The novel, Contagion, can work as an allegory to life in the US under questionable leadership. It is set in America, in the midst of a devastating pandemic. Through this, Lynn Bentley works an allegory of life under the erosion of democratic values, without any political leanings getting in the way of the interpretation and acknowledges that many of the ideas for the book came from Albert Camus’ novel, The Plague. One of his most famous quotes, illuminated in this book is: The absurd does not liberate; it binds. When the pandemic hits shortly after social norms begin to break down, it causes, the denial of politicians, life to come to a standstill and a city to be closed off to the outside world. The population is no longer able to enjoy normal past times or materialistic endeavors. A culture of mistrust comes into play where people fear that their neighbors could give them the virus. The novel starts of fairly fast, but it’s more thoughtful in the middle portion before becoming action packed towards the end. It’s intriguing  in the same way as life in the US before and during the epidemic that is described, but especially towards the end, the powerful force of humankind trying to achieve oneness while remaining separated begins to propel the story forward.  The story focuses on a group of people united in their fights to defeat the virus and stave it off from themselves. There is the emotionally broken neighbor, the perfectionist politician, the priest who lambastes the laxity of the people and adapts his sermons to help them find peace, the journalist who gets caught up in the illness and tries to escape, the doctor who treats people out of a sense of duty while his wife is sick in a clinic outside the City and a former veteran who leaves home due to his disgust of the death penalty and who sets up the volunteer force to defeat the pandemic. It is as exhilarating and thought-provoking as the other Bentley books. It’s one with important lessons from one who is adept at describing complex human issues that have dogged us from the beginning of time with straightforward events and ideas.

Escape To Paris is a deeply conflicted story of ambition and betrayal. Lynn Bentley’s latest novel, captures a remarkable period of time and a love triangle between unforgettable people through the eyes of the lady at the center of the turmoil! Washington DC 1960’s: Sherri Beauregard is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Mark Wilcox and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair escape to Paris. They rapidly become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Paris Celebrates”—that includes Bridgette Bardot, Josephine Baker, Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Picasso and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.Though deeply in love, they are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, drug infested and fast-living life of 60’s Paris, which hardly values traditional notions of family and monogamy. Surrounded by beautiful women and competing egos, Mark develops detailed programs to launch his startup tech firm that could lead to fame and riches. Sherri becomes captivated by her career as a CIA operative who gets entangled with the Soviet author she recruited to portray the sinister intentions of Soviet leaders. Her efforts to spread an anti-communist propaganda campaign further erodes the fabric of their relationship. Events during their whirl-wind life in Paris overwhelm all the richness and intensity of his life with Sherri. Readers get the opportunity to visit hot spots in the city and surrounding countries with this flawed couple. His quest for success connects him with Sherri’s first love, Victor Landsdown. Sherri and Victor reconnect and attempt to save her sense of self as the demands of life with Mark grow costly. Readers see her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging and unsavory. In Bentley’s earlier novels A Bold Experiment and Stranger Within, the story was told as viewed by Victor and now readers will gain Sherri’s perspective. Despite their extraordinary bond, Sherri and Mark eventually find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—deception and addiction that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard to obtain.The descent into a heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, makes Escape To Paris all the more poignant. Sadly, Mark and Victor discover that, in the end, they would rather have done almost anything other than falling in love with Sherri. 

