Moscow X

by David McCloskey

CIA operatives Sia and Max enter Russia to recruit Vladimir Putin’s moneyman. Sia works for a London firm that conceals the wealth of the super-rich. Max’s family business in Mexico—a CIA front since the 1960s—is a farm that breeds high-end racehorses. They pose as a couple, and their targets are Vadim, Putin’s private banker, and his wife, Anna, who is both a banker and an intelligence officer. As they descend further into a Russian world dripping with luxury and rife with gangland violence, Sia and Max’s hope may be Anna, who is playing a game of her own. Careening between the horse ranch and the dark opulence of Saint Petersburg, Moscow X is both a gripping thriller of modern espionage and a daring work of political commentary on the conflict between Washington and Moscow.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, Spy Thriller, Russia, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

460 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

David McCloskey is the author of the novels Damascus Station, Moscow X, The Seventh Floor, and The Persian, and is cohost of the podcast The Rest Is Classified. A former CIA analyst, he worked at Langley and in field stations across the Middle East. He lives in Texas.

Reviews

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following the success of his debut, Damascus Station, which happens to be one of the best debut spy novels written, David McCloskey had a lot to live up to. Not only is Moscow X a worthy follow-up, it proves McCloskey is not just a one-hit wonder nor just a pretty face. The CIA believes they have a way to get to Putin’s private banker– through the man’s wife, Anna. She is stunning, smart and absolutely hates her husband. Seems like a solid plan. But there’s a lot more to Anna. A dangerous game of cat-and-mouse ensues with dire consequences not only for the cats and mice, but holds worldwide ramifications. 


Shit, Moscow X is  good. Real good. Recency bias aside, Damascus Station is in my top three spy novels written. Moscow X is probably top ten. Who does that? Daniel Silva aside, no one. 


If you are looking for a read that flies out of the gate, Moscow X isn’t it. It is a cat-and-mouse game of the highest order. McCloskey uses the first ~30% to set his table just right. When he arrives at that point, Moscow X takes off and there is no looking back. 


McCloskey knows the intelligence arena as well as anyone today but he is head-and-shoulders above most on character development, their backstories and how he employs said characters. The “bad” guys are typically smart, devious, and dastardly. The “good” guys are where he strays from our perception of what intelligence assets “should” be. Characters who would look more at home at an AA or Sex Anonymous meeting rather than at Langley. McCloskey’s talent at putting unlikely people in unlikely organizations and/or in extraordinary circumstances is the secret sauce.


It’s not fair to the rest of us mortals to be so good at something from the start. I also saw where McCloskey said he had a dickens of a time with Moscow X. Which doesn’t help my self-esteem because you would never know it if he hadn’t said it. I mean, who does that? Apparently David McCloskey.  I don’t have to say it but Moscow X gets my highest recommendation. 


Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of Moscow X! 

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you read “Damascus Station?” I did not, and as in any series, it is probably better to read the first book in the series, before reading the next one.

But…I still felt like this book could be read as a stand-alone.

This one…Is a terrific plot with compelling characters. Filled with nuance and detail, it captures the contradictions of the spy world and of Russia itself.

McCloskey is brilliant at showcasing the nature of espionage in a digital world, along with details on how to profile an individual that is desired to become an asset for the “other side.” The author’s utilization of social media accounts, cellphone records, travel data, tax databases and surveillance cameras feel so real, it is almost like watching a real-time crime show as they figure out how to unmask the perpetrator of the crime.

And…The author’s descriptions of CIA headquarters and the Washington policy establishment feel amazingly true-to-life. Are they? I am not an insider…

But…I felt like one as I read this story.

This book is an entertaining cat-and-mouse espionage thriller, leaving readers wondering…

Could this be really happening?

Considering McCloskey’s background as a former CIA analyst, I trust he knows what he is writing about here.

If you are a fan of espionage stories, you have come to the right place.

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thriller that actually churns up deep dread and intense suspense is always welcome. If it spends many pages throwing rotten eggs at Vladimir Putin, even better.

