Otto Penzler (editor), Agents of Treachery ***

I am a fan of spy fiction. Many of its virtues -- compelling settings, ambiguous characters, complex conspiracies -- would seem to demand book-length narratives. This book, however, is a collection of short spy stories from a range of contemporary writers. Although they lack the depth of novels, most of the stories are entertaining.

My favorite writer was Stephen Hunter, whose story "Casey at the Bat" takes place during the late stages of World War II. I enjoyed his work both for its insights into the political climate (with the Russians, knowing that the Allies would win the war, supporting intra-group rivalries within the French Resistance to favor the socialist ones) and for its action sequence descriptions. Andrew Kalvin's story "Sleeping with My Assassin" had the best literary qualities. The weakest story was James Grady's "Destiny City." The ham-handed prose made me wonder what I'd find if I went back and re-read Six Days of the Condor. 

If you are a fan of spy fiction, Agents of Treachery is a nice beach read.