An Honorable Man

George Mueller #1

by Paul Vidich

A debut espionage novel in the style of Alan Furst and John le Carré, An Honorable Man is a chilling Cold War spy thriller set in 1950s Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C., 1953. The Cold War is heating up: McCarthyism, with all its fear and demagoguery, is raging in the nation’s capital, and Joseph Stalin’s death has left a dangerous power vacuum in the Soviet Union.

The CIA, meanwhile, is reeling from a double agent within their midst. Someone is selling secrets to the Soviets, compromising missions around the globe. Undercover agents have been assassinated, and anti-Communist plots are being cut short in ruthlessly efficient fashion. The CIA director knows any news of the traitor, whose code name is Protocol, would be a national embarrassment and compromise the entire agency.

George Mueller seems to be the perfect man to help find the mole: Yale-educated; extensive experience running missions in Eastern Europe; an operative so dedicated to his job that it left his marriage in tatters. The Director trusts him. Mueller, though, has secrets of his own, and as he digs deeper into the case, making contact with a Soviet agent, suspicion begins to fall on him as well. Until Protocol is found, no one can be trusted, and everyone is at risk.

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

278 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

PAUL VIDICH is the acclaimed author of The Coldest Warrior (2020), An Honorable Man (2016) and The Good Assassin (2017), and his fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, LitHub, CrimeReads, Fugue, The Nation, Narrative Magazine, and others. He lives in New York.

Praise for THE COLDEST WARRIOR:
A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Mystery/Thriller Pick for Spring 2020

Publishers Weekly and Library Journal STARRED reviews.

“Vidich . . . writes with the nuanced detail and authority of a career spook. With this outing, Vidich enters the upper ranks of espionage thriller writers.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A worthwhile thriller and a valuable exposé.”—Kirkus Reviews

"Vidich presents a fast-paced, historically accurate thriller, placing him alongside other great spy authors such as John le Carré and Alan Furst. Readers of the genre will want this slow-burn chiller that shows how far government will go to keep secrets."—Library Journal (starred review)

“The Coldest Warrior is more than an entertaining and well-crafted thriller; Vidich asks questions that remain relevant today.”—JEFFERSON FLANDERS, picked as a Top Espionage Novel of 2020


Praise for AN HONORABLE MAN:
Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the Top 10 mysteries and thrillers coming 2016.

A Booklist STARRED Review.

"Cold War spy fiction in the grand tradition--neatly plotted betrayals in that shadow world where no one can be trusted and agents are haunted by their own moral compromises." -- Joseph Kanon, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Berlin and Istanbul Passage.

"A cool, knowing, and quietly devastating thriller that vaults Paul Vidich into the ranks of such thinking-man's spy novelists as Joseph Kanon and Alan Furst. Like them, Vidich conjures not only a riveting mystery but a poignant cast of characters, a vibrant evocation of time and place, and a rich excavation of human paradox." -- Stephen Schiff, Co-Producer and writer, The Americans.

"As I read AN HONORABLE MAN, I kept coming back to George Smiley and THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. That’s how good this book is. Much like John le Carre and Eric Ambler before him, Vidich writes with a confidence that allows him to draw his characters in clean, simple strokes, creating dialogue that speaks volumes in a few spare lines while leaving even more for the reader to fathom in what’s not said at all. At the center of the novel is George Mueller, a man who walks in the considerable shadow of Smiley but with his own unique footprint, his own demons and a quiet, inner strength that sustains and defines him in endless shades of cloak and dagger gray. Pick up this book. You’ll love it." --Michael Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicago Way

"An Honorable Man" is wonderful -- an unputdownable mole hunt written in terse, noirish prose, driving us inexorably forward. In George Mueller, Paul Vidich has created a perfectly stoic companion to guide us through the intrigues of the red-baiting Fifties. And the story itself has the comforting feel of a classic of the genre, rediscovered in some dusty attic, a wonderful gift from the past. – Olen Steinhauer, New York Times Bestselling author of The Tourist and The Cairo Affair.

“Paul Vidich's tense, muscular thriller delivers suspense and intelligence circa 1953: Korea, Stalin, the cold war, rage brilliantly, and the hall of mirrors confronting reluctant agent George Mueller reflects myriad questions. Just how personal is the political? Is the past ever past? An Honorable Man asks universal questions whose shadows linger even now. Paul Vidich's immensely assured debut, a requiem to a time, is intensely alive, dark, silken with facts, replete with promise.” -- Jayne Anne Phillips, New York Times Bestselling author of Lark and Terminte a

Reviews

[Nahid Rachlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel engaged me from the first page and kept me interested to the end. I particularly like the characterization of the people in it.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spy novel based upon a real spy! Fantastic!! Author Paul Vidich used historical information from James Speyer Kronthal’s life to write a fiction piece involving the CIA and FBI during the Cold War of the McCarthy era. This is a spy thriller that has literary legs.

