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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN num: 9780312366391
ISBN number: 0312366396
Label: St. Martin's Press
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: November 25, 2008
Publishing house: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: November 25, 2008
Sale Popularity Level: 191613
Studio: St. Martin's Press
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'The best of the new generation of British spy writers taking over where le Carre and Deighton left off.' -- Observer (London) on The Spanish Game 'The serpentine twists and the unflaggingly realistic suspense leave you breathless, but spellbound.' -- Daily Mail (London) on The Spanish Game 'Tautly written, cleverly plotted...reminded me strongly of the early books of John le Carre.' -- Robert Harris, author of The Ghost, on A Spy by Nature Six years ago, Alec Milius was released by MI6 after a disasterous operation. His world shattered, Milius has been living in Madrid, attempting to put his former life as a spy behind him, and quitely rebuild his life. But all his plans come crashing down when the head of a separatist movement goes missing, and Milius is lured back into the world of espionage, the brutal world of lies and desperation. This time, though, Milius is forced to work alone - with no back-up, no support, and no one to save him should something go wrong. And in an operation like this, something is certain to go wrong. Horribly wrong.
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Rated by buyers 
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Following the disastrous events that went totally wrong (see A SPY BY NATURE), M-16 blames espionage agent Alec Milius for the fiasco although he was a rookie and his side failed to communicate with their American counterparts; he also blames himself. Fired by his agency and no longer seeking adventure, Alex relocates to Madrid where he works for a British owned bank. Filled with guilt and doubts, Alex hopes staying low key will keep him safe as he would not be shocked to find his former employers, the CIA sending assassins or a rogue colleague holding him responsible by taking him out.
In Spain, Alec is having an affair with the wife of his boss Julian Church while using alcohol to numb his crippling remorse. Julian assigns Alec with a special project that has him traveling into the Basque sector of Spain. There he meets Mikel Arenaza, a former Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) Basque separatist party member. Soon after their encounter someone kills Mikel. Alec is caught in the middle between ETA hardliners, Spanish cops, and apparently his former British associates and their cross Atlantic partners.
This is a superb espionage thriller as Alec, filled with remorse and uncertainty about his skills, expects his former colleagues or their peers to take him out. He lives looking over his shoulder with a hesitant step. The story line is fabulous with timely solid twists, but Alec makes the tale; as a disgraced spy in exile waiting for the cold to come to him. THE SPANISH GAME will be on most short lists as one of top three espionage thrillers of the year.
Harriet Klausner
Rated by buyers 
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Charles Cumming's "A SPY BY NATURE" was brilliant and original, containing a voice that rivals the great Le Carre. Alec Milius, the protagonist of that novel, is a realistic young spy who could very well be the bloke subsequent door. "THE SPANISH GAME" is the second novel featuring the character, and the story takes up a few years after the end of the very first book.
I enjoyed "THE SPANISH GAME" a lot. Great sense of place and locations, well-drawn characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing. It's not quite the revelation that "SPY BY NATURE" was, hence the 4-star rating, and I felt that the very first half of the book took a while to start moving in a page-turning fashion--but the second half of the book is riveting.
I look forward to more Alec Milius. Cheers to Charles Cumming, who effortlessly makes it obvious that he's a very talented author.
Rated by buyers -
This book is quite satisfying. It is not as good as John Le Carre at his best (the George Smiley series), but on balance, for an author that evidently lacks a professional background in intelligence, it filled time crossing the Atlantic and I could not ask for more.
A few highlights that struck me as worthy of a note:
The author does a good job of depicting the pain and discomfort of car surveillance, but completely misses the most important part: the stench of two human beings and assorted drinks and foods after 10 hours can be quite over-whelming.
He does a good job of pointing outthat historical repression is not forgotten and highly relevant to evaluationg today's events.
He does a fine job of outlining how rogue counter-intelligence operaitons, unsanctioned murders of suspected terrorists, makes the perpetrators no better than those they seek to neutralize. I was among those who signed the letter to Senator John McCain against CIA's practice of rendition and torture, CIA Director Mike Hayden's second violation of the Constitution and his oath of office (the very first was his warrantless wiretaps when Director of NSA, a decision since ruled illegal by the courts).
Thee author addresses the questions: how do you fight terror if out of control rogue elements adopt terror as their own tactic?
There are enough Spanish-language phrases to justify the tax write-off the author undoubtedly took for his travels to Spain.
I absolutely love his point toward the end, "the terrorists did not count on the government's covering up." This is what happened when President Kennedy was assassinated by a CIA-trained and CIA-equipped team of Cuban exiles who murdered our President for his "betrayal" at the Bay of Pigs.
He touches on how 20-30 families control Spain (this is generally true in many countries, in El Salvador they refer to the "14 families."
Bottom line: decent and recommended. When the author absorbed more professional trade-craft and focuses more on the story line and less on the scattering of tax-deductible Spanish phrases, he just might exceed John Le Carre. I will watch for his future offerings, and plan to buy and read anything he writes in the future.
See also:
Smiley's People
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
The Looking Glass War
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