I was confused at first because I thought this book was set during the Troubles but at some point the cell phones and technology drove me to the interI was confused at first because I thought this book was set during the Troubles but at some point the cell phones and technology drove me to the internet where I discovered the IRA has rebranded itself and continues to fight. (The USA still calls it the IRA; other places it's referred to as The New IRA.) The novel is sent twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which the internet says ended "most" of the violence. Well this is the other part. One article even links it to Brexit.
It starts with Tessa, a single mother who works for the BBC from Belfast. The police think her sister Marian is working for the IRA, which is unfathomable, and the more she knows, the more she gets pulled in.
I love a good spy novel but also feel I should say the writing is stellar, and the author captures the complexity of the lives of women and female relationships amidst a very tense plot, very impressive.
Here are a few examples, not final copy so wording may vary slightly:
"At home, I take off my dress and drop it in the hamper...Once the dress is washed, maybe it won't seem tainted by today, though I already know I'll never wear it again, like the jumper I had on that day on Elgin Street, and the necklace I took off my throat while walking away from the collapsed building, like having it on was disrespectful, frivolous."
"There's always someone, for a mother, to tell you to pull your socks up." (so many opinions from strangers and neighbors about every little child rearing thing)
"We keep talking, and something settles in me, like silt falling to the bottom of a river. I feel more calm than I have in weeks. This isn't so difficult. I'm a woman, after all, so I've had a lifetime of practice guessing what a man wants me to say, or be. Seamus wants me to be brisk and capable, and he wants me to be angry, which I am, only not in the direction he thinks. Seamus asks me questions, and as I answer them, directly and mostly honestly, I think: I'm going to destroy you."
"Damian has some scotch, and I watch him carefully note down each of his drinks in the ledger. He's planning to murder someone tomorrow, but he won't steal drinks from an honesty bar."
"On air, the students are thoughtful and wry and tough... They painted extra letters onto one mural, changing it from Join the IRA to Join the Library." [image]
(I found this was a real thing that happened!)
I had an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley; it came out April 6th. Reese picked it for her book club so it should be everywhere soon....more
Based on the trend for Russia to poison its enemies, Untraceable follows a scientist who developed an untraceable poison as he flees the country he usBased on the trend for Russia to poison its enemies, Untraceable follows a scientist who developed an untraceable poison as he flees the country he used to serve. It's a novel but feels like non-fiction, and that first scene is really great, and pulls you right in to the story. It probably didn't hurt that we were watching Spycraft at the same time!
I had a copy from the publisher (New Vessel Press) through NetGalley. It came out February 2nd. I was surprised to find this was the first novel I'd read by this author as I recognize his other works by their covers!...more
In 2018's Who Is Vera Kelly? Vera was abandoned by the CIA in Argentina. Now she's lost her job and girlfriend in the same day and decides to work as In 2018's Who Is Vera Kelly? Vera was abandoned by the CIA in Argentina. Now she's lost her job and girlfriend in the same day and decides to work as a private investigator (and you know I love that kind of thing!) She gets wrapped up in cold-war Dominican intrigue with dictators, missing children, and social workers.
This book comes out June 16th; I had it a bit early from the publisher....more
The female typists of the Cold War often played much more important roles, and those are here alongside the story of the publication of Pasternak's DoThe female typists of the Cold War often played much more important roles, and those are here alongside the story of the publication of Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, and the surrounding intrigue. This was a far more complex read than I expected but very interesting and well-researched.
This was in my eARC backlog; it actually came out in September and I'm behind....more
This is the last of the Camp TOB books for the Tournament of Books and I thought it was pretty good. It is largely set in Burkina Faso and Martinique,This is the last of the Camp TOB books for the Tournament of Books and I thought it was pretty good. It is largely set in Burkina Faso and Martinique, two countries I have not yet had the chance to read books from, and I always enjoy learning more about places. Despite the alternating time periods and the fact that it is a spy novel, it's a pretty slow burn. I set it aside a few times to read other things but was ultimately glad I came back to it. And I loved the ending.
ETA a few quotations:
"I can't run the risk of caring too deeply about too many people. The result is that I've never had very many close friends, but have always excelled at being an acquaintance."
"He laughed. 'I don't like to say what I've read. That's how you disclose the most about yourself. I never make notes in a book or underline passages either. That's even more revealing.'"
"You don't owe them anything. You give them what you want to give them. But it's easier if they think you're one of them. It's easier to work from the inside. That's what I try to do. I've been a spy in this country for as long as I can remember."
2nd ETA: Thanks to Amy B. for sending me your copy. Watch for a shoutout on the podcast. ;)...more
Written by a former CIA analyst in counter-terrorism, this quick read explores the idea of Russian sleeper agents, but inside a family. Perfect for faWritten by a former CIA analyst in counter-terrorism, this quick read explores the idea of Russian sleeper agents, but inside a family. Perfect for fans of the best spy show around, The Americans. Although I could have used a bit more complexity, I still enjoyed the read.