The main character, George Mueller seems haunted by his career in the CIA. He’s tired, and looking for a way out. As the book title implies, he seems to be an honorable man who is wrestling with the ambiguity of honor and loyalty: Loyal to whom? Yet, he’s drawn back again to track down a double agent who seems to have access to high-level intelligence.

The novel is a great spy thriller. More than that, Vivich explores the emotional toll spying takes on the individual. Vivich writes Mueller’s character so well, that the reader feels the angst and the mistrust. Who is honest? Who’s above board?

Adding to the pressure of that time was the McCarthy witch-hunts. The political pressure the Agency felt was immense. At the time, the boundaries between the FBI and CIA were fought with strife. It was a complex time.

Although it’s a short novel, 274 pages, I didn’t breeze through it. I was assessing the characters, finding the holes in stories….basically trying to be a spy. It’s an amazing debut by Vidich. And, I’m really not a spy reader.

[David Putnam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd heard some good things about this book and looked forward to reading it. I finally got down to it on the pile and did enjoy the first part of the book it kept me reading. I liked George Mueller and how the author portrayed the real life of someone in the CIA. Made him a real person. That is the strength of this novel.
I had intended on giving the book four stars until the end.
I liked the voice except certain points in the craft. The point of view at times was too distant. Periodically the reminiscent voice would intercede and burst the fictive dream. Here are two as an example: "Someone watching those two men would never suspect what was about to follow." And: "What happened next was..." This occurs throughout the story. There is also too often a shift to summary to move the story along. This gave me the feeling that I was skimming over story instead of being down in the scene.
The ending that bumped it down a star (without giving too much away as a spoiler)..."Oh, look there's a tunnel we can escape in."
Also: What I have seen too often in today's mysteries is the point of view cheat where the character is aware of critical information that he is supposedly looking for and it's not revealed until the end. And he knew it all the time. Yikes. Makes me want to throw the book across the room.
David Putnam

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley (quite a while back) in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect Cold War/Spy thriller classic-style written in the vein of the old masters, like le Carré or Len Deighton.

The synopsis is simple: there's a Soviet mole deep in the CIA. Only a few agents know, and they need to find the double agent before the FBI finds out, all the while traversing the trials of Senator McCarthy and his Red Scare.

There's not a lot of action, truth be told, but the cerebral scenes, the tenseness building from beginning to end, and the fact that this book was based on true events shortly after the CIA's founding make this an outstanding read. My only regret is waiting so long to read it!

This reminded me a lot of the old 90s movie with Kevin Costner and Sean Young, "No Way Out". Not surprising, since both this book and that movie are based at least loosely on true events.

I'll definitely be looking for more books by Paul Vidich!

[Ryan Steck · Rating 4 out of 5]

See this review and more at TheRealBookSpy.com

It’s my belief that the spy genre was at its absolute best during the Cold War era when authors like John Le Carre’ were writing thrilling tales of espionage and double-agents with whit and pizazz. In his debut novel, Paul Vidich takes readers back to that time, dropping them off in 1953 as the world’s two greatest superpowers prepare to wage war against one another.

I started this book wanting to like it, and ended up loving it. An Honorable Man is a gripping showdown between spies with stakes that couldn’t possibly be any higher, and where nobody can be fully trusted.

THE STORY
The book opens by introducing the reader to George Mueller, an American spy who is trying to find a mole, code-named Protocol, within the CIA.

Mueller watches from across the street, puffing on a cigarette and blowing the smoke into the cold D.C. air (true to the time, everyone is smoking… everyone!) as a joint-operation between the CIA and FBI gets underway. The two agencies finally have a lead on Protocol, and are hoping to capture him and take him into custody before the night’s end.

When the target arrived, Mueller noticed several things that ultimately left him unconvinced that the man before them was indeed Protocol. The FBI moved on the target anyhow, storming the building and arresting the man in question. It turned out Muller was correct, the man was in fact not Protocol. The mission was a total and complete failure.

Mueller was the last to leave the scene, well after the FBI and CIA cleared out. But just as he was preparing to head home, he laid eyes on a shadowy silhouette walking quickly down the street. Something about him made Mueller suspicious – could that be Protocol? Was he there, watching the operation unfold?

Mueller called out to the man and took off to follow him, but the figure had already disappeared back into the shadows of the night. He was too late.

