The Persian

by David McCloskey

From former CIA analyst and best-selling author David McCloskey, a novel that takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel.

Kamran Esfahani, a dentist living out a dreary existence in Stockholm, agrees to spy for the Mossad after he’s recruited by Arik Glitzman, the chief of a clandestine unit tasked with running targeted assassinations and sabotage inside Iran. At Glitzman’s direction, Kam returns to his native Tehran and opens a dental practice there, using it as a cover for the Israeli intelligence agency. Kam proves to be a skillful asset, quietly earning money helping Glitzman smuggle weapons, run surveillance, and conduct kidnappings. But when Kam tries to recruit an Iranian widow seeking to avenge the death of her husband at the hands of the Mossad, the operation goes terribly wrong, landing him in prison under the watchful eye of a sadistic officer whom he knows only as the “General.”

And now, after enduring three years of torture in captivity, Kamran Esfahani sits in an interrogation room across from the General, preparing to write his final confession.

Kam knows it is too late to save himself. But he has managed to keep one secret—only one—and he just might be able to save that. In this haunting thriller, careening between Tehran and Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Stockholm, David McCloskey delivers an intricate story of vengeance, deceit, and the power of love and forgiveness in a world of lies.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

390 pages, Hardcover

Published September 30, 2025

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

[Dirk Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to get an early copy of The Persian from NetGalley.

The Persian is written from the viewpoint of Kamran Esfehani, an Iranian Jew that has been working for the Mossad for a few years. You quickly learn that he is writing his story under duress, while being held prisoner by the General.
He is writing his tale for the last time. It starts with his recruitment by the Mossad in Sweden and continues through different missions up to ultimately his capture.
We know his reasons for cooperating with Mossad, we see why Mossad is targeting these individuals in Tehran and the story is gripping.

This story has many excellent characters and as the story continues, you grow attached to them. There are twists to the story, a few surprises and you want to see how it ends.

I must say that the ending was completely surprising and I cannot think of a better one. It was excellent. I held the book for a few minutes just thinking about it, shocked by how good it was.

Another masterclass by David McCloskey.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up The Persian as my first foray into David McCloskey’s work, and I’m glad I did. What immediately struck me was that while it doesn’t lean heavily into trade craft—there are fewer long scenes of surveillance gadgetry or deep-tech spy maneuvers than some thrillers—the storyline still had me hooked from the start. The pacing never slackens, and the author clearly knows how to turn the screw of tension. Others have noted that McCloskey “delivers an intricate story of … the deadly shadow war between Iran and Israel.”

The characters stood out to me as especially well-formed and believable. The protagonist’s reluctant transformation, the emotional undercurrents of conflicted loyalties, and the moral ambiguity of the espionage world all felt real. I appreciated how the “cross and double cross” elements were handled—McCloskey keeps them clean enough that I never got lost, yet they still felt layered and clever. Professionally-reviewed remarks support this: one reviewer said, “characters are vividly drawn and often endearing” and praised the way the multiple threads weave together without losing coherence.

The interludes in the present day worked remarkably well. I found that jumping back and forth between past operations and present consequences gave depth to the story, grounding the action in real stakes. It kept the suspense alive, because even as I understood there was an endpoint coming, I couldn’t quite predict how it would play out. And speaking of the ending—-you’ll only get the “last kept secret” in the very last few minutes of the audio version. That reveal hit me as satisfying and unexpected enough to make me want to continue exploring McCloskey’s catalogue. One reviewer calls the novel “a masterfully constructed espionage thriller … the tension consistently building … and just when you think you know how the story ends… bam!”

All told: this first McCloskey book was a strong start. Smooth narration of the Audible version helped me stay immersed, the characters held their weight, and the plot delivered solidly without over-indulging in technical tradecraft. I’ll definitely be seeking out another McCloskey book before long.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I won this ARC in a GoodReads giveaway but that in NO WAY influenced my review. The book should be published in late Sept. 2025.

I loved this book and hated this book all at once. I LOVED it because I learned a LOT about world affairs and the Middle East which I was woefully ignorant about. For that reason I also hated the book because it forced me to do a lot of look-ups along the way in reading the book---locations and groups for the most part. Do you know what The Mossad is? Do you know exactly where locations in Iran are? It is not a fast or pleasant read but I feel it is a very important story for everyone...hence the 5 star rating.

[Bruce Raterink · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I liked "Damascus Station" and Moscow X," this one really didn't do it for me. I found the multiple timelines and perspectives confusing and was a quarter through the book before I figured out what was going on. It kind of smoothed out after that but was painfully slow. I kept reading and while the ending somewhat redeemed the book, I wouldn't really recommend this. If you haven't read David McCloskey before, start with "Damascus Station."

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

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very compelling story that drew me in from the start. I wasn't sure how the story being told as a confession from a prisoner would go, but the author laid it all out very nicely. There were plenty of shocking moments that made me actually gasp and enough twists to keep things very interesting. I continue to enjoy the author's story telling and will look forward to whatever book he writes next!

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and Net Galley for this ARC. #ThePersian #NetGalley

[Kenny Schwarz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In full disclosure: the author is a personal friend, so I can’t give an unbiased review. However, Dave does an excellent job in describing the spy recruitment process and dangerous assignments for espionage. I definitely recommend this book for those who love spy thrillers!

