Claire Berlinski, the fictional counterpart, is a writer living in Paris who is working on her next novel. While attempting to write, Claire procrastinates by checking her e-mail. She receives an e-mail from a guy who is interested in her first book LOOSE LIPS, incidentally the same title as the real Claire Berlinski's first book. He cannot purchase a copy of her book on the Internet since no one will deliver to the Iranian village where he lives, and he wants to know if he can order a copy from her publisher. On a whim, Claire sends him a complimentary copy of her book by e-mail. Thus begins the affair between Claire and Arsalan, the man she thinks of as the lion. What could come from a simple exchange of letters?

Arsalan Safavi is a Persian archaeologist who has recently lost his mother. He turns to Claire for advice such as how to take care of his mother's cat, or what to serve at a dinner party. During one of his correspondences with Claire, he asks her to swap houses for a couple of months with a colleague of his. The colleague needs to finish some research that takes him to Paris, and Claire can use a change of scenery in Istanbul to work on her novel. In Istanbul, Claire happens to run into a CIA agent who has been monitoring her e-mail exchange with Arsalan. Who is the man that she has been communicating with?

As their relationship progresses, Arsalan asks whether he should come to a seminar in Paris. In anticipation of meeting Arsalan face to face, Claire hosts a dinner party. The other guests in attendance are people Claire keeps in contact with throughout the book including the CIA agent. Is Arsalan the man she thinks he is? Will their relationship work out?

Claire Berlinski has written a fabulous, multi-faceted novel. I enjoyed the intricacies of Claire's friendships that kept the story going. Her friends are a quirky cast of characters, and each one offers a fascinating side story. A major portion of the story is told by e-mail exchanges which appeal to all of us who are addicted to that form of communication. LION EYES is a wonderfully written novel that takes a simple act such as responding to e-mail and plunges us into the world of espionage.