Soon after the unsuccessful operation, the Director of the CIA summoned Mueller to his office. During a closed door meeting, the two discuss the leak of information that has been trickling out of the spy agency’s office. From the director’s perspective, the entire ordeal is an absolute embarrassment, and his greatest fear is that the American government will learn just how bad Protocol has infiltrated the Central Intelligence Agency.

With several undercover agents already dead, and other operations torpedoed all thanks to the unidentified mole, the director appoints the reluctant Mueller to now lead the investigation.

The FBI wants Protocol too, and technically speaking the two agencies were supposed to be working together to bring him in. Mueller, though, was told to ignore that order and find Protocol before the FBI does. After all, how can the CIA be sure they can trust the FBI?

And therein lies the real problem: When you’re dealing with spies, nobody can ever really be trusted.

When light is cast on secrets from Mueller’s past, he too becomes a suspect of investigation. Desperate to prove his innocence and then leave the spy life behind, Mueller must catch the real Protocol before it’s to late.

WHY I LOVED IT
First and foremost, I appreciated the character. Mueller isn’t James Bond. He does not rely on silly gadgets and weaponry to save him when he gets in over his head. He’s a smart, educated guy who is very cerebral and capable of seeing things that others don’t. And yet, while he’s excellent at his job, all he really desires is a normal life with his family.

Mueller had wanted out of the CIA but stayed at the request of the director, who needed him to find Protocol. You can’t fault a man for wanting to spend time with his family, which is one of the reasons it’s easy to root for Mueller when everything begins crashing down around him.

At the end of the day this book knows what it is, a good old-fashioned mole hunt. It never tries to be something it’s not, nor does it drag on longer than it needs to. It’s on the short side because of it’s lack of “filler,” which is a welcomed surprise and something I wish more authors would consider in their writing. Far too often writers try to stretch a good story that’s only three hundred pages, into four hundred, which is a critical flaw in my opinion.

That said, Vidich develops his characters, especially Mueller, quite nicely. The story isn’t missing anything. On the contrary, it contains only what is needed, moving the plot along rather quickly.

WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT
Like a good movie set years in the past, costumes and set pieces are essential to setting the stage for a believable story. From long overcoats and top hats, to cigarettes and pipes, An Honorable Man makes you feel like you’re in 1953. If you like movies such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Tom Hank’s 2015 spy flick A Bridge of Spies, you need to read this book.

Paul Vidich isn’t going anywhere. An Honorable Man is one heck of a debut novel, and is just the beginning of what should be a long and brilliant career. If you had the chance to go back in time and start reading John Le Carre’ from the very beginning, would you do it? Here’s your second chance – don’t miss it.

[Brandon Forsyth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aspires to be le Carré, but never quite gets there. Some great scenes, but never resonates emotionally. The afterword, where Vidich talks about the historical incident this was inspired by, sounds fascinating and deserves a non-fiction perspective.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half a century ago we learned from John le Carré about amorality and corruption in the world of espionage. Other authors have written hundreds of books about spies since then. Some, including Alan Furst, Charles Cumming, Olen Steinhauer, Dame Stella Rimington, and Joseph Kanon, for example, have made their own estimable contributions to the genre in recent decades. But only rarely has their work brought to light the sheer ugliness of the espionage craft and what damage it wreaks on those who practice it. However, there is an exception. In his first novel, An Honorable Man (2016), the American short story writer Paul Vidich brings to life a veteran officer in the early CIA who is honorable only in an ironic sense. The world he inhabits, and the life he lives, are fraught with dreadful expectations and impossible choices.

"Where once there was a struggle between good and evil," Vidich writes in a vein reminiscent of le Carré, "the clarity was gone, and he was in a new gray-toned world where right and wrong blurred. The many innocent people who were collateral damage haunted him. He knew himself well enough to recognize the signs that he was becoming a burnt-out case."

It's January 1953. Senator Joseph McCarthy (identified in the novel only as "the senator") is foaming at the mouth about alleged Communists and homosexuals in the State Department. General Dwight Eisenhower has not yet moved into the White House, and Allen Dulles is still bitterly serving as deputy director of the CIA (though never identified in the novel). The director is an admiral modeled on the man who actually held that office at the time—the three-star general who had served as Eisenhower's chief of staff in World War II. The CIA, now just six years old, is still largely run by the freewheeling former OSS officers recruited upon the agency's formation in 1947, but bureaucratic ways have begun to take hold. Younger recruits regard the old hands as past their sell date.

These same old hands, executives at the highest levels of the early CIA, are frantic with worry that there is a Soviet mole in their midst. They're equally worried that the FBI will expose them to Senator McCarthy's witch-hunt if they learn the mole's identity. George Mueller is one of four top CIA officers who have been tasked with identifying the double agent, code-named Protocol. He and his colleagues are investigating a list of suspects that is much too long for comfort, and it is troubling that none of the four is on the list despite obvious circumstantial evidence pointing to them.

