemption/retribution this book got better as it went along and the last third was really exciting/interesting and moving. Highly recommended. Give it a chance.