Framing the Dialogue

Posts Tagged ‘russians’

Spy Catcher

The book’s inscription says “One of my gifts, January 14, 1989.”  The gift was given a year or so after Spy Catcher was first published and I found it on a shelf at the End Of The Line bookstore (a charity bookstore in a train car).  The selection is vast, but is hit or miss as far as any particular book.  I have found some rather unusual and old books.  Spy Catcher caught my eye and I thought it was a novel about the world of espionage.  Had I paid attention to the cover I would have noted that it was subtitled “The candid autobiography of a senior Intelligence Officer.”  Author Peter Wright was indeed a “spy catcher” or perhaps more accurately a spy suspecter. 

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American Assassin

I don’t know how author Vince Flynndoes it, I just hope that he does it for a very very long time.  In his latest Mitch Rapp novel Flynn takes us back to the beginning of Rapp’s “career” navigating in the World’s sleazy underworld of terrorists, mobsters, gun dealers, corrupt bankers, and crocked politicians.  After intense training, super hero Mitch Rapp becomes an American Assassin as he brings the fight to our enemies.  We get to hate the Russians and Islamic Extremists in the same book.  Cocky and brash would be appropriate words to describe Rapp, but you would have to add highly successful to the list of the CIA’s covert operative.  Covert may not be the proper term as there is no direct, official connection between Rapp’s group and the CIA. 

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Rules of Engagement

I walked into our living room a few nights ago and my daughter was watching Miracle which is the Hollywood version of the United States’ hockey team winning the Olympic Gold Medal at the 1980 games in Lake Placid, New York.  I had stuff to do, but I made the mistake of sitting down and got hooked.  I had seen the movie before and remembered the actual event (I even think I had saved the Sports Illustrated magazine that came out after the win).

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The Silent Man

I was looking for a quick book to read as I took a break from Tim Ferris’ Four Hour Work Week.  It is not that the book is bad, but there is so much to absorb that I wanted something mindless.  The Silent Man caught my eye as I searched the newly released paperbacks.  None other than the New York Times extolled it virtues; “The Silent Man succeeds in seizing the attention from the start and never letting go.”

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The Defector

The Russians are back from the Cold War in Daniel Silva’s new thriller in the Gabriel Allon series.  This may be his best work yet as I could not wait for it to hit the shelves.  The Defector did not disappoint as I could not put it down. 

For those of you who did not know, the Russians were the bad guys.  As usual, Silva uses current political events as a backdrop for this novel surround the secret community of spies.

I highly recommend that you add The Defector to your summer reading list.  You really don’t have to read the others in this series, but you will enjoy this book more if you first read Moscow Rules.

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Tsar

If you like action/adventure novels Ted Bell is one of my favorite writers.  If you have already read Bell’s other adventures of Sir Alex Hawke, you will really love this one.  In my opinion Tsar was by far the best of Ted Bell’s novels.  It was very difficult to put down…literally.

I was so entranced with the story of Hawke trying to save the world from a resurgent and brutal Russia that I almost skipped July 3 fireworks.  Our town actually had their fireworks on Friday night.  I was tempted to stay home and finish the book, but I had promised the family that I would go with them.  I did finish when I got home that night.  

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