Body of Lies

A Novel

By: David Ignatius

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Roger Ferris is one of the CIA's soldiers in the war on terrorism. He has come out of Iraq with a shattered leg and an intense mission: to penetrate the network of a master terrorist known only as "Suleiman". Ferris' plan for getting inside Suleiman's tent is inspired by a masterpiece of British intelligence during World War II: he prepares a body of lies, literally the corpse of an imaginary CIA officer who appears to have accomplished the impossible by recruiting an agent within the enemy's ranks.

This scheme binds friend and foe in a web of extraordinary subtlety and complexity, and when it begins to unravel, Ferris finds himself flying blind into a hurricane. His only hope is the urbane head of Jordan's intelligence service - a man who might be an Arab version of John le Carre's celebrated spy, George Smiley. But can Ferris trust him?

©2007 David Ignatius (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"Vividly rendered locales, clever plotting, some compelling characters, and a discomforting verisimilitude." (Booklist)
"Displaying his trademark expertise and writing skill, Washington Post columnist Ignatius...has crafted one of the best post-9/11 spy thrillers yet." (Publishers Weekly)

Personal Life of a Spy

Overlaying a plot to flush an al-Qaeda leader are the personal difficulties of CIA operative Roger Ferris. Lacking the discipline one expects of an undercover agent, Ferris blunders his way through an unsuccessful marriage, a divorce, and a love affair. The action scenes are sufficiently carried out, but there is no indication that Ferris is much more than a teen-ager in a man's body throughout the story, including the end.

Excellent listen.

This was very entertaining. In my opinion, better than the movie. I truly enjoyed it. Having viewed the movie a while ago, it was very easy to connect Leonardo Dicaprio and Russell Crowe's characters to the book. I would recommend this audiobook.

Meh

Meh meh meh… ridiculous and unnecessary sex scenes— men never get women right. Expected better subtlety from the author.

Volamus

A story with many twists and turns that keeps one entertained and anticipating the next twist and turn.

Body of lies

This book was well worth the time. I found the story interesting with good background support. My only problem was the recording ended in mid-sentence.