The Persian

Persian Jewish dentist Kamran “Kam” Esfahani, the protagonist of this taut political thriller from McCloskey (The Seventh Floor), is counting down the days until he has enough money to leave Sweden for sunny California. So when Arik Glitzman, head of the Mossad’s Caesarea Division, offers to pay him a fortune to sow chaos in Iran, he can’t say no. Trading the monotony of dentistry for the perils of espionage, he runs a sham dental practice in Tehran as a cover for smuggling weapons and conducting surveillance. Meanwhile, Glitzman hunts a terrorist network targeting Jews in Israel. Complications ensue when Kam enlists double agent Roya Shabani, a widow bent on avenging her Iranian scientist husband who was killed by the Mossad, to help in his mission. As loyalties blur and the mission unravels, Kam lands in prison, and much of the novel is framed as his final confession. Intricately plotted and populated with multidimensional characters whose complicated motives drive them to desperation, the novel deftly balances geopolitical tensions and human stakes. Fans of John le Carré will have a tough time putting this down. Agent: Lisa Erbach Vance, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Sept.)