[Eric Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

His best yet...and I am a huge fan of his first three novels. This one rings true and paints a very realistic picture of how the Mossad may operate in Iran. Emotional, action-packed, and full of vibrant characters.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s really uncomfortable reading anything with Mossad as the good guys right now, although in this case the moral ambiguity of their actions is not ignored. Not sure I buy the ending, either. That said, this is suspenseful and engaging.

[Douglas M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I found it boring and monotonous

[peter gaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I struggled to finish Mc Closkey’s latest book which was very disappointing as his earlier novels were excellent. It felt that he was trying to be LeCarre without a strong and eventual storyline. However, he does create an authenticity in his books which kept me reading.
Sorry David not your best, at least in my opinion.

[Maplewaffle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very slow, you have no idea, and mostly given up in the first 30% of the book. You would have no idea who are these people and why their ideology interests you. Not until 50% of it , there is finally a story line that make sense. One thing I'm not sure is why the author choose to do so much deep dive into the culture, the hatred of the Isreal and Iran and in the end, you don't really like any of the characters.

While the ending of the book is a happy one, I actually don't think this is realistic and the drag of the whole book is way too much that I'm a bit disappointed.

[Steven Netter · Rating 4 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books



Make sure to check out the full review

[Katria Kimble · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the author has lost steam with this one. I bought it thinking it would link together with his other previous novels but I don’t think there were any similar characters. I was disappointed with the plot and just did not feel invested in the story.

[Mike Sennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brutal battle between spy organizations - Israel's Mossad and Iran's Qods Force - that becomes personal forms the centerpiece of this story. It's told from the perspective of Kam Esfahani, a Persian Jew, as he writes (and rewrites) his confession from prison in Iran. Kam, who was assisting Mossad in their attempts to kill scientists and key military figures in Iran, was captured in an otherwise successful operation to kidnap an Irani Colonel. His capture was mostly due to his desperate attempt to help Roya, a woman whom he had deceived into assisting Mossad's operation, escape retribution. The plot is intricate and occasionally confusing to follow, but that is not unusual in a spy thriller - and in this case, knowing that there is one last secret that Kam has withheld from his confession (and the reader) extends the suspense to the final pages of the book. This may be McCloskey's best effort so far.

[Imlac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is much better than McCloskey's immediately preceding book, the abysmal The Seventh Floor, but not as good as his first two. I found the main character, Kam, uncompelling, and the main conceit (the story is being related by Kam as a "confession") poorly motivated. Also, unfortunately I guessed his big secret pretty early on, rendering the end somewhat anti-climactic.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

well the first half was slow and due to my limited (almost nonexistent) knowledge of the conflicts of the middle eastern countries and culture in this book, I had a pretty hard time keeping up, but once the second half kicked off it was great, I was very surprised by the end!

also I’d like to just say that the reason I don’t read horror books is because they scare the living shit out of me, and books like this one do as well, but more than the fear, I feel gratitude. gratitude that I’ve never experienced anything like this fucking story when if I was just born somewhere else I could’ve

[Mika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be my favorite of McCloskey's smart, action-filled, and tightly plotted thrillers. I don't quite see why this is seen as fourth in a series, other than themes; the scenes and the cast are quite different. But moral complexities, questions of loyalty, belonging, and the ambiguity of the world are definitely the same. This novel has some echoes of Le Carré's The Little Drummer Girl, in a good, not in a derivate way, although McCloskey strikes me as bit less cynical/despondent/hopeless than Le Carré sometimes is.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, I liked that the subject was not something that I usually read but not too graphic. You connect with the characters and you can understand what motivates them and what their hopes and dreams are. People are the same everywhere, everyone just wants a connection and a purpose.

[Steven Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the arrival of the mullahs at the head of Iran’s attempt at theocracy relations with the United States have been fraught with hatred. Over the years wars, assassinations, terrorism, computer related attacks, spying, kidnappings, a nuclear deal and its revocation, and economic sanctions have been the norm. Today Iran finds itself at a crossroad. Its Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is eighty-six years old and nearing the end of his reign, and as Karim Sadjadpour writes in his November/December 2025 issue of Foreign Affairs, “The Autumn of the Ayatollahs” the twelve day war last June laid bare the fragility of the system he built. Israel bombed Iranian urban centers and military installations, allowing the United States to drop fourteen bunker busting bombs on their nuclear sites. Tehran’s ideological bravado and its inability to protect its borders along with the defeat of its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas has reduced its threat to the region.

Apart from the succession problem Iran faces a choice of how to prioritize its nuclear program, but with no negotiations, oversight, or concrete knowledge of Tehran’s stock of nuclear material another war with Israel seems inevitable. Despite Donald Trump’s insistence that the United States “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, officials and analysts are less sanguine. Iran may have been weakened, but it has not become irrelevant. As the rhetoric between Iran and the Trump administration ratchets up it is clear that the Tehran government suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of Israel and the United States. The Iranian economy continues in a freefall, and the regime remains in power through coercion and threats. In this domestic and diplomatic climate, a novel that reflects the current forceful environment should attract a strong readership. THE PERSIAN by former CIA analyst and best-selling author David McCloskey, fits that need as the author takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel and plays out a scenario that is quite plausible.