George is profoundly unhappy with his life and his work. He has made clear to the director and to all of his close colleagues that he wants to leave the CIA. But the admiral refuses to accept his resignation, insisting that George is the only one of the four men on the top-secret Protocol task force that he can really trust. With great reluctance, George persists in pursuing the mole. He feels surrounded by enemies. One is FBI Special Agent Walker, who does not find it difficult to imagine that George himself is a Soviet agent. Another is James Coffin, the director of Counterintelligence, who sits on the Protocol task force with him. (Coffin somewhat resembles the real-life James Jesus Angleton, the brilliant paranoid schizophrenic who tore the CIA apart in his relentless search for a mole for two decades from the 1950s to the 1970s—a mole he never found.) As evidence mounts that there is indeed a traitor to be found, George finds himself under ever greater pressure.

Officially, the CIA would have us believe that the only traitor who turned up during Angleton's reign as the agency's counterintelligence chief (1954-75) was his close personal friend, the notorious KGB spy, Kim Philby of MI6. However, in the acknowledgments at the back of his novel, Paul Vidich writes the following:

"On the morning of April 1, 1953, James Speyer Kronthal was found dead in the upstairs bedroom of his red brick town house in Georgetown by Metropolitan Police, who had been summoned by his longtime housekeeper when she arrived at 8:30 and found the home suspiciously quiet. He was fully clothed, sprawled on the floor, an apparent suicide. He wasn't shot, as [the mole] is in the novel, but in many other respects my character is based on the sad, troubled life of James Speyer Kronthal." Q.E.D.

If you read espionage novels, you'll enjoy my post, "My 10 favorite espionage novels." You might also be interested in "17 good nonfiction books about espionage." You can find both on my blog at www.malwarwickonbooks.com.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Old-Fashion Spy Fiction at its Finest!

Paul Vidich delivers a fascinating adventurous debut AN HONORABLE MAN –richly atmospheric, inspired by true events. Suspenseful—powerful and gritty; a chilling Cold War spy mystery thriller!

The dark shadows are lurking from the past. How personal is the political? Is the past ever past? A riveting mystery with a poignant cast of characters – Complex, emotional, rich in history.

In the grand tradition---Classic spy fiction genre of literature involves espionage, emerging from the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligence agencies.

Who can be trusted? Agents haunted by their own compromises.

Set in Washington DC in the 1950s, The Cold War is heating up. Joseph Stalin’s death. An unsettling time. Tensions, stresses, enemies, corruption, bureaucracy, secrets, hypocrisy, and betrayal. A time when people lived the life that was excepted of them.

From communism, homosexuality, atheism.

There is a double agent. Someone is selling secrets to the Soviets. A traitor. Code name – Protocol. The Soviets had penetrated the Agency. Someone inside had provided the Soviets with drop points, and later the names of CIA assets. Everyone worried about a Soviet agent in their midst. A traitor.

George Mueller is the perfect man to assist. Find the mole. Muller liked to keep private matters away from his job, but the daily grind made that hard. Politics had taken over everything. He was tired of the double life, the daily mask.

Lonely. Holding onto secrets. Life changing secrets. A desire to escape. Muller wants out. A polygraph test. College, the war, Vienna. Loneliness. Secrets were restless things. Secrets got out. The motivations of men around him were suspect and he no longer knew whom to trust.

The Council selected men who they believed had access to the Agency’s secrets and a motive. Twenty names. Each suspect. The list was secret. Secrecy protected the investigation from compromise, but is also protected the reputations of the innocent.

Based on the sad troubled life of James Speyer Kronthal, found dead 4/1/1953 similar to Robert Altman--a brilliant young deputy of Allen Dulle’s who had worked in the OSS with Dulles in the Bern Station during the WWII. He was one of the original 60 whom Dulles brought to the CIA. The initial recruits were not required to take a polygraph test. Later the CIA discovered a questionable life. In order to keep arrest and scandal under wraps, he was later set up, blackmailed, and became the first Soviet mole in the CIA. These acts later came to light. Forced to honor and duty—compulsions destroy careers—leading to apparent suicide (his death), in order to prevent political embarrassment. Read more at the end of the book, in the acknowledgements.

Taut storytelling Reminiscent of old-school John Le Carré spy thrillers -- Vidich uses well-researched references, books, websites, and quotes of poetry and literary prose-an intriguing Ivy League educated young man who lived a secret life within a secret career. Layers of secrets. A hostile political environment—hushed, during the Cold War.