Books written by people who actually know what they're talking about are a breath of fresh air. I have no way to judge the authenticity of McCloskey's descriptions of highly secretive CIA operations, of course, but the level of detail here surpasses many other works of this type I've read, and none of it sounds stupid or invented. In many instances, I was impressed with his word choice. Here, after a tough meeting, a boss tries to console his subordinate, words and tone evoking the reassurances whispered to a beloved dog moments before it is euthanized. And here's an example of somebody sounding like they know what they're talking about. In Russia:

Arrests demanded mountains of paperwork. Thankfully the documents cataloguing Apagov's criminal promiscuity were simple to collect because one cannot live in Russia without breaking the law--it is an ensnaring thicket, ingrown and contradictory, making everyone a criminal. The trick is merely finding the right law. He was fond of Stalin's proverb: Your lack of criminal record is not to your merit. It is our flaw.

* * * * *

If you intend to sell, buy, store or ship chemicals in the United States, you need to keep on hand something called the Material Safety Data Sheet, which outlines potential hazards associated with it. There's a chemical consisting of eight carbon atoms, four nitrogens, two oxygens and ten hydrogens, arranged in two rings. Here's what the Safety Data says:

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

Appearance: white solid.
Warning! Harmful if swallowed.
Target Organs: Heart, central nervous system.
Ingestion: Harmful if swallowed. May cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Ingestion increases the metabolic rate causing warm, flushed and moist skin, muscular weakness, rapid heart rate, insomnia, nervousness, increased metabolism and weight loss. May cause ataxia, blood pressure elevation, convulsions, hallucinations, hypermotility, muscle contraction or spasticity, somnolence (general depressed activity), toxic psychosis, tremors and death.

This nasty chemical is popularly known as 'caffeine,' in its pure crystalline form. I bring this up because the CIA can, on the evidence presented here, stick miniature video cameras on the wall that are indistiguishable from nailheads; fly drones deep into enemy territory and eavesdrop on private conversations; filter through every phone call ever made to find damning evidence when required. But, in keeping with spy novel cliches, there is one thing they apparently cannot do, which is make a decent cup of coffee. The coffee in this novel is 'sludgy,' 'terrible,' 'black death,' 'emetic' and so on. Which drives one young female computer nerd to consume an entire case of Jolt cola at a sitting, which (I did the math) is not quite enough caffeine to bring death, but is likely to result in seizures.

Can somebody teach the CIA to make coffee so we can retire this particular cliche? Thanks.

* * * * *

But heck, I was willing to overlook that, due to the way I was pulled into this story and actually cared about the people in it. Well, except for the other cliche, the trash-talking, chain-smoking, baseball-bat-wielding-office-furniture-smashing grizzled female CIA chief. Similar to my caffeine aside, this woman downed three 12-ounce glasses of vodka in about forty minutes and then slept it off in a helicopter. In this respect she outperformed both Jimi Hendrix and the late AC/DC singer Bon Scott, who failed to survive in similar circumstances. Despite this lifestyle, we learn that she looks pretty good naked. Okay, if you say so.

But hey! Even with this character, McCloskey has some fun: At the dining room table, Proctor immediately fumbled a meatball and it rolled off onto the floor, leaving a saucy trail behind. Then she picked it up and ate it. "So, tell me everything," she said, her mouth full. When you've got a full bottle of vodka sloshing around in your belly, what's a few dog hairs?

I'm poking fun, but the bottom line is that I really enjoyed this and will read the first book in this series, Damascus Station in the very near future.

[Barbara K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m afraid I can’t summon up more than 3 stars for this one. As Left Coast Justin points out in his excellent review, the writing is above average in many places and the sense of menace for anyone, anywhere, any time in Russia is extremely well conveyed.* And of course, it’s always fun when a book pokes fun at Putin.

But I found the plot on the preposterous end of the scale, and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, who all seem to have been dreamed up by Hollywood script writers. There are three strong women (well, two strong and one semi-strong), which would normally be an attraction for me. But their qualities are so exaggerated that they seemed like cutouts. Well, maybe not the semi-strong one, who was a bit more believable, but overall, pretty cartoonish.

