The Seventh Floor: A Novel

by David McCloskey

Six CIA officers. Dear friends and cherished enemies. For a quarter century they have stolen other people's secrets. Now they must steal each other's.

A Russian arrives in Singapore with a secret to sell. When the Russian is killed and Sam Joseph, the CIA officer dispatched for the meet, goes missing, operational chief Artemis Procter is made a scapegoat for the disaster and run out of the service. Months later, Sam appears at Procter's doorstep with an explosive there is a Russian mole burrowed deep within the highest ranks of the CIA.

As Procter and Sam investigate, they arrive at a shortlist of suspects made up of both Procter's closest friends and fiercest enemies. The hunt requires Procter to dredge up her checkered past in the service of the CIA, placing the pair in the sights of a savvy Russian spymaster who will protect Moscow's mole in Langley at all costs. What happens when friendships forged by sweat and blood—from the Farm to Afghanistan and the executive "Seventh Floor" of CIA's Langley headquarters—are put to the ultimate test? What can we truly know about the people we love the most?

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

Audible Audio

First published January 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

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

’The Seventh Floor’ by David McCloskey

4 Stars

Wow. Just wow! This is one fine espionage-thriller novel. This is the first book that I’ve read by David McCloskey, and it’s clear that he’s playing at a whole different level than his contemporaries. What a book!

‘The Seventh Floor’ is an outstanding addition to all the espionage fiction novels out there. It delivers a gripping narrative with great storytelling and brilliant characters that immerse the reader in a wonderfully-realized world of intelligence operations, geopolitical intrigue, individual struggles and interpersonal conflict. I haven’t read the first two books in the series, but that’s okay - the novel stands well on its own. I do want to read the other novels, however, so I can experience more of McCloskey’s talented writing.

Check out the synopsis of the book on Goodreads, but the short version is that one of the main protagonist’s (Artemis Procter’s) agents, Samuel Joseph, ends up being tortured in a Russian SVR prison. Artemis is blamed for the mission having gone wrong, leading her to be ousted from the CIA. Samuel is released, and he has learned that there is mole in the upper levels of the CIA. Artemis deduces that the mole must be one of her closest friends and colleagues, and it is they who are responsible for what happened to Sam and for Artemis' firing. Artemis is on her own as she seeks to find the mole and bring justice for Sam.

McCloskey is a master at character development. His characters are deeply drawn with complex motivations and inner conflicts. They are dynamic with development arcs that reveal, among other things, the psychological toll of being a spy. I want to draw attention to one character, Artemis Procter, just to give you an example of how creative at characterization McCloskey is. So, Artemis is one of the protagonists. She’s barely five feet tall, but she is a force of nature to be reckoned with. She has a fierce exterior that hides a turbulent inner world. She has unique quirks, from wrestling alligators in Florida to blasting EDM music while deep in thought. She also has an unyielding sense of duty to those she commands. Yet she is a flawed and troubled character as well. It’s clear she struggles with some kind of personal demon, but McCloskey doesn’t directly tell it what it is, choosing to show just Artemis’ thoughts, feelings and actions instead. We also get to see Sam’s perspective of Artemis, and what he sees helps the reader piece the puzzle together. I think it is showing us what something is versus telling us what something is that is one of McCloskey’s strong points.

McCloskey steers away from cliches about the Russian ‘villain’. While the character is, by trope, a ruthless SVR agent who harbors illusions that he is actually a good or artistic man at heart, Rem Zhomov is much more complicated. We see not only his roles in the SVR, but we also get a view of his domestic life as well. Zhomov is a morally ambiguous character who acts as a foil to Artemis, who similarly can be ruthless with a questionable ethical framework. This blurring of right and wrong of both the protagonist and the antagonist adds depth to the narrative.

McCloskey also captures well the Russian sense of disgust at America, a country viewed as repulsive and in decline. We see how different characters, from those in the SVR to secret agents in the United States, are motivated by some variation of this sentiment. McCloskey does a wonderful job mixing this sentiment with individual strengths and flaws to create utterly unique and rounded characters. How the novel’s elements of geopolitical conflict shape the psyche’s of the characters is another one of McCloskey’s strong points.

