Since the first time I read a book by Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist), I've been hooked — and The Spy does not disappoint. 

The book is based on the life and death of the fascinating Margaretha Geertruida "Margreet" MacLeod, also known as Mata Hari.

Escaping a terrible marriage to become one of the most powerful exotic dancers in Paris, Mata Hari became a woman with connections and means. She moved in influential circles and managed to keep herself lavishly clothed, covered in jewels, and living in luxury thanks to the generosity of rich men who were intrigued by her. 

But an independent woman was suspicious in the early 1900s, and in 1917 — at the height of paranoia during World War I, Mata Hari was arrested for espionage. 

This page-turning story gives insight into who she was, the world that she existed in, and the choices she made that ultimately led to her execution.