I guess I like my espionage novels on the more contemplative side, something like The Peacock and the Sparrow or Beirut Station: Two Lives of a Spy or anything by Le Carre. (Except, of course, for the Slow Horse novels, which are a genre unto themselves.)

*Thoughts of Brittany Griner’s ordeal made this all the more vivid. All the characters in this book had some reason that could justify throwing them in prison or a work camp, but jeez, she was just a basketball player. And she wasn’t exactly treated kindly - so how much worse for people who are really spies or traitors?

LBC

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this ARC via a GoodReads Giveaway but the review is entirely my own opinion.

This was not an easy quick read, lots of characters, lots of scene setting and establishment of the basic plot. Lots of geography and government-related formalities to get used to. My one wish would be that the book could have included a few maps to give the reader a better feel for the many locations that are included.

That said, once I got into the flow of the story I soon became engrossed and found I got through the second half of the book at a much faster pace than the first. Given that the author has a history in the CIA he obviously brings a level of personal knowledge and experience to this novel. Of course the characters (aside from brief mentions of Putin and POTUS and the like) are fictional and the plot itself is also fictional but there is the feel of following real life espionage protocol with danger around every corner.

The story would likely make a great movie!

[Jibraun · Rating 1 out of 5]

McCloskey falls prey to the dreaded sophomore slump. He had all the time in the world to write his first terrific novel Damascus Station, an interesting novel about CIA espionage in Syria during its civil war. The characters were well-rounded. The spycraft was grounded and interesting. The setting was intense. And the stakes were high. The prose was also decent. Here, writing on a much shorter timeline, that all basically disappears. You read about horses way too damn much, including in which manner they have sex (seriously). The spycraft is poor. The characters are boring. The stakes are low. And the writing falls flat with the prose being laughable at points, leading me to simply write "bad writing" in the margins. DNF at the 1/3 mark. 0 stars.

[Eric Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Earlier this year I read and reviewed “Damascus Station” by former CIA officer David McCloskey. I thought it a competent thriller and enjoyed it. I looked forward to reading the second book in the series, “Moscow X”, when it would be published. Well, it’s now been published, I’ve read it and I didn’t like it. First of all, it feels like a very long book. My Kindle kept telling me that I had so many more hours left that I nearly gave up. The plot is both convoluted and plodding — not a good combination. There’s lots of violence and by the end, central characters have lost their arms, toes and, in some cases, their lives. The plot, as I understood it, revolves around Russian oligarchs and horse breeding. I’m not entirely sure what the CIA was attempting to do other than stir up trouble in Moscow. In that sense, maybe this makes it a more accurate spy thriller than most. But ‘accurate’ does not mean good, and I struggled to maintain interest in the story until the end.

[Deepak Bassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. After reading Damascus Station, I was intrigued to see if David can outdo himself. Moscow X delivered! The book is very detailed, plotted and described. Each page I felt I was right there in the room while it was unfolding. I hope that the story of Sia, Max and Anna continues in the future! David, I wish you gave us 2-3 novels a year.

[Bruce Raterink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced, espionage novel full of fascinating characters. I have not read David McCloskey's other novel but it is now on the top of my TBR list. I loved the strong female characters, the plot was as intriguing as it was captivating. I literally could not put this down. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for an advanced reader copy.

[Kevin Stumpf · Rating 1 out of 5]

I need to be able to rate zero stars. But I am unable, so 1 star it is. I cannot fathom how ANYBODY could rate this book 5 stars or how it has an overall 4+ rating.

This may be the worst book I have ever read.

It could have EASILY been a 50 page novella. Just skip to chapter 68. There is ZERO action, too many unneeded characters, plot points that have no bearing on the overall plot, characters with more than one name, zero rising action (because did I mention there is no action) and definitely no climax, or falling action.

This book markets itself as a novel, not a thriller. There is no doubt about that.

The only thrill this book supplied this reader was when I reached THE END!! Why I did not quit reading? It’s a small character flaw. I’m no quitter, but this book surely put that to the test.

HORRIBLE.

[Julian Worker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had some high hopes for this book.

I read the 'praise' for the book at the start, reviewers comparing the author to John Le Carre.