In general, the novel's atmosphere is palpable, with McCloskey's writing style enhancing the story's tension and suspense. His prose expertly sets the mood, immersing the reader in a world of clandestine operations as well as into the souls of the characters. The dialogue is realistic and sharp. Each scene is effortlessly crafted, original, and rich with detail, showcasing McCloskey’s ability to balance action with introspective moments. His use of flashbacks is especially effective.

In ‘The Seventh Floor’, McCloskey not only respects the reader's intelligence but actively engages it, presenting a multilayered puzzle that is as intellectually stimulating as it is thrilling. The espionage elements are authentic and well-researched, in a world of covert operations and geopolitical intrigue. McCloskey’s personal and in-depth knowledge of the CIA shows.

This is an awesome book, and I hope you check it out and have as much fun reading it as I did!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't begin to describe how much I love David McCloskey's work. His debut novel—Damascus Station— is a work of art; four years on and I think about it at least once a week. In his newest—The Seventh Floor— Artemis Proctor is on the hunt for a mole inside CIA while simultaneously blowing up her career.

Artemis is a grade-A pain in the ass; a headache of epic proportions to her superiors. And there's no one better. From Moscow to Damascus to Mexico to Langley, Artemis has faced off against the best and come up on top in the end every time. This time, however, is a little different. She believes there's a mole inside CIA and the main suspects are her former classmates and best friends. Just as Artemis begins looking into the possibility of a mole, she is fired from CIA and ends up working at Central Florida's 3rd or 4th biggest alligator farms wranglin' gators. Not one to give up, Artemis continues her hunt for the mole even though the agency has fired her. She's given her life to the agency and if they think she's a quitter they're sorely mistaken.

I love the characters that McCloskey has developed. When you picture what a CIA agent looks like, McCloskey's characters aren’t exactly it. And I think that's the secret. When Artemis is purged from the agency, you expect her to go anywhere other an a gator farm. It’s outlandish enough to make me believe that it might have actually happened.

Anywho, do yourself a favor and learn about Mr. David McCloskey and his pain in-the-ass Artemis Proctor. The Seventh Floor is where McCloskey shines and cements his name among the genres titans.

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company for gifting me with an advanced copy of The Seventh Floor!

[Imlac · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a crying disappointment. I devoured both Damascus Station and Moscow X, giving them each 5 stars. This one is a stunning falling off.

McCloskey himself says in the Acknowledgements that "The third one came a little easier than the second." I bet it did. When you basically just lift the entire plot of another spy thriller and change people's names, the thing will pretty much write itself.

"Spy fiction aficionados," writes our shame-faced (shame-less?) author, "will note that The Seventh Floor tips its hat on occasion to John le Carre's exceptional novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Actually, it completely takes hat in hand, gets on its knees, and prostrates itself in abject submission to its model and master.

If you haven't read the le Carre source material, I urge you to do so. If you've already read it, read it again. Instead of wasting your time with a cheap knock-off, you will be rewarded by an impeccably plotted, psychologically profound and beautifully written actual and original work of art.

[Dirk Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

David McCloskey's novels are only getting better. Moscow X was one of my favorite books last year and The Seventh Floor has surpassed it.

With the regular characters that we have gotten to know, with a few new ones thrown in, this story grips you right away. . Artemis is a hard to love character who rubs everyone she meets the wrong way. That does not change here, and if anything we see a deeper side to Artemis in this novel that we don't see beforehand. She is still brash, abrasive and rude, swearing like a sailor whenever it pleases her.
You are kept guessing until the very end who the mole is. All of the little storylines have satisfactory conclusions and you finish the book happy with its conclusion. I would not change anything about this book.
As soon as Artemis learns that a mole is hidden in the CIA, the book is almost un-put-downable. Excellent writing, excellent characters and scenes that leave you wanting to read the next chapter right away
One thing that I really enjoy is that the chapters are short. It is easy to keep reading and lose yourself in the novel.
The chapters jump between stories and characters to leave you with enough angst that you need to find out what happened.

