A Good Read

Exposure by Helen Dunmore

London in 1960, the Cold War is in full flow. Admiralty employee Simon Callington is not overly ambitious. He is a middle ranking official who is more focused on his family - wife Lily and their three children - and their life in Muswell Hill. One day Simon is asked to carry out a favour for an old friend Giles, who secured the job for him. The favour is to pick up a highly sensitive file from Giles’ home. Things go wrong from the moment Simon enters his friend’s home, and having collected the file Simon immediately regrets having agreed to do it. But it’s too late to back out now, and when the disappearance of the file is discovered Simon is accused of passing information to the Soviets, and arrested.

His wife, Lily, suspects that his imprisonment is part of a cover-up, and that powerful men will do anything to prevent their own downfall. She knows that she too is in danger, and must fight to protect her children, her husband, and eventually her life. But what she does not know is that Simon has hidden vital truths about his past, and may be found guilty of another crime that carries with it an even greater penalty.

This is primarily a spy story, very well written with an air of menace always present. But it also tells of families and friends. There is some excellent characterisation - you get to know this family and their daily lives very well, almost as if you know them personally.  

~Happy Reading ~

Polly x