Category: Spy

Gabriel’s Moon

Steven Leave a comment

William Boyd’s “Gabriel’s Moon” is a masterpiece of espionage fiction that blends the thrilling world of Cold War intrigue with a touch of the delightfully absurd. Our protagonist, Gabriel Dax, is a travel writer haunted by a mysterious past. He’s drawn into the shadowy realm of international espionage through a seemingly simple errand, only to find himself entangled in a web of duplicity that stretches across continents.

Boyd’s genius lies in his ability to weave moments of genuine hilarity into the heart of a tense spy narrative. One minute you’re on the edge of your seat, heart pounding as Gabriel navigates a dangerous situation, the next you’re chuckling at the absurdity of it all. This unexpected blend keeps the story fresh and constantly engaging.

Fans of Le Carre will find themselves right at home with the intricate plot and the constant sense of paranoia that permeates Gabriel’s world. Boyd captures the atmosphere of the Cold War, transporting you to the vibrant streets of London, the sun-drenched squares of Cadiz, and the frosty Warsaw twilight.

But “Gabriel’s Moon” is more than just a spy story. It’s a meditation on identity, loyalty, and the lingering shadows of the past. As Gabriel delves deeper into the mission, he uncovers secrets that force him to confront his own history and redefine his place in the world.

If you’re looking for a captivating read that will keep you guessing until the very end, then “Gabriel’s Moon” is a must-read. It’s a tale of espionage with a touch of the unexpected, William Boyd’s at his best.

V2

Steven Leave a comment

I like Robert Harris’ historical novels, they are well researched, bring the characters to life and are an easy read. V2 is set at the end of WW2 as the SS step up the launches of V2 rockets at London in a last endeavour to turn the tide of the war.

Rudi Graf is a rocket scientist and engineer working at the missile launch site in occupied Holland. The narrative flashes back to his youth and his friendship with Wernher von Braun and their shared passion for rockets and space travel.

Kay Caton-Walsh is a WAAF officer posted to Belgium as part of desperate attempt to find the launch sites and destroy them by reverse calculating the path of the V2s as they launch and subsequently land in London.

While Graf is increasingly doubting the morality and sanity of his masters, the British realise that their operation in Belgium may be compromised.

V2 is not Harris’ best novel (my favourites are the Cicero trilogy) but if you like the minutiae of WW2 military stuff then you will enjoy this.

3/5

Total Blackout

Steven Leave a comment

Total Blackout by Alex Shaw is a page turner that grabs you in the first couple of pages.

Jack Tate is an MI6 agent and former SAS officer on vacation in Maine when a rogue Russian and Chinese taskforce triggers an electro-magnetic pulse device that wipes out all electrical and electronic equipment in the US (apparently this is also a side effect of a nuclear explosion). In the chaos that follows the leader of the Russian team is determined to settle several scores with those who he believes have insulted the Russian state and ultimately with Tate and his brother.

Total Blackout feels like it has been written to make into a Netflix type production and you can see further adventures for Tate and his brother. It’s not deep and it’s not that believable but it is fun and would make a good holiday read.

3/5

Agent Running in the Field

Steven Leave a comment

Le Carre is back and he is as good as ever. Agent Running in the Field is a classic Le Carre spy novel but set in 2019 with sharply observed comment on Trump, Brexit and our government.

Nat is an end of career spy who has returned to England after a mid level career overseas. Nat is given one last assignment, to manage a small group of defectors in a run down department in London. As often happens in a Le Carre plot there is a cross over between Nat’s personal life and the intelligence services.

This is brilliant, I couldn’t put it down. It twists and turns and surprises without ever seeming contrived. Made me want to go back and reread the whole Smiley series again.

5/5

The Sandpit

Steven Leave a comment

The Sandpit by Nicholas Shakespeare is a bit of a slow burner but well worth persevering with.

John Dyer, an ex journalist, has returned from Brazil to Oxford with his son and enrolled him in the rep school that he had attended nearly 50 years ago. Life is dull and predictable in the middle class Oxford academic and school community until an Iranian, Rustum Marvar, parent entrusts John with the results of his research. When Marvar and his son disappear, the mystery unfolds at pace as different intelligence services and murky business interests encircle John and his son trying to find the potentially world changing secret.