Well, it serves me right for reading those reviews, as I was expecting an understated and thoughtful spy as the main character. Instead I received the exact opposite.

However, I kept going as the story is fast-paced and covers a number of geographical locations mainly in America and the Russian Federation.

I really can't say much more than this as it would give away the ending, but if you read the blurb on the back cover, that is the story in a nutshell.

[Colin Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I enjoy the genre and believed the 5-star reviews. This will be the first book in a long time that I don't finish because I just lost interest; there's no rising action or any real drama here at all—just a lifeless readout. Trust me, you should trust the bad reviews here.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few months ago, I was introduced to David McClosky’s first novel, DAMASCUS STATION. The book was a “thriller,” and though it was a fictional account that focused in large part on the Syrian Civil War, its realistic portrayal of events had characteristics of non-fiction and created a portal for the reader to view events in the Middle East through the lens of an American intelligence operative. Further, it offered an accurate portrayal of how CIA agents operated in the field, how they were trained, and why their work is so important to American national security. In his newest novel McClosky, a former CIA analyst and consultant at McKinsey and Company has authored MOSCOW X another entertaining work that a former CIA operative describes as a “brilliant novel that captures the nuances of field work in hostile environments and the terror that grips every intelligence officer when confronting enemies.”

In his latest effort McClosky creates an intricate plot that must be followed carefully. It opens as an FSB agent on a mission from the FSB head steals an enormous sum of money from a billionaire oligarch who preceded the FSB head. In response to this action, the oligarch’s daughter, an SVR operative plots to recover the money and respond to threats against her family’s wealth. The daughter is married to another FSB agent, who also happens to be in charge of $700 million of Vladimir Putin’s personal treasure.

As the novel evolves, McClosky introduces two scenarios. First, we are introduced to Artemis Aphrodite Proctor, CIA Station Chief in Tajikistan, who succumbs to a honey trap set by the FSB and refuses recruitment resulting in her dispatch to Langley, Virginia. The actions Proctor takes form a central part of the story. Second, involves the wealth of Andrei Apagov, chairman of Rossiya Industrial, a Russian conglomerate swollen with the state’s most strategic assets. Apagov’s bank is robbed of 200 gold bars by FSB Lieutenant Colonel Konstantine Konstanstinovich Chernov, a Russian nationalist whose boss, Vassily Platonovich Gusev, known as “Goose,” has ordered the seizure against an old foe. Apagov wants his daughter Anna who is a SVR operative to investigate what has occurred before they confront President Putin who may lock them away in Siberia and steal the rest of their wealth. It is Anna’s job to infiltrate Goose’s operation to recover the family’s assets and in doing so must use her estranged husband Vadim Kovalchuk, head of the Private Wealth Division at Bank Rossiya as bait.

These two scenarios come together and at times overlap as the espionage thriller evolves. McClosky creates the realistic atmosphere of spy tradecraft. His discussion of what it was like to enter Russia as an outsider, the types of surveillance Russians employ, the tools needed to survive all seem spot on, i.e., various devices CIA and FSB “techies” can deliver; preparation for the op – plying people with vodka, creating antidotes for Russian food and drinking etc. McClosky provides an in depth analysis as to how the FSB goes after someone it is trying to ruin as Stalin’s NKVD used to argue that “your lack of a criminal record is not to your merit. It is our flaw.”

Apart from the characters previously mentioned, McClosky introduces a series of personalities that are key to the story’s development. Hortensia (Sia) Fox works at the Hynes, Dawson law firm which laundered money and protected oligarch wealth at the same time as working for the CIA. Maximiliano Castillo, a Mexican horse rancher whose family has worked with the CIA for decades. Most importantly is Aphrodite Proctor who upon returning to CIA headquarters developed an operation to flip Anna or her estranged husband, Vadim as a means of gaining access to important personal information pertaining to Putin’s wealth. McClosky carefully develops each character and their personal agendas as the plot unfolds – a plot that is emblematic of the CIA–FSB conflict that is ongoing today.

