Agents of Treachery, edited by Otto Penzler

I like anthologies. Not being one of the many e-book enthusiasts, I usually have a book of short stories stashed in my truck so I have something to read when unexpectedly stuck somewhere. Agents of Treachery appealed to me because of both the subject matter (I love spy thrillers) and one of the authors is one of my favorites: Lee Child. Overall, this was a solid set of stories well worth my time.

While Child's name on the cover was a draw, his story Section 7(A) (Operational) was the weakest of the bunch. It concerned the formation of a black ops team, but came off as simply eight pages of character introductions. James Grady's Destiny City was better, showing how a terrorist cell is tracked in today's world. Andrew Klavan's Sleeping with My Assassin and David Morrell's The Interrogator were other highlights, but Joseph Finder's Neighbors was my favorite with an Arlington Road vibe. Good stuff.

First Sentence (from the Introduction):

The international thriller is one of the most successful literary genres in the world, its primary oractitioners becoming household names, insofar as any author's level of fame can compete with an entertainer, sports figure, or world-class criminal.