“Oh, my worse sin was in my blood; Now my blood pays for it.”—John Webster

Quite interesting how spy fiction has taken on different roles throughout history: from the Nineteenth century, WWI, Inter-war period, WWII, the early/late Cold War (British/American), Post Cold War, to Post–9/11 and the subsequent War on Terror, with a reawakened interest in the peoples and politics of the world beyond its borders-- with new authors emerging in the espionage genre.

Despite the end of the Cold War the spy genre has flourished but changed to keep up with the shifts in the political landscape post 9/11.

Gripping! Red-baiting fifties--a term commonly used in the US and its history, often associated with the McCarthyism, which originated in the two historic Red Scare periods of the 1920s (First Red Scare) and 1950s (Second Red Scare). Due to mounting Cold War tensions and the spread of communism --- "McCarthyism" being coined to signify any type of reckless political persecution or witch-hunt.

After reading, you will understand why Publishers Weekly named AN HONORABLE MAN the Top Ten Mysteries & Thrillers of Spring 2016 (plus many other mentions and awards). Most certainly on my radar! Impressive. Looking forward to listening to the audio version narrated by, George Newbern.

JDCMustReadBooks

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The Literary Spy Novel: Five Recommendations by Paul Vidich.

[Truman32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the 1950’s in Washington, D.C. The height of the McCarthy communist witch hunts. In the C.I.A. there is a traitor. A mole code-named “Protocol” is on the loose. Nobody can be trusted; the safety of countless agents as well as homeland security is imperiled.

This is the setting of Paul Vidich’s debut novel, An Honorable Man, and it’s a good one.

There is only one man the Director of the C.I.A. trusts to ferret out this mole—George Mueller—an Ivy League educated operative with a lot of experience in the espionage game in post war Europe. George is devoted to his work to the extent that he is bordering on burnout, his marriage is shattered, and he lives in an desolate apartment pining for the young son he may never see again.

An Honorable Man reads like the best of John le Carre, the espionage is realistic and gritty like dirty sand chafing your privates underneath your bathing suit, the character of Mueller is like a noir detective—battered and beat down but still fighting the good fight with every last ounce he has despite the cost.

Setting the action in the 1950’s increases the breadth of the story. Like a literary Rachel Ray throwing various items into a 30-minute casserole, Vidich tosses in such tasty morsels as class conflict, post-WW2 America, Russian clashes, the secret shame/loathing of homosexuality of the era. There is very little the author puts in his “garbage bowl” which is surprising in such a slim novel. He even gives George the opportunity for a new start at love. Will he take it or crumble under the weight of all his secrets, subterfuge and mendacity?

This is a superior spy story that reads like a detective novel—I look forward from more from this great new author.

[Gram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark tale of the search for a Soviet double agent at the heart of the American government. The story is set in 1953, at the height of Senator Joe McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee's "show trials" in Washington as a nation panics at the thought of Communists destroying their country from within.

The director of the fledgling CIA knows that J. Edgar Hoover's FBI will also try to unmask the traitor, code named "Protocol", in order to embarrass and weaken the agency. He assembles an elite team of four to ensure that it's the CIA which finds the double agent within their ranks. One of them is George Mueller, an experienced spy who's run secret missions throughout Eastern Europe. So Mueller joins in the investigation of his colleagues, some of whom he has great respect for. But Mueller is a man with secrets and suspicion falls on him after he makes contact with a senior Soviet agent in a bid to recruit him and help identify the Communist spy within the CIA.

In this debut espionage novel, Paul Vidich painstakingly recreates the paranoia of the "Red Menace" in the USA during the early 1950's. This is a great addition to the spy novel genre and I look forward to the next book in the series featuring George Mueller.

[Esil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/4 stars. I swear that I am not a spy thriller fan. But I seem to have read three -- including An Honorable Man -- in the past month or so. What attracts me to these books in the first place is the time period -- I have a particular interest in the history and politics of the Cold War. Unfortunately, spy thrillers are rarely the best source of information or insight for this historical period -- although sometimes they are, which is why I keep reading them. An Honorable Man didn't deliver what I was looking for. It felt more like a pastiche of the 1950s -- with stylized clipped dialogue and characters that felt like they were drawn right out of black and white movies from the 1950s. But I have to give An Honorable Man credit for being good for what it is. It is a tightly constructed story, that conveys the claustrophobia and paranoia that necessarily come with being a spy. James Mueller is an agent with the CIA. He is charged by the Director with figuring out the identity of the mole within who has been leaking secrets to the Soviets. It could be anyone, and Mueller has to keep on his toes. Meanwhile, Mueller is tired of being a spy, and desperate to get out of the racket, so participation in the chase for the mole is fraught with self-reflection and taking stock of his life so far. You get the drift? It was a quick read. It wasn't really what I was looking for. But it kept my attention. And it turns out to be based on a true story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

[Ralf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great read, I could not stop hearing it to the end. The book invites comparison with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy from John Le Caree. The hero named George, the traitor homosexual, the turmoil in NKWD after Stalins death and a few other resemblances. But the book can stand this comparison much more than any other spy novel I read.