McCloskey begins the novel describing the assassination of Abbas Shabani, an Iranian scientist who was an expert on drone-cladding, making drones invisible. The murder was carried out by a woman using a joystick at a Mossad site near Tel Aviv. The operation continues Israeli policy of killing anyone it believes is a threat to the Jewish state engaging in any component of Iran’s nuclear preparation – a policy that is accurate in fiction as well as the real world. McCloskey immediately shifts to an Iranian interrogation room where Kamran (Kam) Esfahani, a Persian Jewish dentist. Kam, the main character and narrator of this taut political thriller, is counting down the days until he has enough money to leave Sweden for sunny California. The interrogation allows Kam to rewrite and rework his confession over a three year period enabling the author to recount his novel through Kam’s acknowledgement of being part of a plot that killed Ismail Qaani, a member of the Qods Force, Unit 840. The group is run by Colonel Jaffer Ghorbani whose reason for being created is to kill Jews. Kam had been recruited by Arik Glitzman, head of the Mossad’s Caesarea Division, who offered to pay him a fortune to sow chaos in Iran. Trading the monotony of dentistry for the perils of espionage, he runs a sham dental practice in Tehran as a cover for smuggling weapons and conducting surveillance. McCloskey offers a wonderful description of Glitzman which is emblematic of his character development as the head of the elite team within the Caesarea Division of Mossad is described as “Napoleonic, short and paunchy with a thatch of black hair and a round face bright with a wide smile. There was fun in his eyes and if they had not belonged to a secret servant of the state…they might have belonged to a magician, or a kindergarten teacher.”

In addition to using Kam’s voice to relate a major part of the story, McCloskey organizes the novel by repeatedly shifting back and forth in time and location as he organizes his chapters. A key character who appears often is Roya Shabani who witnessed the assassination of her husband and seeks revenge against Israel. She will be given that opportunity as part of Ghorbani’s unit, initially carrying out low level tasks. Soon her immediate superior, Hossein Moghaddam, a Qods Operation Officer, who falls for her carries out an assassination of Meir Ben-Ami, Arik Glitzman’s deputy reflecting the real world that Israeli and Iranian intelligence regularly engage in.

McCloskey’s CIA background and research allow him to portray assassinations, the use of technology for spy craft, recruitment of assets, and organizing operations in such a realistic manner heighten the reader’s immersion into the novel. In an NPR interview which took place on “All Things Considered” program on September 29, 2025, McCloskey admits that as a former CIA analyst who has been posted throughout the Middle East he is able to draw upon a great deal of inside knowledge in creating his characters and present them as authentically as possible. The authenticity of his characters and storyline is enhanced as his novel must pass through CIA censors and at times he is amazed as to what the “Publication Review Board” allowed to remain in the book. In a sense the book itself is prewritten as the actions of Iranian and Israeli intelligence officials and agents create the bones of an insane spy novel.

Aspects of McCloskey’s novel weigh heavily on the real world of espionage as the author delves into the fact that Israel was at a disadvantage in the world of espionage since it did not have diplomatic relations with the countries that surround her in the Arab world – it did not have embassies to hide intelligence officers who could carry out its operations. As a result, operational teams are cobbled together, surged to where they are needed, and disbanded when the operation is completed. Israel has to create different types of cover than the United States, United Kingdom and others because of this disadvantage and it amazes how successful they are when the playing field is not level.

McCloskey is very successful in creating multiple storylines as he goes back and forth between time periods and locations. A major shift occurs when the kidnapping of a target fails as somehow he is murdered. This causes Glitzman to change his plans on the fly resulting in Roya becoming a major focus of the novel. Her evolution from the spouse of a scientist to an espionage asset is fascinating as is that of Kam. The author does an exceptional job tracing Kam’s progression from an unsuccessful Iranian Jewish dentist raised in Sweden into a reluctant and fearful spy into someone who becomes devoted to his mission. The explanation that is offered makes sense as Kam develops his own feelings of revenge toward Iran and its agents who kicked his family out of the country, for decades has laid siege to the country of Israel and wants to eradicate its entire population. The problem is that his mission will result in his capture and the reader must wait until the last page to learn the entire truth bound up in his confession.

The author’s goal in the book, which was already written before the war of last summer, was to go beneath that kind of overt conflict and get to the heart of the shadow war between Israel and Iran. After reading THE PERSIAN it is clear that he accomplishes his goal completely as his characters must survive in a world of intrigue, paranoia, and what appears to be a world of endless violent retribution.

[D.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of when a favorite band puts out a concept album and it just doesn’t quite hit right. But later on during a subsequent listen you realize why they were the favorite to begin with.
I loved McCloskey’s first three offerings. It moderated my guilty pleasure of indulging in spy thrillers with my deep appreciation for literature. When I got a few pages into The Persian I was lost. I was not finding what I expected and was disappointed at the unorthodox approach. But I trusted the author and pushed through.
The halfway point is where things began to come together for me, and, judging from other reviews, for many others. From there I think the book improved throughout. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the book would be better if the first third was twice as good and it dropped off a bit at the end.
Overall I’d say if you’re a fan of the author push through and you will find what you came for. If you have never read him before, Damascus Station is a very good read, and his next two publications are on par.
Mixed metaphors are rarely appreciated, and mixing up halves and thirds in a discussion of a whole object is probably not either. But that’s the way the book came together for me: stilted in odd layers that formed an interesting whole. A 3 star rating would probably be more accurate based on what I’ve written here, but I do not suppose accuracy has much to do with fondness. I chose the 4 star rating because I enjoyed the second half, and thus the book, that much.

