Book Review: The Spy Who Never Was (Nora Baron Series #3) by Tom Savage

I know, I know – I’ve reviewed the first and now the third. What about the second?? you ask… Well, I read the second and liked it every bit as much as the others – but the third was a NetGalley book, and it required a review. So trust me when I tell you that the middle book (The Woman Who Knew Too Much) was also very well done and is just as worthy a read as the others – I just didn’t actually write the review!

When I saw this title for request on NetGalley, I was immediately intrigued. When I saw it was #3 in a series, I was slightly less so – I’m a bit backlogged on reviews, and I don’t like reading series books out of order, so I was daunted a bit at the thought of trying to get through two books before I could even get into this one. I am SO glad I didn’t let any of that stop me – this series is one of my favorite finds on NetGalley, and I have absolutely loved each and every book!

In this, the third installment, erstwhile CIA operative Nora Baron has found herself in the midst of her most bizarre “case” of all – she’s asked to impersonate a spy who doesn’t actually exist. Or does she? And who’s asking her to do the impersonation? And why? As with all the books in this delightfully crafted series, the secrets and misdirections are thick on the ground, and Nora somehow manages to navigate them all with aplomb, verve, and more than a little lucky intuition. I wonder if the CIA really *does* choose actors to work in their ranks when they need to go off the grid – it certainly makes sense, given the overlap between the skill sets actors must by necessity have mastered and those needed by successful operatives. This sense burns brightly in this series, making Nora’s actions and their outcomes seem much more plausible than they would otherwise for an untried, untested individual thrown into situations that usually have already outwitted career spies. Somehow, Savage manages to keep it all just this side of believable, and that ability, coupled with his innate sense for original and timely plot lines and masterful characterization, makes this a fantastic series for anyone interested in mysteries, spies, and secrets…

I cannot wait to see what Nora stumbles up against in the next installment!