Review of A Spy In The Hand - By Toni Lo Tempio
Publisher: Publish America
ISBN: 1-4137-3855-9

A Spy In The Hand by Toni Lo Tempio is a fast-paced thriller. It is set in the dual worlds of espionage and the fantasy fabric of Hollywood. This causes the players in the plot difficulty in sorting fact from fiction.

Harry Slominski is a well-known and highly respected Hollywood producer. His most famous product is the Mr. and Mrs. Spy television series. Run over many years, it made its stars, Clarissa McMillan and Gary Preston, household names across America.

Each year after the show had ceased production, a reunion was held. Hundreds of eager Mr. and Mrs. Spy fans would attend to get close to Clarissa and Gary. Their fanaticism never waned and they all longed for the series to be reborn again.

It was at one such reunion that an event occurred which would change the course of Clarissa McMillan and Gary Preston's lives. Harry Slominski was found dead, shot in the head, in his suite. This mysterious slaying of such a well-known Hollywood producer set off a chain of events that would spiral to a dramatic conclusion.

Clarissa and Gary find themselves drawn into a Special Intelligence Agency (SIA) charade. To their absolute surprise, they are told that Harry was a super spy. He was hot on the trail of the formula for a deadly toxic nerve gas when he was killed.

The SIA gets Clarissa and Gary to play the role of real spies in an effort to get those responsible for Harry's death to come out in the open. This entwines the actors into a deadly script where those taking part get killed. There is a mole in the SIA and an assassin known as Companion who will stop at nothing to eliminate those people seen as a threat.

These are but two of the factors that make Clarissa and Gary depend on each other for survival. Surrounded by deception and betrayal, they can only truly trust themselves. It is a trust that builds and strengthens the bond between them, to ensure their mutual survival.

Toni Lo Tempio has crafted a gripping tale. Her writing style of short chapters highlights the intrigue and action. It makes the reader want to push on and not take a break from the flow of the story.

I found this thriller to be a ripping read. Lovers of this genre I am sure will feel the same way. Toni Lo Tempio is an author whose work is indeed worthy to explore.


Review by Warren Thurston - Owner of Boggle Books