[usr 5]
The Righteous Spy, by Merle Nygate is a spy thriller which follows in the footsteps of great spy stories. The subtle difference is that you don’t actually know who to trust as we follow Eli, Rafi and Petra on a plot to gain British SIS acceptance of Mossad’s ability to intercede in UK spying activities, through the use of unsuspecting Sahar.
Although the book does not have action hero’s like James Bond or Jason Bourne, it burns slowly and builds like a good Wagnerian symphony into an amazing and, in this case, an unexpected crescendo.
The characters are well formed and that grows a relationship with the reader. The use of common language, ensures that we don’t forget who we are dealing with, not just a UK or US agent handler.
The story manipulates us between glimpses of what may be construed as a practical example of living with the constant threat of attack, and the clandestine going on of agents operating on foreign soil. As Sahar writes in her diary:
‘My dresses and trousers are hanging inside out. I’m confused at the moment. We always do that, don’t we brother, we do that when the bombs fall, the houses shake and the windows shatter; when the dust rises up and billows like clouds of sand in a storm; the dust and debris doesn’t cover our clothes.’
In all I found the story pulling me in – wanting to know what was on the next page. The ending was not as I suspected. But the question begging is – was it really the end?
Merle Nygate has written a spy thriller with a difference and I would highly recommend The Righteous Spy.
Book Review – Insidious Intent – Val McDermid
Val McDermids tenth outing for Tony Hill and Carol Jordan, Insidious Intent has a shocking denouement and a letter from Ms Mcdermid not to spoil it for other fans and readers, so I’m not going to.
Needless to say it is a story with a complex interaction between Hill & Jordan, who is coming to terms with her alcoholism and a dubious escape from a drink drive charge. Being chased by a malicious journalist intent on bringing Jordan down does not help her situation.
The setting up of a new Regional Major Incident Team run by Jordan, needs to find its feet but is dogged by a series of sick murders from a clever and unemotional killer with a warped sense of motivation. Dubbed ‘The Wedding Killer’ by the press, Jordan and Hill and their not so happy team of sidekicks meet many dead ends and investigational misdirection. This brings the team under more pressure from Jordan’s senior officers, who threaten to shut the unit down if she doesn’t get results.
Having finally identified the killer the only way Jordan can get the evidence she needs is to put herself in danger. I’ll stop there – spoilers!
As with all McDermid’s novels, this one takes you to places you don’t want to go. It is well plotted, and deeply emotional in some parts. The murders are well defined and the murderer is, within crime fiction, the type of psychopathic unhinged individual readers have come to love.
You don’t have to have read all of Hill and Jordans’ tales to get involved in Insidious Intent. It’ll drag you into the pages and you’ll have difficulty putting in down. I certainly did.
Recommended read for all crime fiction fans.