The Paris Protocol

by Ephraim Clark

Paris, 1976. Brad James—CIA agent working undercover as a pop star with a hit record and a sold-out dinner show—is accused of collaborating with a rogue FBI agent turned terrorist. When the only person who can clear his name is brutally tortured and murdered, Brad realizes he’s next.

Hunted by the very system he served, Brad follows the rogue agent into the shadowy world of political powerbrokers and their network of financiers, sex workers, trafficked women, spies, and enforcers where he uncovers a deep-state plan to overthrow the U.S. government.

Can he stay alive long enough to foil the conspiracy, clear his name, and bring the real traitors to justice?

The Paris Protocol is a Cold War thriller about power, paranoia, betrayal, and survival—where glamour masks danger and there is no safe side to trust.

If you enjoyed All the President’s Men, The Day of the Jackal, and conspiracies that feel uncomfortably real, this book is for you.

329 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Myles Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular retro spy book in Paris in 1976 when karate was the rage for martial arts. There are terrorist plots a foot and it’s difficult to tell who is an ally, who is a traitor, who is a turncoat, and who will survive. Is the CIA station chief in Paris compromise? Brad James, a musician by night and the CIA operative working with his partner, Chuck have to unravel who are the terrorist and who are the good guys. With squeaky from trying to kill the president is there a further plot to take over US citizens constitutional rights? It seems that there are talent agencies that are involved in sex trafficking and blackmail. This is a fast paced exciting novel that is definitely worth reading. The characters are well developed and engaging in the plotline is well developed and complex. It is difficult to tell if an operative is rogue or is he serving a higher calling? Can those empower be trusted or are they serving their own purposes? The 70s come to life in this tale of intrigue taking place in Paris. Brad and Chuck are covert operatives that placed the interest of the United States and the citizens of Paris above their own needs. Can they figure out what is truly going on and stop a massive conspiracy that’s based on chaos and destruction.

[Indie Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paris, 1976. CIA operative Brad James has built an improbable cover as a chart-topping pop star with a sold-out dinner show. Until he's accused of conspiring with a rogue FBI agent turned terrorist, and the one witness who could exonerate him turns up tortured to death. What follows is a Cold War thriller navigating the shadowy world of political powerbrokers, financiers, trafficked women, and enforcers, all circling an insider plot to bring down the U.S. government.

Ephraim Clark, a former academic economist who spent years in Paris, brings an insider's credibility to the city's atmosphere. His unusual concept – a spy whose cover is genuine celebrity – gives “The Paris Protocol” a knowing, irreverent edge, laced with showbiz glitter and Watergate-era cynicism. The novel sits squarely in the tradition of paranoid 1970s political thrillers, where institutional corruption is the true antagonist and no faction can be trusted. “The Paris Protocol” is another propulsive entry in Clark's Brad James series, with plenty of sly winks and action-packed turns.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another really enjoyable and intriguing read featuring Brad James and his colleagues Chuck and Gary, all CIA agents although Brad is also a musician and singer. He finds himself working with a rogue agent while also trying to figure out the details of a potential assassination. All this is also involving big finance people, sex workers and lots of blackmail.

I loved how we never really knew the extent of who was really corrupt, or what level of corrupt people were. It made things even more interesting. There's plenty of bluffing, double bluffing, twists galore and lots of violence. I liked the duo of Brad and Chuck, you just want to root for them all the time. The setting back in the 70s is great. It's refreshing to read about a time with less technology and how things were done especially in the espionage world. I look forward to seeing what is in store next for these two.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lou-Anne Joubert]

I personally struggled to really get into this book and although I completed it, it failed to engage me.

Initially, it was quite difficult to connect all the characters however this became clearer much later in the book. I usually love getting attached to the people in a book, but I couldn't find a single character to really root for here. Perhaps there were just too many.

The plot is a combination of political blackmail, financial corruption,a web of intelligence , power plays and assassination which could be intriguing to many readers . While this is typically my go-to-genre, this particular book felt messy, disjointed and at times, mundane.

I thought the plot was quite clever, even if the writing felt like it needed a bit more punch and excitement. Still, I really enjoyed the author's quirky habit of describing characters by their looks. It was a lot of fun! Happy reading."

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like adventure novels, filled with action and mystery, this one is for you.
What really caught my attention was the setup: the protagonist, Brad, is a CIA agent but also a music star in Paris, in 1975.
There are a lot of plot twists, the story is fast paced, and you don't know what to expect next: who is betraying who, which are the friends and which are the enemies in the middle of an attempted assassination of the US president.
Plus, the Parisian atmosphere is masterfully captured, especially the nightlife. Reading this book was like having a view of Eiffel Towed right outside my window.

[Diana M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good spy story, yes I do. Set in the late 1970's in Paris, this one is jam packed with some of the more typical themes but also includes more modern themes such as high finance and sex trafficking. I do appreciate the "old school" methods relied upon by the two main characters, rather than today's world filled with technology.

My reason for a lower rating was the writing style - it felt too "good old boy" or in today's terminology "bro" and a bit choppy. That may have fit with the characters personality and the fast paced nature but it made less flowing and harder for me to read.

Thank you to BookSirens, the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC.