Daniel Silva’s 22nd Gabriel Allon installment returns the legendary spy to his original passion: art restoration. Now retired, Allon’s peaceful life in Venice with his wife and children gets upended when he’s drawn into the high-stakes world of art forgery. His old friend Julian Isherwood faces ruin over a dubious Van Dyck painting, pushing Allon back into the game. What follows is a skillful blend of art and espionage as Allon crafts forgeries of his own to ensnare a shadowy forgery syndicate and its financial backer. Silva’s sharp storytelling and insight into the art world shine, giving readers an inside look at the craft and deception of forgery. The plot […]
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A High-Octane Thriller with Unfinished Business
3.5 rounded up to 4. Deep Sleep is a pulse-pounding journey into the shadowy world of espionage and conspiracy. The story centers on Devin Gray, a countersurveillance expert drawn into a dangerous mission following the death of his estranged mother, Helen, a former CIA officer notorious for her paranoia. Most dismissed Helen’s obsession with a vast conspiracy, but when Devin discovers the clues she left behind, he realizes her fears were justified. With the help of former Marine pilot Marnie Young and a team of covert operatives, Devin uncovers a deep-rooted Russian sleeper network that has infiltrated the highest levels of American society. Konkoly’s military background shines through in the […]
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The Paris Betrayal Delivers Nonstop Action
4.5 stars I love finding authors I’ve never read before, and James R. Hannibal is the real deal! The Paris Betrayal is a fast-paced spy thriller that hooked me from the start. The story follows Ben Calix, a skilled operative whose life spirals out of control after a mission in Rome goes wrong. Tasked with uncovering a deadly bioweapon, Ben barely escapes, only to return to Paris and find his world in ruins. Disavowed by his agency, cut off from all support, and hunted by unknown enemies, Ben’s situation couldn’t be worse. The action is nonstop as Ben races across Europe to piece together the conspiracy against him. Along the […]
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Unmasking a Nazi Conspiracy in 1930s Hollywood
“If not us, who? If not now, when? It must be us, and it must be now. I would fight this war. I would not be silent!”― Stephanie Landsem, Code Name Edelweiss. Code Name Edelweiss is a fabulous historical thriller that reveals a chilling but little-known chapter of American history. Set in the summer of 1933, it follows Liesl Weiss, a single mother in Los Angeles, struggling to support her family during the Great Depression. Enter Leon Lewis, a Jewish lawyer deeply alarmed by the rise of Adolf Hitler and the increase in anti-Semitism in America. Convinced that Nazi agents are plotting to seize control of Hollywood, the world’s greatest propaganda machine, […]
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A Gripping Espionage Thriller
In Moscow X, David McCloskey delivers a high-stakes espionage thriller set in modern-day Russia. CIA operatives, Sia and Max, enter Russia to recruit Vladimir Putin’s moneyman. Sia works for a London firm that conceals the wealth of the super-rich, while Max runs a family horse-breeding business in Mexico, a CIA front since the 1960s. They pose as a couple, targeting Vadim, Putin’s private banker, and his wife, Anna, who is both a banker and an intelligence officer. As they navigate a world of luxury and gangland violence, they hope Anna, who is playing her own game, will be their ally. Disgraced CIA officer Artemis Aphrodite Procter sees a chance to […]
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Historical Thriller Falls Short Despite Promising Premise
Andrew Gross’s The Saboteur promises a gripping WWII tale of resistance and espionage but ultimately falls short in execution. Set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Norway, the story follows Kurt Nordstrum, a Norwegian resistance fighter who teams up with Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) to sabotage The Norsk Hydro plant, a heavily guarded factory set atop unscalable cliffs where the Nazis are manufacturing heavy water—a crucial component of nuclear weapons. It’s a mission they expect they will not survive. While the author’s meticulous research and inclusion of real historical figures add authenticity, the novel suffers from several significant flaws. One of the most glaring is the lack of character […]
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A Thrilling Tale of Espionage, Friendship, and Unfinished Business
Former spy Maggie Bird, at 60, has settled in the seaside village of Purity, Maine, hoping to leave her dangerous past behind. She lives a quiet life on her chicken farm, enjoying cocktails with her close-knit group of friends—all retired CIA operatives. But when a body is dumped in her driveway, and someone takes shots at her, Maggie soon realizes her past isn’t done with her yet. Enlisting the help of her “Martini Club,” Maggie dives back into the world of espionage to uncover who’s trying to kill her and why. Complicating matters is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau, who is more used to handling rowdy tourists than homicides […]
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The Traitor Beside Her
This book had potential but ultimately fell short of expectations. Set in 1944, it follows 21-year-old Justine Byrne, who is recruited by US Army Intelligence, to work at Arlington Hall, a code-breaking facility to uncover a traitor. Initially, the premise promised a gripping WWII espionage thriller. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t live up to that promise. The pacing was inconsistent, with the plot dragging in places where it should have been tense and thrilling. The characters, especially Justine, lacked depth and development. Though portrayed as an intelligent woman, she came across as flat and one-dimensional. The historical setting was well-researched, but it often overshadowed the plot. The repetition of words throughout […]
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The Helsinki Affair: A Spy Thriller that Misses its Mark
I always get excited for a new spy thriller, but The Helsinki Affair didn’t quite hit the target. The setup was intriguing—Amanda Cole, a CIA agent in Rome, gets a tip about a planned assassination of a US Senator. The premise promises high stakes and international intrigue. However, the execution was lackluster. Amanda’s quest to unravel an international conspiracy after the assassination takes us on a whirlwind tour from Rome to Helsinki, yet the storytelling felt bogged down by too many details and awkward sentence structures. The narrative’s frequent point of view switches, especially noticeable in the audiobook, added to the confusion rather than the suspense. Halfway through, the novel […]
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Panama Canal Coup
I just finished Command and Control, a thrilling addition to the Jack Ryan series that kept me turning pages well into the night. The legacy of Tom Clancy lives on, and this book is proof that the spirit of Jack Ryan continues to captivate readers with its intense political and military scenarios. This time, the drama unfolds around the Panama Canal, an essential artery of global trade. The plot kicks off when President Jack Ryan is caught in the middle of a coup while visiting Panama to support his friend, President Rafael Botero, against socialist threats. What was supposed to be a routine display of democratic solidarity spirals into chaos, […]
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