ESPionage: Regime Change: A Psychic CIA Novel

by Tom Easton, Frank Wu

When the Russians start an undeclared war to bring down the West with assassinations and disinformation attacks, the CIA reactivates a psychic agent from its old Project Stargate to fight off the attacks. Together with agents who once worked for Russia, France, and Mexico—plus a couple of youngsters—he brings the secret war to a blazing conclusion!Easton and Wu’s novel is a great example of the subgenre I call “sci-spy,” the fusion of present-day science fiction and modern spy adventure, but it’s more than that. It’s also about an exotic form of espionage that (if certain sources are to be believed) is more actual than you might expect. This is fiction, yes, but it’s rooted in some very strange and (possibly) very real things. — Allen SteeleAbout the Tom Easton has been publishing science fiction and fantasy since the 1970s and spent 30 years as Analog's book columnist. His latest nonfiction book is Issues to Shape Our Future (B Cubed Press, 2020).Frank Wu is a Hugo-winning artist and Analog favorite writer. He is also a biotech patent agent and had a small role in developing vaccines and tests for COVID-19.

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2023

About the author

Tom Easton has been publishing SFF since the 1970s and spent 30 years as Analog's book columnist. He is also a retired college science professor.
Latest novel, with Frank Wu: ESPionage: Regime Change (Amazing Selects, 2023) https://www.amazon.com/ESPionage-Regi...
Latest nonfiction book: Destinies: Issues to Shape Our Future (B Cubed Press, 2020) https://www.amazon.com/Destinies-Issu...
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?1173

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESPionage Regime Change by Tom Easton and Frank Wu is an unusual CIA spy novel with interesting and unusual characters and their remarkable abilities. I expected the same old, same old but got more than that. In particular, two elderly main characters held my interest. There were times when the plot became difficult to follow, but I suspect that is more my problem. There are some allusions to the current political climate but they are mostly tongue-in-cheek and not overly preachy. Enjoyable.

My thanks to LibraryThing and the authors for my copy of this book.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received this book as part of an ARC (advanced reader copy) contest. I would like to "Thank" LibraryThing for allowing me to receive a copy to review. This wasn't the typical genre I read but wanted to give it a try. I found most of the story rather boring. The story just didn't seem to flow. I had to push myself to finish the book since I was given the opportunity to read and review. The saving grace was the last third of the book was rather interesting. Something tells me the ending was left as an opening for a sequel. Time will tell. I'm not a mind reader.

[Tibbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent example of the sci-spy genre

I liked it. Snappy dialog, exciting action without being too trope-y. The authors bring reality to the fantastical. Cool book.

[Donna Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I won a copy of this book through a LibraryThing Early Reviewer's Giveaway. My review is strictly voluntary.***

When I saw the combination of espionage and the paranormal, I couldn't wait to dive in, however, I was in no way prepared for the rollercoaster ride this book was. From foreign agents to assassination attempts to world domination to every type of psychic phenomenon there is to code breaking and devious masterminds, I can't think of much this story doesn't have. Oh yes, there's even a bit of romance. All in all, a nonstop action-packed page-turning read that'll leave you wanting more.

[Shirley Kingery · Rating 4 out of 5]

ESPionage: Regime Change (A Psychic CIA Novel) is a fast-paced, edge-of-your seat, psychic action thriller. It is the first in a psychic CIA series. World leaders are being mysteriously assassinated around the globe, succumbing to heart attacks out of the blue, or spontaneously bursting into flames.

Enter a group of senior citizen psychics, all of whom used to work for their various governments. The main protagonist of the book is Gabriel, a 74 year old who helps run and is co-owner of Chez Bernie, a top notch French restaurant in Washington D.C.). His partner is another retired government agent psychic from France, Bernarde. Gabriel used to be a psychic agent doing work for the CIA. His path now crosses with an Armenian woman from Russia, another former psychic agent, Katrinka. And suddenly they are all thrust into employment again, this time with the CIA, as they work against time trying to track down a group of terrorists of unknown origin who are targeting the U.S. President and Vice President, after having already assassinated several world leaders.

Are these senior citizens up to the task of mixing it up with high tech international killers, some of whom also seem to have "powers"? Along with a couple of youngsters that join up with them, they are sure going to give it a try! They are faced with untold dangers and violence at every twist and turn. The political turmoil is sadly too close to our chaotic reality, the names and descriptions of fictional political parties all too easy to envision as a reality in the very near future.

A romantic relationship is brewing as well for Gabriel and Katrinka. Will they be able to enjoy some welll-deserved late-life happiness together?

The stakes are high all the way around. The writing is pretty good. The pacing and intense action really keep you riveted. The character development is excellent. I thought it could do with a touch more editing, but all in all it's quite an enjoyable read and I would recommend it for anyone liking psychic action stories.

[Ric · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESPionage, just capitalize the first three letters. It's amazing nobody had come up with that name before. It's right there in front of you. But there you have it: "ESPionage: Regime Change: A Psychic CIA Novel. So we're looking at what, at least I hope, will be the first in a series built around the premise of psychic specialists working in spycraft.

Knowing I would review this book, I kept short notes to remind me of some of what delighted me as I read. I'd start off with cryptography and codes, which you get a pleasant crash course in with some lovely examples. To be sure, you could write your own coded messages after one particular chapter. Book bonus! Anyway, looking back over those notes I decided they stood on their own as teasers for why you might enjoy reading it as well. So let's start with the raw notes, in a somewhat scrambled order.