[Jordison Francisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde a derrubada da monarquia iraniana em 1979 e o estabelecimento de um regime islâmico liderado por clérigos, as relações entre Teerã e Washington têm sido marcadas por uma profunda hostilidade. Ao longo das décadas, essa dinâmica tensa se manifestou por meio de conflitos militares, assassinatos seletivos, atos de terrorismo, guerra cibernética, espionagem, sequestros com reféns, negociações nucleares e sanções econômicas. Atualmente, o Irã se encontra em uma encruzilhada crucial. Com o Líder Supremo, Aiatolá Ali Khamenei, se aproximando dos oitenta e poucos anos e possivelmente perto do fim de seu mandato, eventos recentes expuseram vulnerabilidades dentro do regime. Como observa Karim Sadjadpour na edição de novembro/dezembro de 2025 da revista Foreign Affairs, “O Outono dos Aiatolás”, o violento conflito de doze dias em junho passado destacou a fragilidade da estrutura de poder que ele construiu. Durante esse período, Israel lançou ataques contra centros urbanos e instalações militares iranianas, o que levou os EUA a implantarem diversas bombas antibunker contra a infraestrutura nuclear do Irã. Apesar da bravata ideológica de Teerã e de sua incapacidade de proteger suas fronteiras — somada aos reveses sofridos por grupos aliados como o Hezbollah e o Hamas — sua influência regional diminuiu.

Além do dilema da sucessão, o Irã enfrenta uma decisão crucial em relação às suas ambições nucleares. Sem negociações diplomáticas, supervisão ou transparência quanto ao arsenal nuclear iraniano, um novo confronto com Israel parece quase inevitável. Embora o ex-presidente Donald Trump tenha afirmado que os EUA "aniquilaram" o programa nuclear iraniano, muitos especialistas permanecem cautelosos. O Irã, embora enfraquecido, não se tornou irrelevante no cenário global. Com o aumento das tensões entre o Irã e os Estados Unidos, fica evidente que o governo de Teerã sofreu um revés humilhante em seus conflitos com Israel e os EUA. A economia iraniana continua em forte declínio, e o regime mantém o controle por meio de coerção e intimidação. Nesse ambiente volátil, um romance que capture o clima atual de agitação e operações secretas provavelmente terá grande repercussão entre os leitores. "O Persa", escrito pelo ex-analista da CIA e autor de best-sellers David McCloskey, atende a essa necessidade ao imergir os leitores em uma intensa guerra secreta entre o Irã e Israel, apresentando cenários que, embora ficcionais, parecem surpreendentemente plausíveis.

McCloskey inicia sua narrativa com o assassinato de Abbas Shabani, um cientista iraniano especializado em tecnologia de camuflagem para drones — tornando-os invisíveis. O atentado foi executado por uma mulher que operava um joystick em uma instalação do Mossad perto de Tel Aviv, dando continuidade à campanha secreta de Israel contra indivíduos envolvidos nos esforços nucleares do Irã. A partir daí, a história se desloca para uma sala de interrogatório no Irã, apresentando Kamran (Kam) Esfahani, um dentista judeu persa. Kam, que serve como protagonista e narrador, conta ansiosamente os dias para poder deixar a Suécia rumo à ensolarada Califórnia. À medida que a narrativa se desenrola através de suas confissões, que ele revisa ao longo de três anos, descobrimos seu envolvimento em um complô para eliminar Ismail Qaani, da Força Quds do Irã, Unidade 840. Essa unidade, liderada pelo Coronel Jaffer Ghorbani, dedica-se a alvejar judeus — uma organização que reflete as operações clandestinas da inteligência iraniana no mundo real. Kam foi recrutado por Arik Glitzman, chefe da Divisão Cesareia do Mossad, que lhe ofereceu um acordo lucrativo para semear a discórdia no Irã. Transitando de uma rotina de consultório odontológico em Teerã para o perigoso mundo da espionagem, Kam opera uma clínica falsa como fachada para o contrabando de armas e a coleta de informações. McCloskey descreve Glitzman vividamente como “napoleônico, baixo e atarracado, com cabelos escuros e um rosto redondo iluminado por um largo sorriso. Seus olhos brilhavam com malícia — se não fossem de agentes secretos, poderiam pertencer a um mágico ou a uma professora de jardim de infância”.

Ao longo do romance, McCloskey emprega uma estrutura narrativa que salta entre diferentes linhas temporais e locais, intensificando o suspense. Uma personagem recorrente é Roya Shabani, que testemunhou o assassinato do marido e busca vingança contra Israel. Sua jornada, de esposa de um cientista a participante ativa na espionagem, se desenrola à medida que ela se junta à equipe de Ghorbani, inicialmente realizando tarefas menores. Seu supervisor, Hossein Moghaddam, um oficial de operações da Quds que desenvolve sentimentos por ela, acaba por executar o assassinato de Meir Ben-Ami, o vice de Glitzman. Essa subtrama espelha operações de inteligência reais entre Israel e Irã.

Baseando-se em sua experiência e pesquisa na CIA, McCloskey cria cenas extremamente realistas de assassinatos secretos, espionagem tecnológica, recrutamento de agentes e planejamento operacional. Durante uma entrevista à NPR no programa “All Things Considered” (29 de setembro de 2025), ele admite que sua experiência permite que ele infunda autenticidade em seus personagens. Ele também expressa surpresa com o que o Conselho de Revisão de Publicações da CIA permitiu que fosse incluído, observando que grande parte do conteúdo do romance está enraizado em práticas clandestinas reais. Em essência, o enredo se lê como um roteiro predeterminado, com as ações das agências de inteligência iranianas e israelenses moldando um thriller de espionagem complexo e intenso.

