Charles Cumming is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.  His spy novels, in particular, are grounded fully in reality without the fancy equipment, car chases or thrilling daring do.  They are in the tradition of John Le Carré with meticulous attention to detail with a focus on the psychological aspects of being and recruiting spies while acknowledging the human cost of this kind of life. Cummings writes with a hard edged soulfulness that is both refreshing and insightful.

Thomas Kell was done with MI6. His last mission had ended badly and Rachel, the woman he loved, had been killed on his last mission. He still carried the burden of that loss and the guilt that he had been in some small part to blame for her death. Besides, being a spy had taken its toll on his life in other ways to numerous to count. It was time to let it go, and find a new life.

That is until Mowbray, one of his fellow intelligence officers, told him that he had seen Alexander Minasian, a Russian agent who Kell held responsible for Rachel’s death, in Egypt while on vacation with his wife. Everyone had assumed that Minasian was dead and Kell could hardly believe what he was hearing since the agency had declared Minasian dead in the aftermath of the terrible debacle which had taken Rachel’s life. But as Mowbray showed the pictures he had discreetly taken while on vacation, Kell began to believe it was true. Mowbray also described in detail how Minasian had been with an older gentleman and indicated they were clearly lovers which was also surprising, since Minasian was married to the daughter of one of Putin’s oligarchs.

Suddenly Kell was in the game again only this time he is set on revenge. But as he delves deeper into the complicated life of Minasian he begins to see someone who is not so unlike himself. When Minasian’s lover is suddenly killed, Kell begins to suspect that someone else is also after Minasian and in a strange twist of fate Kell and Minasian must begin to work together to thwart a much larger threat.

Cummings is a great writer who knows how to develop his characters realistically and subtly. This is the third in a series of books about Kell, who keeps asking the larger existential questions about his work and his own life. As he engages with Minasian and the larger threats which emerge we see how Kell, must think beyond the duality of friend vs enemy and develop another way to think about things even if it means risking his relationships with his own agency. Exciting, soulful, and well written- his books are a spy novel lovers dream books!

Brenda’s Rating: **** (4 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian and Keith

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.