It goes slightly beyond the pure thriller by choosing the McCarthy area as a background. Not as much as Graham Green in the Quiet American, but it has a serious background.

The picture of Vienna after WWII reminded me a bit to the Third Man from Graham Green, maybe even more the movie. Yet, again it goes beyond taking Vienna in this time as a cheap background, giving a more nuanced picture. The language is very concise. And the author, in contrast to Le Carré, is able to take a woman and some romance credibly into his story.

I will definitely read Paul Vidichs next book.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid old school style Cold War spy thriller that aspires to emulate the greatest works of le Carré but doesn't quite get there. The plot was intriguing and well structured enough to keep me going, but the writing style could have been more engaging. Also a case of "must shove in a romance subplot just because". Might give the sequel a try at some point.

[Judith Hutchinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is set in Washington DC in 1953; Stalin has just died, the Cold War and McCarthyism are heating up.
George Meuller is a CIA agent is burned out and wants out but is persuaded to do one, possibly last, job – find a double agent, given the code name Protocol, who is costing the lives of CIA agents.
I was looking forward to reading this book; it seemed to have potential but in the end I felt that it did not fulfil that potential and I was disappointed for a number of reasons.
This is a first novel; Paul Vidich has previously written short stories. I feel that, essentially, this is a short story that has been padded out to become a novel.
The book is a decent length, some 250 pages but the plot is very thin and the identity of Protocol is not hard to work out. What it substitutes for plot is lengthy physical descriptions of, often incidental, characters. The descriptions are good and help to set the mood but they are no substitute for plot and they slow down the action..
I did not feel any tension mounting and found the end rather disappointing.
George Mueller is an interesting character but I wanted to know more about him and his past.
There is something I find very strange. When I read for the second time the ‘love interest’ Beth, being referred to by her brother as ‘In her is the end of breeding’, I had no idea what was meant. It was only when I read the acknowledgements (how many people read these?) that I came across the following – ‘Several characters in the novel quote lines of poetry or prose’ and this is apparently a quote from Ezra Pound. I must have missed the others! My question is why the quotes? What does this add to the book, especially when there are no quotation marks or attributions in the text?
Small irritations include the confusion of ‘aggravate’ and ‘irritate’ and the use of the word ‘paparazzi’ – a term not used in the 1950s.

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing I like better than 'discovering' a great writer in my favorite genre is finding one with a deep catalog. Unfortunately, that's not the case here as 'An Honorable Man' is Paul Vidich's first. It's a fine piece of work and I hope the author continues in the spy novel genre.

'An Honorable Man' is a throwback novel to a time when we were battling the Soviet threat, McCarthyism was running rampant, and spywork was done the old-fashioned way without sophisticated electronics and forensics. The plot is one that many thrillers have used: the CIA may or may not have a spy in its midst, agents are being killed in foreign lands, and a crack team is assembled to track down the traitor. It's a well-traveled road for writers, but handled expertly by Mr. Vidich.

The writing is superb- very Alan Furst-like in that the style and cadence are perfect complements to the story. One way I tend to judge books is on how well my mind's eye can re-create the characters and scenes and I had no problem doing so for this one. The story proceeds at a good clip- there's not a lot of action but the characters move steadily toward a conclusion that addresses the mystery in a satisfactory way.

By the way, after vowing to never read another book based on laudatory blurbs written by writers I generally like (I've been burned by Lee Child, Ridley Pearson, Michael Connelly), I took a chance on this one due to Joseph Kanon and Olen Steinhauer's praise and I'm glad I did. It's a fine start to what I hope will be a long career for Paul Vidich writing excellent novels.

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as an advance reader copy for a review I am going to write.

Sadly, it will be a less than full throated endorsement of the book.

While the story made for an decent read as a whole, I kept waiting for something to happen that made me believe that you'd be able to get a rise out of any one of the characters in the book. A number of the characters seemed so locked away into themselves, that you couldn't light a fire under their butt even if you actually did light a fire under their butt.

I thought it read more like it was a conversation taking place inside someone's head rather than a story I could really sink my teeth into.

There were some interesting twists in the narrative, but even with the Cold War spy vs. spy setting, I was hoping for at least a little bit of action.

There is a ton of inner dialogue and lots of talky exposition to move the plot along, but for me it never coalesced into a story that kept me turning the pages with breathless anticipation for what would happen next.