O romance também explora os desafios práticos que Israel enfrenta na espionagem, dada a falta de laços diplomáticos com os países árabes vizinhos — o que significa que não pode contar com embaixadas tradicionais para operações secretas. Em vez disso, os agentes israelenses formam equipes ad hoc, sendo rapidamente mobilizados e dispersados ​​conforme a necessidade. Essa desvantagem operacional torna seus sucessos ainda mais notáveis.

A habilidade de McCloskey em entrelaçar múltiplas linhas narrativas — saltando entre diferentes épocas e lugares — mantém a tensão elevada. Quando uma tentativa de sequestro dá errado e o alvo é morto, os planos de Glitzman entram em colapso, direcionando o foco para Roya. Sua transformação de esposa enlutada em espiã é fascinante, assim como a evolução de Kam, de dentista hesitante a agente comprometido. Sua jornada é impulsionada por vinganças pessoais — sua família foi expulsa do Irã e ele nutre o desejo de ver o regime derrubado. Sua missão, contudo, ameaça levá-lo à captura, e os leitores terão que esperar até as páginas finais para descobrir toda a verdade por trás de sua confissão.

O objetivo principal de McCloskey era mergulhar além dos conflitos declarados para expor a guerra secreta entre Israel e Irã. "O Persa" alcança esse objetivo com maestria, retratando um mundo onde a sobrevivência depende de intriga, suspeita e vingança implacável — um ambiente onde as linhas entre amigo e inimigo se confundem em meio a batalhas secretas constantes.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Persian jewish dentist blunders into working for Mossad as a spy

Pick up a spy novel in English at random, and chances are it’s about the CIA, the KGB, British intelligence, or some combination of them. But here’s one from former CIA analyst David McCloskey that’s entirely different. The espionage agents in his 2022 novel, The Persian, work exclusively for Israel’s Mossad and the Iranian Qods Force. McCloskey grounds his story in a real event. And both the tradecraft and the high-tech equipment he describes are in use in espionage today. The Persian is a marvel, a story that only a true professional could tell. And it succeeds, too, in its literary quralities. McCloskey digs deeply into the hopes, dreams, and fears of its characters and describes their interaction with sensitivity and a perceptive ear for dialogue. This is spy fiction at its best.

A complex story pitting the Qods Force against Mossad

A non-observant Persian Jew named Kamran (Kam) Esfahani narrates the story through the confession he writes, and repeatedly rewrites, in prison in Iran. Kam had made the mistake of signing up with the Mossad as a spy. The story he tells chiefly involves four other characters:

** Kam’s handler is Arik Glitzman, who heads a top-secret unit within the Mossad to assassinate key figures in Iran. He runs a small team of highly capable intelligence officers.

** Glitzman’s counterpart in Tehran is Colonel Ghorbani. Obsessively secretive, Ghorbani has succeeded in placing an agent undercover within Israel to assist in killing members of Glitzman’s unit. (The methodology involved is fascinating, as is the technique Glitzman has used to murder a key Iranian scientist.)

** Within the prison “the General” runs his interrogations. The narrative Kam writes is for the General’s eyes.

** At the center of much of the action is a young mother named Roya Shabani. She’s the wife of a scientist Glitzman had targeted and killed—before her and her little daughter’s eyes, in fact. Kam’s attraction to Roya is central to the story.

McCloskey’s story is complex. Both Israel and Iran engage in false flag operations. Secrets and lies abound, and sorting it all out is a long process as Kam’s story unfolds.

Why this novel stands out

David McCloskey is a revelation. In a genre clogged with workaday tales of CIA mole hunts and superhero spies, he delivers an entirely original story. It’s set on the cutting edge of East-West conflict in the Middle East, not in the shadowy past of World War II or the Cold War. And it’s grounded in the real world of high-tech espionage today. Even discounting the tense plotting and realistic character development, The Persian is fit fodder for any fan of spy fiction for its treatment of the high-tech techniques at play between Israel and Iran. McCloskey knows his stuff. He lived it for years as an analyst for the CIA in the region. Don’t miss it.

An AI summarizes the novel

I asked the chatbot Claude-AI (version Sonnet 4.5) for a 400-word summary of this novel. Following is the result, word-for-word, except that I’ve removed the URLs linking the text to its sources and inserted subheads to break up the text. Claude’s summary is accurate in every respect.

The Persian is a gripping espionage thriller from former CIA analyst David McCloskey that plunges readers into the covert shadow war between Iran and Israel. The story centers on Kamran “Kam” Esfahani, a Persian Jewish dentist enduring a monotonous life in Stockholm who dreams of starting fresh in California. To finance his new beginning, Kam reluctantly agrees to become a spy for the Mossad after being recruited by Arik Glitzman, the chief of a clandestine Israeli unit responsible for targeted assassinations and sabotage operations inside Iran.

Helping Mossad to finance a dream
Under Glitzman’s direction, Kam returns to his native Tehran and establishes a dental practice as cover for his intelligence work. He proves to be a remarkably skilled operative, quietly earning money while helping the Mossad smuggle weapons, conduct surveillance operations, and carry out kidnappings. However, disaster strikes when Kam attempts to recruit an Iranian widow seeking revenge for her husband’s death at Mossad’s hands—the operation goes catastrophically wrong, resulting in his capture and imprisonment.

In captivity, Kam falls under the control of a sadistic Iranian security officer known only as “the General,” who forces him to write and rewrite his confession. [In crayon, no less.] The novel unfolds through this testimonial framework, dealing not only with matters of national security but exploring deeper themes of revenge, deceit, and the redemptive power of love and forgiveness in a world built on lies.

