The Mortality in Lies

A Novel

Fiction - Mystery - Historical
390 Pages
Reviewed on 08/15/2021
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

For fans of mystery and espionage with a strong historical setting, The Mortality in Lies: A Novel by Scott Gibson will be an engaging read and a wonderful treat. Percy Welles is a freelance journalist from Britain who enlists the services of the beautiful Georges Seigneur to help run a news wire service. Georges seems to know a lot and brings Welles up to speed with the case of a French officer who has been treated or framed as a traitor. While his love for Georges grows stronger every day, Welles knows he cannot reveal his most potent secret: he is a spy for the British government. Percy Welles must also navigate the dangerous waters of spying for his government as he struggles with his relationship with Georges. Still, everything changes when he learns about the mission of French Lieutenant Andre Durand in Africa.

The opening is strong and intriguing, a memorable scene that becomes a pivotal moment in the narrative and will immediately pull any reader in. Posing as a waiter, Percy Welles successfully holds the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, and two other persons at gunpoint. He wants a favor, and the Prime Minister must oblige or be shot. The narrative is suspenseful, and from the opening scene, the reader wants to know why someone would make such demands of the Prime Minister. The connection between Georges and Welles is intelligently and deftly handled. The narrative is filled with historical hints and characters that are fully drawn and unforgettable. I particularly loved Georges Seigneur, a woman with a strong background and an indefatigable journalist. Scott Gibson’s prose is dazzling, peppered with vivid descriptions and well-crafted dialogues. The conflict is richly explored and written from different angles. Overall, The Mortality in Lies is an absorbing tale replete with history, politics, and war in the colonial era.