There are other important characters, but the key is that as Proctor employs Sia and Max to recruit Anna for the CIA, Anna is trying to recruit Sia for the SVR. Sia and Anna would soon realize they had a common enemy and should work together despite the fact they had different goals in mind. They will form a key element as the CIA hopes to take advantage of internal Russian squabbles concerning money, property, and Putin’s overall wealth.

McClosky introduces a different element in his current work that differs from DAMASCUS STATION and events pertaining to the Syrian Civil War. The use of technology is at the forefront of the effort to gain secrets relevant to Putin’s wealth. Different technologies are integrated into the story as CIA “techies” penetrate Vadim’s personal computer and other sites and sources which takes the plot to a new level.

The details of surveillance, arrests, threats, disinformation, and violence are all essential to the outcome of the plot. McClosky’s observations are relevant to today’s attitude by large swaths of the Russian population. As Anna argues with Sia that she does not want to overthrow Putin. She sees herself as a Russian patriot believing that Russia has always been ruled by an autocrat and that governmental system is the only way the Russian people can survive. She argues that the Russian people seem comfortable with corruption and chaos which was the norm and she, as most Russians today have no problem with it.

McClosky has authored another intense espionage caper mixing tradecraft and glitz to maintain the reader’s attention. The plot is loaded with double and triple crosses and after about 100 pages you will not want to stop reading this mesmerizing tale of intrigue.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

That got me out of the reading doldrums. Thrilling!

[Jean Kolinofsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lawyer Sia Fox was assigned the task of helping Vassily Gusev, an associate of Putin, to hide the money that he has smuggled out of Russia through a series of business transactions. Several weeks later she is contacted by Anna Agapov, the daughter of Gusev’s rival. She would like Sia to represent her own interests in financial dealings. Sia’s position is a cover for her CIA activities, while Anna is a member of Russian Intelligence. It is a spy vs spy situation where Sia would like to recruit Anna, while Anna is looking to force Sia to help her against Gusev. Anna’s husband Vadim is one of Putin’s bankers and Moscow X, a secret department within the CIA, would love to gain access to his records.

This is David McCloskey’s follow up to the excellent Damascus Station and he has once again written a page-turner. He takes you through the planning and training for an operation that becomes a game of cat and mouse. Vadim is the owner of a horse farm and Max Castillo, a Mexican breeder, is enlisted to draw him in. Sia poses as his girlfriend to assess the possibility of enlisting Anna. When they are invited to Russia, Sia is caught in a set-up to force her to work with Anna. Things turn very quickly when Gusev arranges the arrest of Anna’s father. While McCloskey spends much of the beginning developing his characters and providing their backstories, the action takes off once Sia and Max arrive in Russia. This is a spy thriller that allows you to become fully invested in the characters and leaves you hoping for their return in the future. It is highly recommended. I would like to thank NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Co. for providing this book for my review.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

After beating up a Russian agent for trying to turn her, Artemis Aphrodite Proctor is in the doghouse. Desperate for something to do, she starts an operation against Russia.

Very dense.

[GAllonFan1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC and provide a review.

The debut novel, Damascus Station, by this author was so good that I wondered if he would suffer a sophomore slump. Quite frankly, there was nothing to worry about as I absolutely loved this novel and just couldn't put it down. There are quite a few characters, but I found myself becoming completely engrossed in the story. I feel that we Americans do not have a good grasp of what life must be like for Russians, even those in higher positions within the government, and this made me feel like I could understand them a little better. Anyways, I found this to be one of the better espionage novels that believably wove the various different and complex alliances that are a daily part of fascist Russian life. I wonder if there is any chance we will see these characters in a follow up novel as I became totally invested in them. Definitely a page turner that should be picked up. 5-stars!!!!

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Moscow X by David McCloskey is a worthy second book after the excellent Damascus Station.

Artemis Proctor, bonkers but brilliant station chief (who we previously met in Damascus) is returned to Langley after an unfortunate ‘coming together’ in Russia. Given leeway she devises a complex plan to get revenge and gain some Russian assets. Step up London Lawyer Sia and Mexican racehorse owner Max, both CIA officers, to ensnare Anna and her husband Vladim. Vladim is one of Putin’s money men and Anna is the daughter of a high ranking retired SVR officer and comes with her own angles.