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 2 out of 5]

An Americanized Tinker Tailor
A review of the W.W. Norton & Company hardcover (October 1, 2024) released simultaneously with the eBook/audiobook.

As a child, on walks out in the pines, Procter sometimes collected stones and sang a little counting song. At the time she had been unaware of the British version of the rhyme, and its use in the hunt for a fictional mole. As an adult she felt it fitting to put the American version to work in pursuit of a real one.
Procter put a finger to Mac's photograph, snug on the Blue-Sharpied bottle of Black Label. Whispered, Rich Man.
Then Gus - flash of a wry smile at the memory of his minivan and the family finances. Poor Man.
Theo, and his bottom shelf Canadian Club: Beggar Man. She spoke louder now, confident, getting the hang of it.
Deb's absurdly expensive Russian vodka: Thief.

This is unfortunately both a postcard from Outlier Island 🏝️📨📬 and a tag for an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™. I will qualify all of that by saying that IMHO John Le Carré's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) is the greatest spy novel ever written. Using it as the prototype for an American version means that the result is just going to pale in comparison.

If you haven't read the Carré then your results may differ and the reboot might be fine. It comes with a lot of hard drinking Americans, previous friends & veterans of the Afghanistan War but now CIA chiefs and analysts and no longer so friendly. They booze and play baseball in their spare time and sometimes prank each other behind the scenes.

The pranks become more serious when a field agent is apparently snatched by the Russians when he is sent to Singapore to meet a source. When traded in a prisoner exchange the agent reveals that "there is a mole at the top of the CIA." Disgraced and fired analyst Artemis Aphrodite Procter (are you kidding with that name?) is the only one he can trust. Proctor realizes it is one of her old Afghanistan comrades-in-arms who has to be the mole. A series of interviews and black bag operations brings her closer to her target, but the Russians have also made moves to prevent the unveiling and a sleeper cell assassination squad is activated.

The parallels to Carré are scattered throughout, more than the obvious reference quoted above. I can't be too specific without being spoilery, but if you know the original they will stand right out. The differences are more dramatic, especially in the lead main character. Instead of the cool and cerebral George Smiley we have the sloppy drunk Procter who leaves the CIA under a cloud and ends up working for her cousin as a gator wrestler in a Florida tourist trap (I'm not making this up!).

I haven't read McCloskey previously and I understand this is part of a Damascus Station series, so there are some crossover characters, but I think this can be easily read as a standalone.

Unrelated Trivia and Links
To cleanse my palate I just had to watch some of the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy TV series (1979) opening scene and credits here and the trailer for the later feature film (2011) here (UK trailer) or here (US trailer).

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another disappointing spy story written by an actual former spook, (I'm thinking also of Valerie Plame and Karen Cleveland here). So I guess…maybe stick to books written by actual writers?

I picked this up mainly for the initial "a Russian arrives in Singapore with a secret to sell" blurb, since I'm a sucker for spy books set in Asia, (and there are so few!). But that was a total fake-out, because after just SIX PAGES — all set in a "could be anywhere" casino* and hotel room — we never see Asia again, but are instead subjected to yet another formulaic "hunt for the Russian mole" tale** (yawwnn!!).

Of course, the Singapore meeting goes poorly, because Sam Joseph is a lousy spy; his CIA boss specifically flies him in from Washington for the gig (rather than using a local officer who knows the territory), and quickly realizes a packed casino is a terrible spot for a secret meeting because there's no way he'd be able to tell if they were spotted or not…but he goes ahead anyway, and of course they ARE spotted, and things immediately go horribly wrong.

