Code of Silence (Ben Reese Mysteries (Severn House))
Ben Reese, an Ohio State archivist and amateur sleuth in the 1950s, is still struggling to recover from the tragic death of his wife and child four months earlier. Eventually, though, knowing he can’t grieve forever, he attends a concert, where he plans to meet Carl Walker, a casual acquaintance. Carl never shows, and a few days later, his body is found. The initial verdict is suicide, but Ben isn’t so sure. It turns out that Carl, who worked in intelligence shortly after the war, had discovered that one of his colleagues was a spy and a murderer. Sensing danger, Carl left behind a series of puzzling clues for Ben to unravel and use to nail the killer-traitor. Meticulously researched, skillfully conveying the ambience and paranoia of the cold war years, and chockablock with suspense, Wright’s latest Ben Reese mystery will appeal to fans of both spy thrillers and mainstream mysteries. --Emily Melton