Real tradecraft and based on historical events
McCloskey based the novel on actual events from the Israeli-Iranian conflict, including the assassination of Iran’s nuclear program chief using a remote-operated robotic machine gun—a real incident that opens the fictional narrative. The story careens between Tehran, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, and Stockholm, delivering what critics describe as masterfully constructed tradecraft combined with propulsive storytelling.

Reviewers have compared the novel’s conflicted protagonist and narrative style to Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer, praising McCloskey for creating a layered narrative that gradually intensifies. Critics note that the book probes the profound moral and practical complexities of the shadow war, making it both timely and unsettling. By the novel’s end, Kam realizes it’s too late to save himself, but he’s managed to preserve one crucial secret that might still be salvageable.

About the author

According to academic sources cited by Wikipedia, David McCloskey “worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for six years as an analyst on Syria. He was stationed across the Middle East, and regularly contributed to intelligence briefings for the White House.” He has written four well-received spy novels, The Persian most recently.

Now 39 years of age, McCloskey was born in Minnesota, studied international affairs at Wheaton College, and earned an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies specializing in energy policy and the Middle East. The CIA later stationed him throughout the region, which is prominent in his four novels to date.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Goodreads and W. W. Norton & Company for an advance copy of this book of espionage that tells of an agent caught between two warring sides in the Middle East, his statement about his actions, and the secret he has held close, even in the worst of his time in prison.

I grew up reading espionage books by authors like Robert Ludum and Fredrick Forsyth, and worked my way back to the works of Edgar Wallace, Eric Ambler and Graham Greene. And of course John le Carré. I mostly skip on modern espionage books because frankly they are awful. They are mostly pumped up Men's Adventure novels, your Death Merchant, or Mack Bolan the Executioner, except that the men's adventure novels seemed more honest, and their politics are better. I read a lot of them, I am not ashamed of that. Modern thrillers books have guys named Guy, Cord, Mitch or Pepper, using military terms taken from the back of Black Rifle Coffee bags, and the word operator is used ad nauseam. I've read a few, don't ask me what. To find an espionage book that not only takes its time, asks the reader to know more than what a 9mm bullet does to flesh, is a relief. Especially when the story is skillfully laid out, with clever twists, historical details not taken from YouTube, and with characters one grows to care about. The Persian by David McCloskey is a story about trying to make a difference, betrayal, secrets and facing the consequences of one's actions, but not going quietly into that good night.

Kamran Esfahani is an Irani Jew living in Stockholm, and just getting by. Kamran had hopes and dreams but is slowly watching them fall away, without any real plans to make things better. Kamran is approached by a man who has been watching him for quite awhile, and has an offere for him. One that could change his life, give him a purpose, and money. Arik Glitzman is a member of the Israeli Mossad tasked with carrying out dirty deeds in Iran to stop a project the government is working on, something that could mean trouble for Israel. Kamran is to return to Tehran, set up a dentist office, and wait for further notice. Kamran finds that he is a good agent. Supplying weapons, setting up projects, contacting like minded individuals for information. And making money. Until it all goes wrong. Kamran is arrested and held in a secure location, under a man he calls the General. Kamran is given a crayon and paper for his last confession, but Kamran has a secret, something that might make a difference.

An intense book, full of heartstopping moments, and heartbreaking scenes. This is a book for people who care for characters, with people doing things not because they are a bunch of Snidley Whiplashes twisting their mustaches and saying death to America, but because they think they are right. Sitting in a room using a drone to assassinate someone a couple of countries away. Even betraying one's country. McCloskey is a very good writer, able to tighten the screws just so slightly to make a person keep reading, even when they know bad things are going to happen. The history is interesting, the characters are good, and the violence, which there is a bit is visceral and real, not CGI as so many books do.

This is my first book by David McCloskey, as the genre has not been kind to me over the last few years. This will not be my last. A story that really holds the reader with a lot of twists and turns.

[Carole Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

To save his soul his must keep one thing secret

Who is Kamram Esfahani? A Persian Jew born in Iran but with his family fled that country when he was young and has lived in Sweden ever since, where he works as a dentist. He dreams that someday he will move to sunny Southern California to live a different, better life. But that would cost money, and money is always in short supply...which makes him an excellent candidate for recruitment by Mossad, specifically by Arik Glitzman whose unit oversees assassinations, sabotage and other mischief inside Iran. The money being offered is too much to refuse and Kam agrees to go undercover, first undergoing training and then returning to Iran with the cover of a man visiting family. His real mission is to recruit others within Iran to work for Mossad and to provide intel back to Israel that will help with future covert actions. It is a dangerous way to live, and although he proves adept at his new trade Kam may not survive long enough to spend the money he has worked so hard to earn.
Author David McCloskey has developed a reputation for smart espionage thrillers that exude authenticity, and in The Persian continues to live up to that billing. The story does not unfold in linear fashion; the reader goes from experiencing Kam's attempt to escape when things go south to his reciting (for what he is told will be the final time) the events that led up to his capture and imprisonment by the Iranians to the General, who is certain that Kam isn't telling all that he knows, Alliances and betrayals, smuggling and kidnappings, surveillance and recruitment. and escape routes which work until they don't, Kam goes from steadily earning the money he needs to start a new life in California to three years of brutality and torture in an Iranian prison. There can be a high price to pay for those who enter the world of espionage, and it is paid in shattered lives, the blurring of ethical lines and the loss of identity as well as in physical and mental pain. How Kam is manipulated into working against the regime which rules the country of his birth and for those considered the enemy as well as the toll his decisions and actions take on him are meticulously chronicled, as are the elements of tradecraft he learns and utilizes in his new role. In a world where the conflict between Iran and Israel is very real and people are currently being executed inside Iran for doing in real life what Kam does in the novel, the novel is timely and illuminating. It is neither a quick nor an easy read, but it is one that is hard to put down once started and that is able to surprise right up until the final pages. I have been a fan of Mr. McCloskey's earlier novels (Damascus Station et al) and found The Persian to be another solid entry in his roster, one likely to appeal to readers not only of this author but of Olen Steinhauer, I. S. Berry and Jason Matthews, My thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for allowing me access to this taut, unsettling thriller in exchange for my honest review.