This is an intricately plotted book, which perhaps tips a little into convoluted. It’s a page turner, the pace is frantic and it’s almost impossible to get under the skin of who to trust and how things might end. It’s superb fun. The characters were difficult to like (save for Proctor) which perhaps took off a little of the shine.

Thanks to Swift Press and Netgalley for an ARC. Really looking forward to the next David McCloskey.

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit to feeling a little bit disappointed with the latest offering from McCloskey, especially after the success of his debut, Damascus Station. This book felt like an elaborate cat and mouse operation which spun its web too widely, resulting in a lack of plot development until the final few chapters.

I didn’t relate to the suspense facing either of the main characters in the same way that I did in McCloskey’s first novel, meaning at times this book almost felt like a chore to get through. While I understand that this is probably a more realistic take on the traditional espionage novel, this time it felt like this truth came at the expense of good plot and pacing.

Overall not a bad novel but definitely a let down after the bar was set so high the first time!

[Jaime Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Downhill From Damascus Station

Hard to believe this is the same author of Damascus Station.
This book is mostly disgusting, almost sick in many aspects. The grossly stereotyped characters, their supposedly fancy habits, the twisted sex stories, the also not so normal story of the horses, everything makes this, quite directly, a bad book.
It was quite hard not to abort reading it before the end.
I will definitely not buy another book from this author.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Large ensemble cast, mostly wooden and unappealing. Horses, and enough booze to float a supertanker. Bad sex. Slow build-up and complex plot that, halfway through, erupts into violence.

And. I. Simply. Did. Not. Care.

[Martin Brabazon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric and action-packed modern day spy thriller with a proper ending and a walk-on part from the man himself. A perfect read for a chilly English winter to ease you into a new year.

[Andreas Tornberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thrilling and gripping spy story but unfortunately it didn't engage me as much as I had expected.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable nonsense. Not nearly as good as Damascus Station. I found the characters implausible and unpleasant.

[Alberto Illán Oviedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuenta el autor que éste, su segundo libro, le ha costado mucho más que el primero. Tiene lógica. Supongo que cuando tenemos una idea brillante, su desarrollo, no exento de dificultades, está más guiado por el entusiasmo que por la coherencia, aunque con las revisiones pueda arreglarse. Sin embargo, en los siguientes libros creo que puede prevalecer más la coherencia, un producto más trabajado, que importe la calidad desde el principio y que ese entusiasmo no aparezca para acelerar la redacción y cueste más. Creo que se le nota en ‘Moscú X’. Es un libro con mucho más trabajo, pero la historia pierde cierta frescura que tenía el primer libro. Esto no le hace una lectura menor que ‘Estación Damasco’. ‘Moscú X’ mantiene el interés, aunque dada su trama, la captación de activos, no es hasta el final donde estalla la acción y la confrontación directa, lo que seguro que no gusta a muchos de los que piensan que el mundo del espionaje es el de Bond, James Bond. Le voy a seguir poniendo 3 estrellas. Desde luego, es un buen libro para llevar al mar, a la piscina, o a cualquier sitio donde se pase el verano y tener una lectura ligera.

[Dominic Moorhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this book, especially Anna’s character. The story was great at showing how detailed and intricate a CIA operation was, whilst also showing the fear and the oppression that the Russian opposition generated. Anna’s character was especially fascinating in how she dealt with her life and the task at hand (trying not to spoil). Loved it. A very satisfying ending too

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8

Neat paralleled storylines. Enjoyed the pace towards the end. The putin/potus bits felt a bit unrealistic.

Vadim agreeing to Max visiting again was v far fetched

We also didn’t get much from luka either, loose end not tied up.

Overall would recommend, enjoyed the setting of this one more but characters better in Damascus station

[Laura Valderrabano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this as much as I liked Damascus Station and I think it’s because the Russians are sooo scary. I generally think this series is a cool twist on a classic spy novel but sometimes it’s just a little bit too real… 3.5/5

[Amanda Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Another great thriller - I actually liked this more than Damascus Station. Lots of action right from the beginning, and love the strong female characters!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Omg she finally read a book this year !!