Whose purposes do his deepest convictions actually serve?
Joseph White has built his life around institutions he believes deserve his loyalty. As dean of admissions at an old New England boarding school, he travels internationally, interviews prospective students, and meets parents considering entrusting their sons to the school’s care. Wherever he goes, he carries its reputation and the responsibility of representing its best interests.
Then Robert Andrews reenters his life.
An old Georgetown University lacrosse teammate, Rob now works for the U.S. government. He recognizes a usefulness in Joseph’s professional access that Joseph has never imagined. Families welcome Joseph because of the school he represents. Rob has purposes of his own.
His request appears limited: one seemingly insignificant task during an overseas recruiting trip. For Joseph, whose convictions encompass service to country as well as stewardship of his school, the difficulty is deciding whether agreeing would uphold his principles or betray them.
From there, A Reasonable Request follows Joseph’s efforts to contain what he has set in motion. As his work carries him from Beijing and Lagos to London, Moscow, Hong Kong, and Istanbul, the boundaries between friendship, patriotism, professional duty, and institutional compromise begin to shift.
As the consequences unfold, Joseph finds himself keeping secrets from his trusted assistant Lisa, who knows him better than anyone. For fifteen years, she has shared the burdens of his work and sustained the daily life beneath his public composure. In honoring an obligation to an old friend, he now risks betraying the trust of the woman upon whom he depends the most.
Joseph must confront what his agreement has placed at risk: the school’s reputation, Lisa’s trust, and his confidence in his own judgment. He believes friendship, stewardship, and service to country carry obligations. But who determines what those obligations require—and where they end?
What Kind of Novel Is A Reasonable Request?
A Reasonable Request is a novel of psychological and literary suspense set where elite boarding school admissions and covert government interests meet.
Its tension grows from private conversations, divided loyalties, and decisions whose consequences are difficult to contain. Professional discretion gives Joseph standing in one world; secrecy draws him into another. The habits and convictions upon which he has built his life become increasingly difficult to reconcile.
It will appeal to readers who enjoy intelligent suspense, literary espionage, international settings, and the private workings of elite boarding schools, especially stories in which friendship, loyalty, and manipulation are difficult to separate.