''Body of Lies'' is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

spy thriller Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligen ...

novel by

David Ignatius David Reynolds Ignatius (born May 26, 1950) is an American journalist and novelist. He is an associate editor and columnist for ''The Washington Post''. He has written eleven novels, including '' Body of Lies'', which director Ridley Scott adapt ...

, a columnist for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. It was published by W. W. Norton in 2007. It was originally titled ''Penetration'' but was renamed after Warner Bros. bought the rights in 2006. It was made into a film of the same name in 2008.

Premise

Roger Ferris is a CIA officer who sets a trap for a terrorist responsible for car bombings throughout Europe. Referencing the real (and highly successful)

Operation Mincemeat Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception operation of the Second World War to disguise the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. Two members of British intelligence obtained the body of Glyndwr Michael, a tramp who died from eating ...

, "Ferris's plan is inspired by a masterpiece of British intelligence during World War II: He prepares a body of lies, literally the corpse of an imaginary CIA officer who appears to have accomplished the impossible by recruiting an agent within the enemy's ranks.

Reception

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'' described the novel as "happily original" for its genre, applauding the espionage detail of America's intelligence missions. The newspaper however criticized the underdevelopment of female characters in the novel and the "painful" romantic scenes.

Adrian McKinty Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of crime and mystery novels and young adult fiction, best known for his 2020 award-winning thriller, ''The Chain'', and the Sean Duffy novels set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. He is a winner ...

of ''

'' described the character of Roger Ferris as "idealistic, passionate, wholly believable nd thathis adventures make for a story that is fast-paced and psychologically deep." McKinty highlights Ignatius's sensitive treatment of the Arab world.

Film adaptation

''Body of Lies'' is American

feature Feature may refer to: Computing * Feature (CAD), could be a hole, pocket, or notch * Feature (computer vision), could be an edge, corner or blob * Feature (software design) is an intentional distinguishing characteristic of a software item ...

film adaptation of the novel ''Body of Lies'' by

about a CIA operative who goes to Jordan to track a high-ranking terrorist. The film is directed by Ridley Scott, written by

William Monahan William J. Monahan (born November 3, 1960) is an American screenwriter and novelist. His second produced screenplay was ''The Departed'', a film that earned him a Writers Guild of America Award and Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. ...

, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe and

Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 5 August 1963), is a British actor, best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in ''Stardust'' (2007), Archibald in '' RocknRolla'' (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in ''Sherlock Holmes'' (20 ...

. Production took place in Washington D.C., Europe, Morocco and the Middle East. ''Body of Lies'' was released in the United States on October 10, 2008.

References

External links

''Body of Lies'' (book details and author's note)
- The Official David Ignatius website
David Ignatius discusses how he helped Leonardo DiCaprio prepare for the role of Roger Ferris in the film ''Body of Lies''
at YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Body Of Lies (Novel) 2007 American novels Novels about terrorism American spy novels American thriller novels Central Intelligence Agency in fiction W. W. Norton & Company books