And that CIA boss? "Artemis Aphrodite Procter," our main protagonist and a chain-smoking, hard-boozing broad (perhaps the result of lifelong hazing for her stupid name?) whose first job choice after being drummed out of CIA is to move into a trailer in the Florida swamps and wrestle alligators at a cheesy tourist trap — I kid you not. (McCloskey fares little better with his other female characters here, including the CIA's new #3, a totally unqualified Agency washout — long story — who dresses like a slutty bimbo, and an ancient "mole hunter" who is a direct ripoff of Tinker, Tailor's Connie Sachs.)

McCloskey goes to lengths to prove his "former-CIA creds" by overusing phrases like "reptile fund" and "running the muj," and telling multiple tales of childish and/or mean-spirited pranking both at CIA HQS and their training facility at "the Farm," which I really hope isn't what goes on there. Still, he's not a bad writer, and so what follows is a not-totally-uninteresting "whodunit" search for the mole (hence the third star); but this is just a tale already told much better before and elsewhere.

Like so many such stories, it's set in a near-parallel universe where names like Ames, Hansen, Tenet and Navalny are regularly dropped (there's even an actual scene with Vladimir Putin), but no mention of the U.S. President (other than frequent references to "the Oval"), and where the real Director and DDO at the Agency (its #1 and #3 jobs respectively) are replaced with evil and reptilian cartoon idiots, (maybe an intentional callback to Artemis' career wrestling gators?).

I have to add that there was a moment of hope about 1/3 through, where the Russians lay out their plan for taking down CIA and the U.S. in general — "The top down approach is where Dr. B comes in…We can wreak all manner of digital havoc, but we cannot turn an enemy institution inside out unless we've got hold of some of its humans, preferably those damn near the top. There are destructive mechanisms that will be available to the Doctor in the not-so-distant future: budgets can be slashed or frivolously redirected; competent officers may be fired en masse; lunatics, sadists and incompetents might be placed in key posts…" — and where I seriously (and have to say, gleefully) wondered if our big bad here might actually turn out to be either Donald Trump or Elon Musk, which would have earned this book the full five stars for that alone. But (spoiler?) sadly, that is not the case.

Again — not terrible; but definitely disappointing, and I certainly won't be reading any others in this series, (unbeknownst when I began, this is apparently already book #3). Moving on…
____________________________________

* I assume it's the famous but poorly-described-here Marina Bay Sands, although it's referred to here just as "the Sands," which nobody calls it (I know, as I lived in "Sing" for two years — and yes, people DO call it that). On top of which, Sam and his Russian play BACCARAT of all things, James Bond's idiotic game of choice that is best described by the great Harry Flashman as "the most imbecile of card games, in which half-wits sit around a large table…Endless fun, assuming you can count to nine."

** Several other reviews compare this book to the infinitely better and more famous Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, but that's mainly because McCloskey himself does several times, much to his detriment.

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really poor effort. The main character is a mess without any sense of substance or structure. The writing is confusing and needlessly padded. This feels like something rushed to meet contractual obligations.

[Fred Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining book, although it could have been better. I am not sure whether to classify it as a spy novel or a fucked-up workplace novel (if that isn't an official genre, it should be). McCloskey was an analyst at the CIA, so he probably reflects a good deal of the work culture there accurately: boring desk jobs, petty rivalries that make the Balkans look peaceful, inept and self-serving "leadership." Sounds a lot like the typical university in that regard.

The novel revolves around the Russian specialists at the CIA, their old friendships, rivalries, and betrayals. Is there a mole? Who is it? There is a lot of action. McCloskey is good at keeping us in suspense. I thought the red herring was the mole for much of the story.

The characters are a mixed bag. I liked Artemis, although I certainly wouldn't want her as a co-worker or neighbor! Sam is a hapless victim of himself as much as circumstances; he can be a bit wearing. Some characters seem almost stereotypes, such as Theo, the office drunk, and Gosford, the incompetent office politician who rises to the top.

And there was at least one major lapse in continuity: Artemis escapes a burning dwelling, is promptly arrested and then handed over to the CIA. She has nothing but the clothes she is wearing. Then she escapes and suddenly has a bag and plenty of cash. No explanation. That is a rather jarring lack of attention to detail, especially in a spy novel.

