Murder, They Wrote

Basketball great Steph Curry was once an underdog, or so a recent Apple TV documentary tells us, and this summer, unseeded Czech Markéta Vondroušová won the women’s title at Wimbledon. Markéta Vondroušová! As these athletes will tell you, being underrated can be an advantage. When expectations are low, the pressure eases, and you’re free to play your best.

The spies, murderers, and slacker-on-a-mission in this month’s books all benefit in different ways from being underestimated. It’s their superpower, until it isn’t.