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Spies are trained to lie, but no one warned her the first casualty would be herself.
Emily Foster was trained by CSIS to be a spy—but nothing in training prepared her for this.
After a year of pushing paper, she’s finally given her first real mission: investigate Lieutenant Colonel Will Davidson, a senior intelligence officer whose behaviour has raised alarm bells at the highest levels. The task is simple—get close, gain his trust, and uncover the truth.
Her way in? His daughter, Alicia.
Going undercover as a university student, Emily infiltrates Alicia’s world, forging a friendship while quietly pulling strings behind the scenes. But deception is never clean. The deeper she goes, the more tangled the web becomes, and soon, the line between duty and manipulation starts to blur. The mission was supposed to be about Davidson, but Emily begins to wonder—is she the one being played?
Someone else is watching from the shadows. The mission isn’t what it seems. With time running out, Emily must uncover the truth before the wrong move gets someone killed—because, in the spy world, the price of trust is always paid in blood.
Perfect for fans of William Boyd’s Restless and Alma Katsu’s Red Widow, Veil of Innocence delivers a gripping espionage thriller where duty and deception collide, and a lone intelligence officer must navigate a web of lies before it’s too late.
About Michael J. Lalonde, Author
Michael J. Lalonde is a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, where he served for 23 years, spending the latter half of his career as an intelligence officer with the rank of captain. Following his military service, he transitioned into politics before attending law school at Osgoode Hall.
He holds an MA in History from the University of Waterloo and an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University, which complement his firsthand experience in military strategy and global affairs. A lifelong storyteller, his passion for writing was ignited by Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising, inspiring him to craft thrillers that blend authenticity with razor-sharp attention to detail.
Beyond writing, Michael is an avid scuba diver and a dedicated steak connoisseur, always in pursuit of the perfect cut. His commitment to precision—whether in storytelling, strategy, or a well-seared cow flank—defines both his fiction and his life.
His debut novel, The Quiet War: Canadian Front, is available for pre-order now.