3.5 stars, rounded down.

[Kaveh · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was rushed. The story was not ready.

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Seventh Floor" is a crackerjack follow-up to David McCloskey's "Moscow X", featuring main characters from his fine first two novels. It's McCloskey's spin on the ubiquitous (at least in spy fiction) 'there's a mole in a key position in our agency!' story, but he's self-aware enough to throw a couple references to le Carre's great TTSS.

The story begins with a Russian CIA asset being arrested by some of Putin's heavies and a CIA officer, Sam Joseph, kidnapped by Russian operatives after a clandestine conversation with an asset who shared the 'mole' secret with him. The Russian asset commits suicide before he can be questioned but Sam is forced to undergo a significant amount of inhumane torture before he's finally 'traded' back to the CIA for a Russian spy who was being held. In the meantime, ex-Moscow X (CIA department hyper-focused on Russia) chief, the one and only Artemis Procter, is being forced to resign due to her involvement in Sam's operation, her insubordination, her unfortunate fecal accident during her termination meeting and subsequent vomiting on the Director's desk. Procter makes a career move down to Florida to work at her cousin's alligator-focused tourist trap, wrestling gators, feeding them live chickens, entertaining the populace, and drinking heavily in her free time. At this point, I thought we were venturing into Carl Hiassen territory....

Sam Joseph pays a visit to Procter at the gator farm, shares the secret of the mole, and after much questioning, cajoling, and sharing of concerns they decide to team up and hunt the turncoat, since it seems to be obvious that he/she is among the leadership team that had just sent Procter packing. The remainder of the story is comprised of the activities of Sam and Procter as they work toward identifying the spy in the midst of the CIA's hierarchy. This, of course, is complicated by the fact that Procter has been canned and Sam has been sent packing as well. They eventually develop a scheme to discover the traitor that eventually succeeds.

The Seventh Floor is a fresh take on the mole trope. Its key character, Artemis Procter, is truly one of a kind (and I'd be interested in knowing if that particular 'kind' is even a possibility in the CIA)- a 5' tall, tattooed, wild-haired woman with a drinking problem, a tough interior and exterior, and a take no-prisoners persona. Typically, when I come across such a strong character in a novel I try to think about who would play her in a movie and I'll be darned if I can think of one who could 'be' Procter. Anyway, loved the characters, the writing is first rate, and the plot has enough going for it to not be just another mole-hunting escapade. 4.5 rounded up!

[David Murr · Rating 2 out of 5]

"[H]e parachuted bread into the toaster";"three other friends had . . . punched their ticket to the afterlife". Random samples. If you think these are "good writing", this book will be a treat. Otherwise, be warned that, besides this sort of thing, the narrative voice is irritating American slang, loaded with pseudo-technical acronyms and abbreviations and full of gratuitous vulgarity. (It seems that the author has just discovered the word "fuck" and is determined to use it as frequently as possible, appropriately or not.)
The plot is derivative--Le Carre's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy recycled--and broken up by frequent "back stories" that are as pointless as they are boring. The characters are implausible and unattractive. There is simply nothing to recommend in this book. The considerable time it takes to read will be far better spent elsewhere.

[Brett Oaten · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this, after enjoying (largely) the first two. Came out very quickly. I don't get Artemis as a character - she does not seem real - just a collection of "quirky" traits in search of a recurring character for readers to embrace. As for the four friends, I could barely tell them apart and didn't care about any of them, which completely undercut the story. Huge disappointment.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I gave David McCloskey’s Spy Thriller 4 hesitant stars. More on that later in the review

SUMMARY
CIA operative, Sam, meets a Russian Asset in Singapore and is kidnapped and tortured for months. The chief in charge of the operation is fired as a scapegoat and, when he is finally released, he finds her and they try to figure out what went wrong and who is to blame. Turns out there may be a leak at a very high level.

