The Lady is Bugged is the second in a series featuring Thomas Sebastian Scott, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, and Felicity Phillips. After spending a career as an intelligence agent, the fictional Scott has retired to the real life town of Berkeley Springs in the panhandle of West Virginia. Jorge Luis Rodriguez is a NYPD Detective who, like Scott, specializes in cyber-security. In the first book in the series-Flame: Hackers, Artists, Lovers, and Spies-Rodriguez is smitten by Felicity, a talented artist well known in Berkeley Springs for her docent duties at the Ice House Gallery and her secretive past. With a population scarcely more than six hundred, Berkeley Springs is rated as one of the finest small art towns in America. Founded in the 18th century, it was first named after Bath, England, for its hot springs, which continue to attract tourists. In addition to Thomas Scott and Felicity Phillips, the fictional population of the town includes Father Sean McManus, known for his joyful limericks and good humor; Counselor Spencer Cobb, famed for his skill as a defense attorney and occasional bouts of sobriety; and Terry Hightower, who shares with Jorge unrequited romantic affection for Felicity. Two old friends from nearby Martinsburg, Roy and Ray, appear occasionally in the novel to capture the humor of rural Appalachia. The novel opens in the Rare Book Room of the Library of Congress where Scott is reflecting on his career, followed by a disturbing scene with Sharmien, a Pakistani nurse who saved his life years earlier. After a clandestine meeting with Iranian diplomat Ismael Karimi at the Bedford Springs Resort, Scott is about to be tapped for an assignment to Italy when his security clearance is withdrawn. He has unwittingly disclosed his real identity. The balance of the novel-set in Manhattan, Brighton Beach, Rome, Sorrento, and Venice-involves a kidnapping, a murder, a threat to the lives of Western leaders, and a surprising development in robotic technology. Readers of the first book in the series will not be surprised by the return of the psychotic Russian-American computer genius Vladimir Petrov. A highlight of the story is the introduction of a young intelligence analyst, Rachel Sullivan, who surprises Scott with her extraordinary skills and savvy intuition. http: //www.fultonpub.com