The Siege

Arturo Perez-Reverto (Get this book)
Perez-Reverte writes two kinds of novels: richly detailed historical thrillers and swashbuckling adventures. Lately, he has been sticking to the latter, but here he combines both forms in a complex, history-drenched tale of the siege of Cdiz by the French in the early nineteenth century. The action takes place in 1812, with the port of Cdiz, nicely protected by water, remaining unconquered as Napoleon's forces sweep across Spain. P'rez-Reverte, an international best-seller and a favorite among booksellers and librarians, has not had a new book since 2010 and will attract plenty of attention with this one. --Booklist

A Map of Betrayal

Ha Jin (Get this book)
A plainspoken, even reticent narrative illuminates the complex loyalties of a Chinese-American spy, who considers himself a patriot of both countries. As a novel of espionage, the latest from the prizewinning author satisfies like the best of John le Carre, similarly demystifying and deglamorizing the process of gathering information and the ambiguous morality that operates in shades of gray. But it's plain that this novel is about more than the plight of one spy, who must forsake his Chinese family in order to embed himself as a master translator for the CIA, becoming "China's ear to the heartbeat of the United States." Subtle, masterful and bittersweet storytelling that operates on a number of different levels.--Kirkus