WHAT I LOVED 🥰
The unraveling of the mystery is fascinating, fast paced and unpredictable. It kept me guessing and I was back and forth the whole time trying to decide who couldn’t be trusted. As always, I love the characters, they are unique and simultaneously heroic and flawed. Dave McCloskey’s real life CIA experience brings a touch of legitimacy to the story (although he is the first to admit that real CIA work is usually much less exciting than the book).

WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE 💔
In these novels, the reader needs to focus, at least in the beginning because the plot is complicated and there are a lot of characters. I don’t necessarily dislike that, but it requires a higher level of commitment than I have to give some of my mindless reading. But the plot is definitely very interesting so it’s worth the level of focus required.
Now, to the reason I was hesitant to give four stars; I don’t want to give anything away so I will be vague. Near the end, something happens to one of the characters I am quite attached to and it made me both angry and sad. I’m hoping the next book in the series (due out soonish) will somehow reverse it!

OVERALL
Another great spy thriller from David McClowsky! Hope he continues to write.

[Carole Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has a Russian asset infiltrated the top levels of the CIA?

Sam Joseph, a CIA agent with a black mark on his record already, is tasked with meeting Boris Golikov (a Russian who claims to have valuable information to sell) in a casino in Singapore. By the end of the night Sam is snatched by two Russians who demand he tell them what Golikov told him during their brief “bump” meeting and ultimately incapacitate Sam and bring him to Moscow for further interrogation (ie, torture). Golikov is the second Russian asset to be outed in a short period of time which does not reflect well on the branch of the CIA focused on Russia (known as the Russia House), particularly Artemis Procter (head of the division known as Moscow X) who was responsible for Sam being given the Golikov assignment. A shift is going on at the CIA, with two former agents who had left for the private sector years earlier being brought back in as the new Director and the Deputy Director of Operations (DDO), with offices on the Seventh Floor. Many at the Agency aren’t happy with these appointments, including Procter and her three friends (nicknamed the Russia House Mafia/Bratva). The four became friends back in their training days at the Farm and for a time the now Director and DDO were a part of their group as well, until an op in Afghanistan went south. Procter is made the scapegoat for what happened to Sam and is fired from the job that is her life; her friends are able to enact a swap to bring Sam back home, but he has been damaged by the experience. He also comes back with a secret, the information that Golikov gave him and which he was able to keep from his Russian captors….someone now at a high level at the Agency is feeding high level information to the Russians and is part of a long-game play to so undermine the CIA that it collapses. The list of possible suspects is small, namely the Russia House Mafia, the Director and the DDO, and it is up to Procter and Sam to figure out whether that information is true and, if so, who the traitor is…before they become the next people to disappear, permanently.
For fans of spy fiction, The Seventh Floor brings the goods. Author David McCloskey’s résumé makes it clear that he knows the world about which he is writing, and it is not the glamorized world of 007. It is a world full of bureaucracies, rivalries, quests for power and endless abilities to abandon friendships and shatter trust, but within it there exist people who are genuinely passionate about doing what they do and putting duty over self. Artemis Procter is one such person, and her dedication not only to her job but to the people with whom she works has not made her career easy. The same is true of other people in the business like Rem Zhomov of the Russian SVR and Petra Devine, one of the CIA’s mole hunters. Main and supporting characters are fully developed and full of nuance, the culture of working in the world of deception and the toll it takes on those who live it (hint: lots of alcohol) is depicted with brutal honesty, and the search for the possible mole grabs the reader’s attention from the start and holds it till the end. The Seventh Floor is the third in a series which started with Damascus Station (where the dynamic between Procter and Sam begins); it can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the preceding two titles (before or after, your call) as well. Readers of McCloskey’s previous books will certainly want to grab a copy of this latest release, as should readers of John Le Carré, Charles Cumming and Paul Vidich (amongst others). Many, many thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for allowing me early access to this brilliant work of espionage fiction.

[Christopher Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished The Seventh Floor and David McCloskey is a genius. That was the first masterpiece I’ve read in a LONG time. A genuine tour de force. It’s got me feeling so many things right now! Not just about spying, but the human cost of spying. Go in blind and check it out!