The Sandpit is elegant, well observed and quite readable but overall a little unsatisfying.

3.5/5

The House of Lamentations

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The House of Lamentations is the 5th in Shona Maclean’s much praised Seeker series.

It’s 1658, Damian Seeker is living under cover in Bruges keeping tabs on the royalist followers of the exiled King Charles who are scheming to restore Charles to the thrown. Meanwhile in London the Protector, Cromwell, is in the last days of his life and all around him are preparing for a power shift and a new leader.

The royalists have discovered that there is a spy within their midst they have no idea who it is and send their own spy to spy on Seeker’s spy. Complicated? Yes but Maclean weaves a complex plot around these characters while providing a fascinating and detailed understanding of life in 17th century Bruges and the politics of England and Europe.

The House of Lamentations is historical fiction at it’s very best. The publisher says this is the last in the series. I hope not!

4.5/5

Power Play

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Power Play by Tony Kent is a very readable thriller.

An aircraft is blown up halfway across the Atlantic, one of the passengers is the leading candidate in the forthcoming US Presidential election. The baggage handler, a Syrian refugee, who placed the bomb confesses but rapidly questions arise as to whether he is a terrorist or a stooge.

It soon becomes evident that forces close to the current President are trying to shut down the legal team defending the baggage handler and the intelligence agency that starts to investigate.

This a fast paced but really rather preposterous page turner. At the end my reaction was – “really?”. I can imagine this being script fodder for the production machines of Amazon or Netflix but as a read it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

2.5/5

Hitler’s Secret

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Hitler’s Secret by Rory Clements is a “what if?” spy thriller set in 1941.

Martin Bormann is desperately trying to locate and kill Hitler’s illegitimate daughter before Hitler and the rest of Germany learn about her existence. Tom Wilde an American academic based in Cambridge is recruited by British intelligence services and their US counterparts to get into Germany, find the child and get her to safety. Of course things aren’t as simple as they appeared, who are Tom’s allies and helpers in Germany? Why are they helping?

This tale of intrigue amongst the different factions of the German leadership, competition between the British and the US has plenty of twists and turns and is quite easy to read but overall it is both unbelievable and predictable. Might make a good film script for the streaming factories.

2.5/5

Conspiracy

steven Leave a comment

Conspiracy by SJ Parris is the fifth in her Giordano Bruno series.

Bruno is an Italian ex monk who has been excommunicated for heretical writings and for leaving holy orders, he finds himself in Elizabethan London engaged as a spy/detective by Francis Walsingham. In Conspiracy, Bruno has moved to Paris only to find himself embroiled in murder, rivalries between the supporters of King Henri, his mother Queen Catherine, the Duke of Guise, the Catholic League and the Huguenots.

This is a complex political murder mystery with several layers of deception, it feels as if it gives a good sense of the struggles of the time. If you enjoy the historical detective/spy genre (e.g. CJ Samson or SG MacLean) you should give Parris a try.

4/5

Spook Street

steven Leave a comment

Spook Street is the fourth in the Slough House (or Slow Horses) series by Mick Herron. Slough House is the dumping ground for Secret Service employees who have seriously failed on the job but cannot be sacked, the bunch of misfits and discontents are plagued with mind numbing tasks and tormented by their boss Jackson Lamb in an endeavour to get them to take early retirement. You never get to find out what Lamb did to get sent to Slow House but he clearly carries some punch with the top level of the Service that keeps him in his job and protects his staff.

The novel starts with an ageing retired spy who is suffering from the onset of dementia, an attempt on his life that brings into question how the Service would deal with a spy who became a potential risk, a suicide bomber in a shopping centre and the murder of one of the Slow Horses. Spook Street combines a very contemporary plot with lots of allusions to current politics and security concerns with a cover up within the Service of a misjudged and out of control operation that dates back nearly 30 years and inevitably lots of ‘office’ politics.

If you want to give the Slough House series a try I encourage you to start at the beginning with Slow Horses followed by Dead Lions and Real Tigers, then read Spook Street

Mick Herron is writing some of the best modern spy thrillers in the UK. Gripping, clever, unsettling, highly believable and drily humorous. I can’t recommend him enough.

4.5/5