Summary: A novel set in mid-1950’s French-occupied Vietnam, parallels the complicated lives of a two American agents. Ironically, in the mid-60’, the Naval Officer son of one of the agents ends up serving in the war. The story displays the impact across two generations of the entanglement during the early years of war in Vietnam. Barkley Landsdown, received a visit at home one night from the French police inspector, who informs him his fellow agent, Tom Dewey had been killed. The inspector tells him that he must report to the police station the next morning to answer questions and identify the body. The inspector had reason to suspect that Landsdown isn’t being totally truthful. This beginning sets off a twisted series of events that are filled with intrigue and sad betrayal. Lynn Bentley tells a story of the strange conflicted relationship of these two men who love one woman, and the equally entangled and conflicted relationships of all those who get involved in Vietnam. Landsdown wants to believe that he is a CIA analyst, who is not directly involved in the conflict. He has a wife at home from whom he is separated but who will not divorce him. His mistress meets his needs and offers emotional support. In the end, she benefits materially from his attention but he can offer nothing more than the hope of a divorce. Dewey, who loves her at first sight, is unattached, candidly shares his intentions, and yet strangely connects with Landsdown as a good friend. Landsdown’s life is saved by an American agent and a French patrol, at one point in the story, when he becomes stranded in enemy territory. While he is detained, Dewey steals his mistress. Landsdown gradually learns that Dewey isn’t all that he seems. He discovers that that Dewey is doing something with bicycles, that turn out to be rigged with explosives and being used as bombs to undermine the regime in Saigon. Readers learn that Dewey is an undercover CIA agent that is leading a black ops program. Landsdown is curious, but remains detached until the bombing of a square, intended to break up a parade that was cancelled, kills and maims scores of innocents. This act has the fingerprints of Dewey all over it. He faces hard choices of what to do with his knowledge of this “Ugly American.” Landsdown has tried to avoid entangling involvements. He tells this story to his son which describes the folly of such an attempt, in both love, and in the Vietnam conflict. His son Victor, has been transferred from his duty on an aircraft carrier, with pilots flying air strikes into North Vietnam, to duty as liaison officer with the CIA. He is able to spend a few days with his father on the way to his new assignment and is told the story about the beginning of America’s slide into the Vietnam war. Bentley’s tale of the troubling future that faced, first the French, and then the Americans, already present, in Vietnam. Landsdown discovered that he too was involved with his lover, with Dewey, and that Vietnam was a far more complicated mistress than any understood. As this absurd chain of events swirls around him, he successfully evades CIA leadership’s requests to transfer back to headquarters. Love and war has claimed him, as it would many others. Sadly, the son became embroiled in the Vietnam war that his father tried to prevent but, with the help of the former Captain of the carrier they served on, was able to grab his opportunity to change the course of the war. He also becomes entangled in a love affair that causes tragedy during the later years of his life. The Ugly American is a cautionary tale as relevant in our times as it was in the mid-1950’s and 60’s. It lays the foundation for the stories told in Bentley’s first two novels: A Bold Experiment and Stranger Within. Hopefully, we will not continue to proceed as heedlessly now as we did then and the way the characters acted in his last two novels!

Stranger Within by Lynn Bentley is a compelling novel that can easily be read in a few sittings. However, digesting the content will certainly take much longer as this pressure packed story raises serious questions about morality, society, justice, spirituality and individuality.  The story opens with the narrator reading a Boston Globe article about the death of his boss. He is not overly shocked as this compelling yet flawed individual had a dark past and loved living on the edge. Outwardly, he doesn’t become overcome with grief.  At the funeral the young man doesn’t show remorse as he is actually more overcome with the responsibility thrust on him than with grief.  The funeral is followed by more everyday events and an ill-fated growing friendship with a former love interest and an ex-CIA Officer close to his boss.  Somehow the forces of nature and mankind conspire to work on him in a manner that causes a sudden outburst of violence that shatters his world.The second half of Stranger Within follows him as he experiences the legal system for the first time.  He finds that it’s not nearly as cut and dried as he might have imagined.  Not only are the facts of the case brought out, but what seem like completely unrelated events including the funeral are presented to “prove” points about moral character.  He soon finds himself abandoned by friends and trapped in a web of chance events magnified by his own failure to behave as expected by society.He comes across as being distanced or “alienated” from general society and this is exactly why the novel was titled, Stranger Within. He seems cut off from normal feelings, mostly due to his desire to live honestly without pretense.  He doesn’t want to display false emotions just because they are expected even though, in hindsight, he realizes this is precisely what condemns him the most.The main character’s encounters with an evangelical fellow prisoner and the prison chaplain provide powerful scenes. He doesn’t find a need to believe in God but can’t convince these characters. As the chaplain works to convince him of the need to find God and forgiveness, this conflicted soul becomes more and more irritated until he becomes irrational.The book will strike a cord with many readers from older teens on up.  It’s guaranteed to stimulate lots of soul searching and controversy. Look no further for a powerful novel that explores the search to overcome the absurdities of life.