A Suitable Spy

by Arthur Kerns, Virtual Voice (Narrator)

Set against the unique and lesser-known backdrop of the FBI’s operations in World War II South America, the novel blends historical intrigue with personal transformation. In 1941, young FBI street agent Robert Morris Taylor embarks on a mission from Philadelphia to Buenos Aires, where he faces the brutal realities of espionage and Nazi opposition under the undercover guise of a Hollywood filmmaker. In Argentina, Robert’s task grows beyond surveillance as he is drawn into complex efforts to recruit a German spy, neutralize local fascists, and assist in the extraction of two Jewish scientists with critical nuclear expertise. Alongside an Argentinian ally, Robert’s actions thwart a German plot, revealing a layered character—flawed yet determined, guided by duty and a new love, which deepens his stakes.
The novel offers authentic, immersive settings, a 1940s cinematic motif, and chapter subtitles drawn from the music of the era. A Suitable Spy brings to light a unique moment in history while maintaining a narrative arc that explores loyalty, transformation, and the gray areas of wartime morality.

Audible Audio

Published December 16, 2025

About the author

To Love Again, a love story, was published in February 2024. Arthur Kerns has been writing stories since high school. He joined the FBI with a career in counterintelligence and counterterrorism. On retirement, he became a consultant with the Director of Central Intelligence and the Department of State, taking him to over sixty-five countries. His short stories and mysteries have appeared in several award-winning anthologies and he was a first place winner in the Cave Creek Film and Arts Festival. Diversion Books, Inc published his Hayden Stone thriller trilogy, The Riviera Contract, The African Contract, and The Yemen Contract. The spy thriller, Days of the Hunters, since was published. An espionage novel, A Suitable Spy, is completed and with his agent. He is working on an “out-of-the-box” spy novel Special Agent Bumper Ballantyne inside the Hollywood Bubble that is marinating.
For him a jump in genres, his new novella, To Love Again, is a love story.
Website: www.arthurkerns.com