Richard Knox is a secret agent in big trouble. He’s been hung out to dry by a traitor in MI5, and the only way to clear his name could destroy him. Meanwhile in a secret Russian city, brilliant scientist Irina Valera makes a discovery that will change the world, and hand the KGB unimaginable power

Desperate for a way back into MI5, Knox finds an unlikely ally in Abey Bennett, a CIA recruit who’s determined to prove herself whatever the cost…

Quite an interesting read! Not something that I am familiar with and I enjoyed it more than I expected!

It is such a well written plot and narrated through the detailed versions of the three main characters Richard Knox, Abey Bennett and Irina Valera. The background stories of all the three of them are so engaging. It covers all the elements relating to the Cold War era such as the secrecy, spies network, espionage and the competition among the major world powers.

Apart from all the interesting historical facts, the plot also contains sufficient twists to keep you engaged right till the end. Overall, an excellent spy thriller!

Thank You NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for this ARC! ( )

I chose this book on the basis of a recommendation from Charles Cumming, whose books I have always enjoyed for their compelling plots and generally empathetic protagonists.

The field of contemporary spy fiction is currently rather crowded with the likes of Cumming and Mick Herron securing loyal followings. Tim Glister’s book is, however, set in the past, and focuses on the development of the Cold War in the early 1960s. it is an interesting, and fertile period to choose: the Soviet Union had unsettled American complacency by managing to be the first superpower to send a man into space, and both sides are eager to explore the potential of the spy satellite.

The principal character here is Knox, a dogged senior operative within MI5. As the novel opens, he has just been suspended for disciplinary issues. Having been a bit of an outside, unable to call on the connections afforded to most of his more affluent colleagues through the old boy network, his own progress had been achieved mainly by merit, although he did have a powerful mentor in the shape of Holland, the former Director General of the Service. Holland has, however, succumbed to a sudden stroke, and his acting successor, Manning, is far from a fan of Knox. That antipathy is mutual, and Knox is becoming increasingly convinced that Manning is a Soviet mole.

Meanwhile, in a closed city in the northern reaches of Russia, in the arctic wastes near the Finnish border, accomplished scientist Irina Valera is engaged in experiments to test new means of radio communication between the earth and orbiting satellites, while struggling also to overcome the prejudices and inequalities that her gender cause for her. Disaster will soon befall Valera, driving her to turn her back on her past and seek freedom, at whatever personal cost. Valera’s and Knox’s paths will soon cross in the most devastating manner.

This is a fast paced story, and Glister focuses on the plot. It would not be fair to say the characters are two dimensional, but he does not tarry overlong to develop them. The plot is sufficiently robust for this not to detract from the novel. I may have been a bit spoiled in the past, having grown accustomed to the purple prose of le Carre, or the bawdy hinterland of Mick Herron’s Jackson Lamb, but this brisk tale, perhaps more grounded in the tradition of John Buchan (although without his beautiful prose) offered a welcome temporary change. ( )