[Leane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tension between wanting to keep reading and to not deal with the escalating tension and harrowing Tone made this a challenging book for me to finish because McCloskey masterfully weaves his tale through the crayon-written confession of an Iranian political prisoner, Swedish/Jewish/Persian dentist Kam. We learn early on that he worked with the Mossad and was caught experiencing great trauma and loss, and that he has been tortured and interrogated over the past three years. The other parts of the narrative are the 3rd POV that changes from Tehran, Tel Aviv, Istanbul and other locations and has us meeting the principles of this gripping story from Israeli spy Arik Glitzman, his family, the undercover team, Iranian military leaders and Kam’s captors, and Roya Shabani, an Iranian married to a scientist and her daughter Alya. This is a journey the reader must take on their own to fully comprehend the artistry and impact of the story so I will say no more of the plot except that it has moments of devastation and redemption. McCloskey’s places vibrate with the humanity surrounding the CHs and using all the senses we feel the rivulets of sweat flowing down our backs, feel the street dust cover our lashes, and smell the stench of sewage and the enticements of rich spices as we ride along in traffic-laden streets, tremble at armed checkpoints, share meals at family tables, and cringe at prison conditions. Authenticity woven with imagination provides McCloskey’s narrative with humanity, procedural, social, religious, political, economic, and cultural detail. Weaving folk songs and the poetry of Rumi with Bible stories, McCloskey’s Style and language selections add to the depth and Tone of the story. You will hold your breath until the very end. I savored the reading experience, and you will earn the ending. RED FLAGS: Very Graphic Violence; Torture; Innocent and Child Endangerment and Death; Vulgar Language. If you have never read any McCloskey, this a great one to begin with, or his Damascus Station series, or Paul Vidich, Olen Steinhauer, or I.S. Berry’s The Peacock and The Sparrow.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his latest thriller, THE PERSIAN, former CIA analyst and bestselling author David McCloskey has Kamran Esfahani write his story for his captor, “the General,” while he sits in an Iranian prison.

A Swedish-Jewish dentist of Iranian origins who has become a Mossad operative in Tehran, Kam has been waiting for three years to be killed by his enemies. An unlikely hero, let alone protagonist, Kam explains to his audience of one (and his readers) how he decided to leave his home and business to take on the life of a spy. In the process, he reflects on his choices and wonders why he made the ones that got him there. What emerges is his lack of regret.

The steps that led this Persian Jew to Mossad to track down an Iranian intelligence operation that is targeting a group within the Mossad unfold slowly as he retells his story for the General’s perverse pleasure. The confession, or what Kam wishes to admit, becomes the main focus of THE PERSIAN, as well as the characters he meets along the way.

There’s the General, with whom Kam forms a strange bond; Israeli intelligence officer Arik Glitzman, who recruits him and his friend; and Roya, a woman with whom he has a dalliance, even though his colleagues were responsible for her husband’s death.

Much of the novel’s plot focuses on how each side expresses its rage towards the other. Kam, that imperfect protagonist, is the perfect witness to “the futility of revenge” in the chess game of retribution. At one point, a captured Iranian says to Arik, “We do what you’ve done to us,” to which Arik replies, “And I promise you, Colonel, that we’ll do it right back.”

Still, there are moments of respite, as individuals show their loyalty and humanity, living their daily lives outside of the eternal battle to demolish the Other.

THE PERSIAN is a remarkable feat from McCloskey in that it effectively captures every angle of the conflict from both sides.

Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley

[Richard Jaffe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for this advance ARC in return for an honest review.

Having read McCloskey's first outing, Damascus Station, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in the hopes that his writing style had improved. It has not.

This story follows Kamran Esfehani, an Iranian Jew working as a Dentist in Sweden who is recruited by the Mossad to spy for Israel back in Iran. Sounds interesting? Its not. We meet "Kam" while a prisoner in Iran who is forced to repeatedly "confess" to his captors using a blue crayon, over and over. The disjointed timeline between the "confession" about what Kam did for the Mossad 3 years ago, and what is happening in the present while in prison is just too confusing, and too hard to overcome.

Although we learn of his training, and inability to shoot straight, his Handler, Arik Glitzman, as well as the rest of his Mossad Team operating in Iran and Istanbul, the back and forth between 3 years ago and present days muddles the plot. I never really cared for Kam, or really understood his motivation, which had to be more than just the "blood money" he was promised to start over in dreamy Southern California. Even if McCloskey has some inside knowledge of espionage and the Mossad, in particular, it does not translate to his written words.

Frankly I found the book boring, and almost did not finish, something I never do.