[Chris Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s sort of like an Americanized Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Tightly plotted, action packed, and yet also brimming with the signature tension of an intelligence agency mole hunt story. Highly recommend!

[Emily Carlin]

i had no idea what the hell was going on for 90% of this book. is it because i almost exclusively read it while falling asleep or because the core plot was too convoluted? who’s to say….

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great spy thriller that is absolutely riveting in its intensity.
Artemis, aka Proctor,, has worked for the CIA forever with her little band of merry men, on the infamous seventh floor.: secret missions, secret Intel, secret meetings. They work together, fight together and always look out for each other. They have each other's backs.
All the time..
No matter what.
Or do they?
When a mission goes sideways and one of their own is taken hostage, Artemis is the token job sacrificial lamb, so the bosses can look like they are doing "something". Samuel Joseph, the spy taken hostage is beaten and nearly killed until suddenly being released in a trade off.
Spy for spy.
When Sam is released and comes home, he visits Proctor at her new job at her cousin's Florida alligator land attractuon and tells her there is a traitor in their group, the story takes off.
Spies chasing spies, but all on the same side, makes for thrills, non stop action and mayhem that seems too fantastic to possibly be true, but, probably, really could be.
McCloskey does a great job with the gang from the seventh floor.
Here's to missions not so impossible!!

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

as we all know by now (or latest by now) I’m generally a McCloskey fan. This one though took me longer to get into - partly cause I simply don’t like the storyline when people introduced as the good ones (aka people I like) suddenly turn out to be the bad ones. The pace did pick up towards the end, but still finished with a few unanswered questions and whys.

[Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third adventure by this author and it seems the best yet to me. Strong characters and an interesting plot made this hard to put down.

[Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent but much more popcorn than his first two books. The plot is relatively predictable, and not just because it’s a CIA-reskin of Tinker Tailor. The reveal isn’t much of one.

[Jacob Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was hard to understand at first because of all the back and forth with the CIA and Russian spies.
I could not wrap my head around what was going on - but then after some quick out loud conversations with myself in the mirror and laying out all the facts - I got it. And the last 3 quarters of the book were awesome. Good character development, the ending wasn’t a “holy cow” twist but I’m an adult and don’t need dramatics to call a book good.

[Caleb Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Peter and Irene made this book for me. Their arc (mainly Irene’s) was spectacular in my opinion. In specific, the bomb failure at Proctors RV and Sam’s death by the hands of Irene were definite highlights to this book. The rest was good as well.

[Susan_MG · Rating 4 out of 5]

This spy novel kept me guessing for most of the story. Then, when we know what is going on, the author builds the intrigue again. Well plotted, well told and very entertaining.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six friends have served in the CIA together for 25 years and have saved each other lives multiple times. When something goes wrong on a mission, it becomes clear that one of them is a mole - but which one. Solid espionage thriller. I'd recommend the print over audio on this one.

[Matthew Fleckney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, easy to read spy thriller to get me out of my lack-of-reading rut.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. Having read his first two, I was looking forward to this one, but somehow it wasn’t quite up there. Maybe it was the audiobook format? It’s quite an involved story from a relationship point of view and it takes quite a lot of concentration. Maybe it’s a storyline more focused on an internal mole hunt, all the action being in the United States rather than exotic locations. I don’t think we’ve heard the end of Artemis Proctor however and as a character she’s pretty compelling. So good but not great and certainly not as good as his last two.

[Bea Sayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent David McCloskey spy novel! The inclusion of the mole in this one was a great addition. I'm also pondering joining the secret service as I worked out who the mole was early doors (Matt can vouch). That being said, I did think they were a completely different person and thus the motive I gave was entirely wrong... hey ho! Sign me up :)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now read books two and three in the series and still waiting for the first book. Another captivating read with many surprises. Just when you are thinking that the ending is not righteous but perhaps realistic the rug is pulled from under you. Just wondering where the series will go now. So much bad blood.

[Henry Wade · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barely 2 stars. Boring. Not sure why I finished it.