Thanks to the publisher for providing early access to this title via NetGalley....more
(I'm still catching up on my reviews from the books I read during the 24 in 48 marathon!)
This is the third Paul Christopher book, a spy series from th(I'm still catching up on my reviews from the books I read during the 24 in 48 marathon!)
This is the third Paul Christopher book, a spy series from the 1970s I learned about from a Goodreads friend. I've been enjoying them; each one is told differently and has different characters, but always Paul Christopher.
This one follows his relationship story more, but the espionage writing gets really lazy. In the last fifty pages, most of what we know about the people involved comes from Christopher's girlfriend's godfather, as related during one dinner conversation. It's like the author didn't want to have to work out how to reveal the details throughout the story, so press pause - info dump!
I did enjoy the double meanings of "secret lovers" and to see his girlfriend go on her own journey to reconcile what loving a secret agent means. I'll probably seek out the other books in this series but I'm not in as much hurry as I was before....more
While I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as The Miernik Dossier, this one introduces us more to the central character of Paul Christopher (and hWhile I didn't enjoy reading this book as much as The Miernik Dossier, this one introduces us more to the central character of Paul Christopher (and his women.. and his poetry.) Set in Vietnam and Thailand (and parts of Africa, Europe, and the USA!) right around the assassination of JFK, it was a different angle of those events. I am really loving these 1970s spy novels, right up my alley....more
As we were heading off on vacation, my husband asked me to "pick" an audiobook to listen to. I decided to find a spy novel since some of the televisioAs we were heading off on vacation, my husband asked me to "pick" an audiobook to listen to. I decided to find a spy novel since some of the television we will both watch has to do with spies. I knew of Olen Steinhauer after my book club read The Cairo Affair, and so I picked the shortest of his novels that hadn't been already turned into a film.
This takes place almost entirely in a restaurant during a conversation two former lovers are having about a 2006 terrorist situation in the Vienna airport, with generous amounts of flashbacks to fill in parts of the story. Some elements kept us guessing while some were given away by the author from the beginning (I would almost say don't read the little prelude as it ruined one of the plot points for us.)
What Steinhauer does so well in all his books is visible here - the major event in the novel isn't real, but many of the other situations mentioned as well as people are real, so it feels like a very realistic storyline.
This was the first time I listened to an audiobook with another person and I was itching to turn it up a bit (in speed) but I survived!...more
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to gain access to this title in 201I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to gain access to this title in 2015 because one of my reading goals was to read more spy books - anything from novels to biographies.
This is the story of Moura Zakrevskaya, aka the Baroness Budberg, who was born to an aristocrat before the Russian Revolution, but was able to keep herself alive by transforming from Revolutionary to Soviet to mother to lover to spy. Allegedly. Many of her documents were destroyed, so the authors of this book use source material that includes notes from previous authors hoping to write about her life, a recently declassified MI5 file, and some letters and journals.
It also provides some insight into what it was like to live in Russia, Estonia, Berlin, and the Ukraine between 1900 and 1970.
To my great delight, Moura's path ends up crossing with spies such as Guy Burgess, Kim Philby, even the author Graham Greene. One of the books I read earlier this year (and probably the best spy read of the year) was A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, and it was very interesting to see how her life intersects with his. While his actions were directly linked to political events, her strength was building relationships. Her many lovers were important men in highly connected positions - politicians, writers, journalists, ambassadors. There are many events that could easily link to her but for whatever reason they aren't 100% known. I like to believe that she knew exactly what she was doing....more
I received a review copy of this book in audio from the publisher. I accepted because I was thinking of Jason Matthews, a longtime CIA operative who wI received a review copy of this book in audio from the publisher. I accepted because I was thinking of Jason Matthews, a longtime CIA operative who wrote a very compelling spy novel Red Sparrow. This is not the same guy but I finished it anyway!
I had a goal for my reading in 2015 to read more spy books - fiction and non-fiction, but I haven't done as much of it as I would have liked. When this one came along I thought why not? The author was in the CIA for a time, but chose to leave to live back in Utah and spend more time with his family. He operates Spy Escape and Evasion, which offers security training for people and corporations. He's been on the tv show Shark Tank, but I do not know him from that. Is this his 15 minutes? Definitely possible.
I really wish the author had put fewer mentions of his training and product endorsements in this book because in the end it just reads like one big advertisement. True, the information seems solid, and I can now escape from duct tape, zip ties, and the trunk of a car; I can [allegedly] hot wire a car and know where to keep my fire safe safe; I can identify social engineering and do a little of my own just for fun; so okay! That's all in here! But so are offers for your own spy knife, flashlight, and tactical pen. How do you get these items? Well, you provide your MAILING ADDRESS. It seems shady, right? A guy teaching spy secrets getting the gullible public to reveal their identities for free stuff? I wonder if people who fill that form out get a letter with a severe chiding from a former CIA officer who wasn't able to teach them anything in the end.
Still, a fun read, one with information I hope to never need. But true spies know - don't give your address to a stranger, not even if he seems legit.
Jenny (Reading Envy)
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