[Alex Gherzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my first Paul Vidich will be my last. An Honorable Man feels like it was written by a college activist with an ax to grind, with the story of the hunt for a traitor a thin veneer for moralistic grandstanding. The characters all feel like they're either mouthpieces for rants against McCarthyism (several indignantly shout "America has lost its soul!" in case we thought any of them were grownups) or caricatures of government officials who either support it or live with it, but nobody ever says anything interesting about it, or even finishes a thought about it. George Mueller has to be one of the dullest spy heroes ever created, and no one in the supporting cast feels like an actual person; they're there to do things so the plot can happen. The espionage aspects are fun in certain sections (although the identity of the traitor is obvious long before the "reveal"), but they're separated by long diversions where people talk about nothing or have dinner parties. This is one to skip.

[Paula Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since anyone appeared to be a worthy LeCarre successor, but in An Honorable Man, Paul Viditch shows great promise of stepping into those shoes. It was so refreshing to read an intelligent novel about intelligent men caught up in the early days of the Cold War, around the time of Stalin's death. And of the choices, wise and unwise, that all people make, no matter their intelligence or education. Viditch not only presents us with characters who think, he forces the reader to think, with the ultimate questions being what is honor, what does losing one's life and giving one's life for one's country mean, and what is an honorable man? I'm eager to read his next book.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow-moving, unsurprising, but enjoyable. Certainly well-written, but it has a pretense of intellectualism that was sadly not warranted by a sophisticated story. The dramatic ending is almost comical (and it's not supposed to be).

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is set in Washington DC in 1953, against a background of The Cold War, a newly unstable Soviet Union following the death of Stalin and the McCarthy witch-hunts. Failed espionage missions and the deaths of a number of agents, have exposed the fact that there is a double agent, code-name Protocol, within the CIA. This mole must be tracked down as soon as possible and, with the FBI eager to expose any weakness in the CIA, the Director trusts only one man to take on the job. This is George Mueller, a Yale-educated agent with many years’ experience in espionage missions in post-war Europe. However, Mueller is disillusioned with espionage work and, having lost his original idealistic patriotism, has decided to leave the service and accept a teaching job. Under pressure from the Director, and feeling that it is the honourable thing to do, he accepts this final mission. However, he is a man with his own secrets and dilemmas. He struggles with concepts of loyalty, honour and patriotism, as well as with the compromises he feels his job forces him to make. He wants to see himself as an honourable man but how confident can he really feel in his own moral and ethical choices?
Suspicion, paranoia, betrayal, conflicts of loyalty, deception, corruption, traitors and personal sacrifice – all the elements which make for a chillingly good spy-thriller – are skilfully woven together to form the background to Paul Vidich’s gripping, page-turning novel. From the opening chapter I felt drawn into the shadowy world of espionage, where no one can be trusted and where danger lingers in every shadow. The parallel story of the influence of Mc Carthyism and the persecution of people suspected of being communist, homosexual or atheist added an extra layer of tension, as well as outrage, to my reading experience. I really liked the main character and found myself urging him to trust his instincts, to resign from the CIA, and to take that teaching post!
As a huge Le Carré fan most spy thrillers fall short of my expectations, but not this one because it has all the hallmarks of the best examples of novels in this genre. The writing style is elegant and the taut, atmospheric prose, as well as the credible characters, made me feel that this is an author who has a good understanding of the murky world of espionage. I thought that he highlighted, in a very convincing way, the effects that living a life in this shadowy world can have on an individual’s emotional life and on personal relationships – be those intimate ones or friendships. The fact that one of the characters was modeled on a real-life spy of the period, and the author’s creative use of his considerable research, made the story-telling feel authentically convincing to me. I also appreciated the fact that, through the author’s “Acknowledgments” at the end of the book, I learnt a lot about this aspect of America’s contemporary history.
This is story-telling at its intelligent best, respecting the reader’s ability to follow a complex plot. I am delighted that there is to be a sequel – even though this does indicate that George has not yet been able to escape the shackles of his career with the CIA!!

[Arthur Okun · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Subject:Soviet and American Espionage In The 50's.
And the Senate,McCarthy Communist Investigations.
The author was intrigued by the idea and fact of Ivy League educated young men
lived a secret life-within secret work.For the CIA you couldn't tell anyone-even your wife
what you did for a living.
George Mueller seems to be the perfect man to help find the "mole" in the CIA.
Yale educated,extensive experience running missions in Eastern Europe.He was
so dedicated to his job that it left his marriage in tatters-and his son lost to him.
With excellent prose,crisp phrases that kept you in suspense---you wanted to find the"mole"
who delivered secret CIA secrets to the Russians.
BEST SPY NOVEL I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME.