After 2 books by this author that were disappointing, despite the interesting middle eastern backdrop, I can not in good conscience recommend this book.

[Becky Motew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be a CIA book.

But it’s a complicated clever story centered in the so-called shadow war between Iranians and Israelis. You have to stay with it.


Dentist Kamran Esfahani is the Persian title character. Born Jewish in Iran, he was relocated to Sweden as an infant by his parents and has lived there all his life. His mother still remembers the Pahlavi era and how much better everything seemed under the Shah.

Mossad agent Arik Glitzman recruits Kam over time and persuades him to move his dental practice to Tehran, where he will receive goods and packages for the Israelis and participate in other ops as they come along. He becomes part of a team.

The reader follows Kam through days of endless waiting, training exercises at which he does not excel, and finally in an assassination assignment that ends up with Kam masquerading as a high-ranking Iranian security officer to a beautiful young Iranian woman. Kam is not immune to the charms of Roya and even a stray lock of hair falling out of her hijab badly distracts him from his purpose.

He’s not really in it for the ideology, but for the money he gets and the big payoff he will receive upon completion of his task. Bodies for cash, Glitzman tells him. Glitzman worries that Kam will fail.

Technology, as we might expect, is world class and mind boggling. A full scale military drone can be constructed and launched from someone's back yard.

The story is fragmented in a sometimes perplexing and complicated time line as it changes course and homes in on its conclusion, not unlike a high-tech weapon in itself. The suspense only increases.

I haven't read a more jaw-dropping ending.

A good read! And it’s even better after you have read it and started thinking about it.

[Thrillers R Us · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, brutally honest & real, THE PERSIAN is an ingeniously told spy tale that's as maddening as it is impressive--manipulative, fearsome, elegant & ruthless.


Barely a year after the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that authorized President Johnson to use military force without a declaration of war and following ten long years of muddying the waters in Vietnam, America ramped up her efforts in Southeast Asia while at home the world was A-Okay. The Mamas & the Papas were CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' and eventually coasted to a three-times platinum certification, giving the world a solid example of the 'California Sound' in the 60s counterculture era. Drifting through an equally undeclared yet similarly brutal war in the Middle East is THE PERSIAN, thinking of calling it quits and make his CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' a reality. Casually playing both sides in the same vein as YOJIMBO and his American counterpart, The Man with no Name, THE PERSIAN walks the tightrope of Mideast tension dotted with religious ideologies, true believers, purist zealots, and homicidal regimes. Intense, fascinating, brutally honest and dastardly real, THE PERSIAN is the epitome of espionage thrills; deception, manipulation, betrayal and violence of action -- all's fair in a war for survival and the only way out of the sandbox is in a body bag.

Legendary for their daring antics and aggressive pre-cog MINORITY REPORT style solving of nascent threats to their homeland, the Mossad, or 'the Office' for those drawing their paychecks there, has its eye on Unit 849, a mysterious Quds force team saddled with a DEATH WISH commitment to kill people in the Holy Land. Enmeshed in strife that's been trudging along and grinding up casualties and collateral damage, the Mossad's Caesarea Division, much like the US Army's Green Berets, are responsible for sowing chaos and mayhem and generally flipping the bird at the sinister clown show of THAT Islamic Republic. Their craft is targeted killings, cyberattacks and sabotage deep inside denied territory with the help of sympathetic albeit paid local talent. With the help of THE PERSIAN, the plan is to kidnap a Quds Force captain for Intel exploitation and preventing future terrorist attacks. THE PERSIAN, however, has seen enough and wants out; trade the spy business and tooth care in Tehran for mild summer sun all year round in Southern California. This dentist's mid-life crisis is shaping up nicely.

A novel full of mirth and menace, THE PERSIAN is not unaffected with a smattering of Persophilia and is exactly what lends the sharp edge of authenticity that makes it all the more real, illustrating the discord between Persia and Canaan. Asserting that disengagement is the surest way to recovery, that every moment holds a death even if it's only time, and that gossip in Persia spreads like fungus, THE PERSIAN is an espionage epistolary extraordinaire and is spy thriller on CRANK. Although affected by the same motivational hook as THIEF, THE KILLER, MIDNIGHT RUN, and UNFORGIVEN, THE PERSIAN is an ingeniously told tale of the traditional spy loop: disillusionment, recruitment, indoc, training, ops, sabotage, espionage--vengeance. THE PERSIAN is manipulative, fearsome, elegant and ruthless. A story as maddening as it is impressive, and surefire contender for best book of the year.

























Thank you David McCloskey, NetGalley + WW Norton & Company for the ARC. <3

[Jax · Rating 4 out of 5]

“His uncle had said once he’d like Israel to make peace with the Palestinians and in the region so it could be treated like a boring country, like New Zealand, but given everything that had happened on the Land, it was surely too much to ask. What could you do with so much history?”

This book is my introduction to CIA analyst David McCloskey’s work. If first impressions mean anything, this author knows his stuff. The characters are believable and well suited to their roles. From the opening scene to the end, this book is filled with suspense, which is heightened by unexpected events and not having a clue how the titular character, Kamran, will survive his time in Iranian prison.

“Kamran Esfahani loads his questions with a tone of slavish deference because, though the man resembles a kindly Persian grandfather, he is, in the main, a psychopath.”

This is a dense read with complex plotting and various timelines that might challenge readers not intently focused on the moving parts. I didn’t score well in this regard, but it is fair to assume that the effort would be worth it.

Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
#ThePersian #NetGalley