Spy craft, assassinations of heads of state and misinformation campaigns

A crash course in codes

Old fashioned because... they're old?

Obsolesce of the fantastic

Ratatouille (the 2007 Disney film) and tinfoil hats

Mystery women and men

Telepaths in love

Getting older and falling in love

Running a restaurant

Defending a restaurant from attack

Telepathy, telekinesis, and foreknowledge

Of course there were more. I'm omitting some obscure notes that would just be confusing without spoileresque context. But my notes aside this book surely delivers in fun and unexpected ways. This is a story of old retired spies brought back in from the cold, long after their cold war. Think George Smiley and Gil the Arm, with a bit of Arsenic and Old Lace. OK, not spot on, but I'm hoping you will get the sense that this is a fairly unique novel that does not lend itself to direct comparisons. And because of that, Easton and Wu have artfully delivered a delight.

Let's hope we see more tales from the Psychic CIA.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

ESPionage——Regime Change. A Psychic CIA Novel
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Tom Easton and Frank Wu
Publisher: The Experimenter Publishing Company, LLC
Thank you LibraryThing for my gifted copy.

I love a good ole spy novel and this one revolves around the idea of psychic specialist being used by the CIA. I love that this books main characters are in their 50s and being over 50 was myself this was a pleasant surprise. The main characters all have psychic abilities. A group of former CIA agents and other agents from various countries are reactivated by the CIA to help with covert attacks. Gabriel is 74 now and is co-owner of a French restaurant in DC. His partner in restaurant is also a former government psychic agent for France. There is a Russian woman, Katrinka, who is also a former Russian psychic agent. The three of them are recruited through the CIA to help track down a group of terrorists who are targeting the US president vice president. The unknown group has already been connected with several other known assassination of world leaders. There is much political upheaval and turmoil occurring because of these assasinations. Will the trio be able to decipher who is responsible or will may be too late for the president and vice president. this was a quick entertaining the book will keep you on your toes. If you like Science Fiction is spy novels, you will like this one.

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[Tom Kiefer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like ESPionage: Regime Change 's concept: older long-retired telepaths (and other rare abilities) drawn back into deadly national espionage scenarios, and how that might realistically work.

Unfortunately, for me at least, the writing had a number of issues that felt like disruptive speed bumps along the way. Many times I completely lost track of who was where in a scene and who was speaking what parts of dialog (and I backed up to try to reorient myself, not always successfully) due to a frequent lack of cues. And a few times the who-was-where just didn't make sense, including one case of someone entering a building, crossing a lobby, climbing four flights of stairs and approaching a door in the time it took for one character to speak one short sentence. Just lots of clumsy writing moments that too-frequently bumped me out of the story as I backed up to figure out what I'd missed.

The story, overall, was still a mostly fun read, albeit more for the ideas behind what was happening than for the bumpy storytelling. And I did like the fair portrayal of older (70+) protagonists. However, while the end (and the "a psychic CIA novel" subtitle) clearly sets up for more story to come, I'm just not feeling the pull of interest to read them when they do.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might have nightmares about this story

I really liked this story. It was emotional and compelling. The main characters are in their 70’s. That alone makes it a different story. I liked both the male and female main characters.

I will state the authors discuss severely abused children and one of them dies. I almost stopped reading there. The main characters were furious about that and went after the bad guys. I absolutely had to find out if they got them.

I highly recommend this book. It is interesting and compelling. It is definitely out of the ordinary. I think I will read something lighter before I go on to book 2 though.

[R-laurraine Tutihasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit different from any other book I’ve read. It’s basically a spy novel with ESP ability on both sides, or possibly there are more than two sides. It gets a bit confusing. Each side must shield their thoughts from others in order to get a leg up on them.
In the mix is a love story of two people who had met long ago and are meeting again.
Much of the action takes place at a restaurant. The action is fast-moving and sometimes confusing. Everything happens so fast that it’s hard to put the book down.

[Bargle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite simply, disappointing. The story never really interested me. Neither did the characters. The whole thing just seemed rather bland. I got over a third of the way into the book and the story just didn't catch hold of me. The writing wasn't bad, but not particularly good either. Rather pedestrian.

[W.B.J. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and fun social satire! I loved the narrative of two aged spies coming out from retirement to lend their unique talents to battling an emerging threat to democracy. While bitter sweet, the story keeps you on the edge of your seat on the wild ride through drone based assassination attempts and a spy ring operating out of a posh DC restaurant. Highly recommended.

[Jay Werkheiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

ESPionage pits a quirky crew of psychic underdogs against a band of ruthless foreign agents out to assassinate the leaders of the free world. It's a fun romp through the psionic battlefield of the near future. Highly recommended!

[K.C. Grifant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the intrigue, fast-paced plotting and excellent attention to detail. I had not read a “sci spy,” or psychic-CIA mashup storyline in a novel before and enjoyed it! Solid characters, fun ideas and lots of action.

[Jjean · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting SI-FI CIA spy novel with such interesting & unusual characters - a very different way to "spy" from mind reading to drones flying around - story held my interest to the very end - even had just a little romance.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as part of LibraryThing’s early reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out pretty strong, but then it drifted off into different threads and the story weakened because of it. Still it ended strong.

[Karynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cool take on a sci-fi book but it wasn’t for me.