Lawyers and spies are common subjects for thrillers, but Scott Turow and David McCloskey are two novelists who take their thrillers to a higher level, by showing their flawed characters’ struggles for humanity and survival.
The best-selling authors each will headline a luncheon this winter for the Friends of the Bonita Springs Library.
The events — which raise money and awareness for the Bonita Springs Public Library — again will be held at the Audubon Country Club in North Naples. (See the information box for the cost and the deadlines to purchase tickets, which include a full lunch).
New thriller focuses on Middle East
McCloskey knows the spy business from the inside, having been a CIA analyst throughout the Middle East, including Syria and Iraq. His fiction is regularly compared to John Le Carré, the all-time master of the spy novel. Like Le Carré, McCloskey delves into a world where no one is entirely right or wrong, and many characters are conflicted and flawed.
His fourth novel, “The Persian,” just published in September, is set in the shadow war between Israel and Iran. Careening from Tehran to Tel Aviv, Istanbul to Stockholm, it’s a story of vengeance, deceit, and the power of love and forgiveness in a world of lies.
His previous novels are “Damascus Station,” “Moscow X” and “The Seventh Floor.” McCloskey also co-hosts the podcast “The Rest is Classified,” which unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets and the hidden power struggles that shape global events.
McCloskey’s website is https://www.davidmccloskeybooks.com/.
Scott Turow returns to speaker series
On Feb. 26, the Friends will welcome Scott Turow, one of the best-known novelists in the U.S., ever since the release of his mega-selling debut, “Presumed Innocent,” in 1987.
A native of Chicago and now a part-time Naples resident, Turow has had a full-time career as a practicing attorney, along with publishing 14 best-selling works of fiction and two nonfiction books. They’ve been translated into more than 40 languages, have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, and have been adapted into movies and television projects.
In Turow’s latest, “Presumed Guilty,” released earlier this year, we’re reunited with Rusty Sabich, the attorney who was the key figure in Turow’s first novel, “Presumed Innocent.” Sabich is now 77 years old and retired from practicing law, when he takes on defending his soon-to-be stepson, Aaron Housley, who’s accused of murdering his girlfriend.
Turow’s website is https://www.scottturow.com/.
In addition to the annual author luncheons, the nonprofit Friends group also operates the Book Nook used bookstore on the first floor of the Bonita Springs Public Library, at 10560 Reynolds St. The Friends also hosts huge, three-day book sales every spring and fall. Over the last 50 years, the Friends has made substantial financial contributions to the library with the help of its many supporters and donors.
Bonita Friends Author Luncheons
What: Lunch, a talk by the author and a book signing, sponsored by the nonprofit Friends of the Bonita Springs Library, with these speakers:
David McCloskey, Thursday, Jan. 22. Doors open at 10 a.m.; lunch is at 11:30 a.m.; the author speaks after lunch, followed by a book signing
Scott Turow, Thursday, Feb. 26. Doors open at 10 a.m.; lunch is at 11:30 a.m.; the author speaks after lunch, followed by a book signing
Where: Audubon Country Club, 625 Audubon Blvd., North Naples
Cost: $70, which includes a full hot lunch. There will be open seating, rather than reserved seats, so groups can arrive together and sit together. Tickets are not refundable, but you can substitute another person’s name if you are unable to attend.
Purchase tickets: Go to the Friends website at https://friendsofbonitalibrary.org and click on EVENTS. The registration form will let you choose from three lunch entrées, including a vegetarian option, and mention any dietary restrictions. Payment is by credit card through PayPal. While you’re on the Friends website, join the nonprofit with a $25 donation.
Important deadlines: Reservations and meal choices must be made by Jan. 14 for the Jan. 22 event and by Feb. 18 for the Feb. 26 event, so that the Audubon Country Club has a final head count for lunches.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: CIA, spies, murder: 2 authors to speak in Bonita Springs in 2026
Reporting by Vicky Bowles, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