[Patrick SG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very evocative book of the post-War environment in Europe and American, especially around the time of the McCarthy hearings. While it is fiction, it is based in fact as the author details in an afterword. An interesting story about a mole hunt in the early CIA, with believable characters.

[Barry Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing, great story. Authentic and plausible. Set in 1952, CIA spy George Muller has announced his resignation when the Director persuades him to stay on until the Soviet mole within the agency is identified.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

4^

[Pocosnoopy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started slowly but built up to an interesting climax. Recommended and I'll read the next in the series.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was a good read, I found it overall just "ok." Nothing special stood out, and the ending was somewhat lackluster.

[Floyd Truskot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

This novel is too good to be true!

Absolutely fabulous!

This novel was a page turner! I couldn't put it down.

Absolutely astounded!

Novelist Paul Vidich has the writing skills, talent and good story telling to swim with the sharks! Reading this novel I felt I was a stealth character in the background. Novelist Paul Vidich has a unique way of using words in his sentence structure. Prose excellent. Detail to characters and scenes, excellent.

This is a real spy espionage novel.

It was joy to read this novel. When I was done reading it I felt a sense of satisfaction of my time well spent.

If you read the Acknowledgments this novel is based on the sad and troubled life of James Speyer Kronthal.

Now to The Good Assassin.

Thank you Mr. Paul Vidich for a wonderful novel to read.

[Scott Head · Rating 4 out of 5]

It ground down slowly to a crawl about midway through. That's what spy novels tend to do. But the last third unfolded everything with a twist and an action-filled climax. Very well crafted story.

[Dipanjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Honorable Man is the first book in the series that introduces George Mueller, an American spy. For me, the undoubted favorite are any espionage stories set in the cold war era with the CIA and KGB as the main players. An Honorable Man takes us back to that time, to 1953 as the world’s two greatest super powers prepare to wage against each other. The story is a gripping showdown between spies with stakes that are incredibly high and where absolutely no one can be fully trusted.

The book open by introducing George Mueller, our America spy in the middle of an operation trying to find a mole, code named Protocol within the CIA. From there starts the intricate labyrinth of half-truths, lies, betrayals, deceptions, heartbreaks through which the reader traverses at an easy pace yet great intensity. In addition to the usual tradecraft and deception, the intensity of the story is built of by detailed development of the characters and the inter-personal relationships of all the characters in the story which feels like a very well-orchestrated yet subtle opera.

An Honorable Man is not an action espionage thriller. It is more in the lines of a dark Le Carre plot. George Mueller isn’t James Bond. There are no gadgets, weaponry or technology to at his disposal. He is a smart, educated guy who is intensely cerebral and is capable of noticing things that others don’t. And yet, while he is very good at his job, all he desires is a normal life with his family. This book is a good old-fashioned mole hunt.

An Honorable Man makes you feel you are back in the most dangerous, haunting, heart breaking and romantic era of espionage – the Cold War. If you like Le Carre, Brian Freemantle and other master of the Cold War era, you simply cannot miss this book. This book is a fantastic debut and what I hope to be a long running series that will take us into a very dark world of George Mueller.

[Paul Bk · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Honorable Man - Paul Vidich.
George Mueller is the only man that the CIA Director trusts with the task of unmasking the mole passing secrets to the Russians. 'Protocol' leaks are scuppering operations and agents in the field are getting captured or killed. No one escapes suspicion and everyone has secrets to hide, none more so than Mueller. Accepting this one last assignment puts him at the centre of a cat and mouse game with deadly consequences.
It is 1953, the cold war is ramping up, McCarthy's Senate Committee is creating havoc with wild accusations of communist sympathies and has CIA in its sights. In Russia Stalin is dead and in Washington the FBI is watchful of illegal CIA operations on home turf. Enemies foreign and domestic are in play.
Vidich's first novel is an evocative and atmospheric spy thriller. Not a shoot 'em up page turner, this is set in the realistic territory carved out by Le Carre - the hunt for the double agent. An Honorable Man seethes with betrayal and double cross, mistrust and fear. The twisting plot unfolds in a no man's land of bluff, counter bluff, honey trap and sting as lines are obscured in the hunt for the traitorous mole.
Vidich has a quick and easy style, simple prose that complements this dark complex tale. He creates a credible post war Washington D.C. backdrop and realistic impression of the CIA operatives of the time. The atmosphere of fear and suspicion that pervaded that world are vividly conveyed.
George Mueller is well drawn as the jaded agent losing his sense of purpose and values, disheartened by the 'game' and hating the life of deceit and it's emptiness.Determined to leave Mueller is drawn deeper into murky waters. Can the arrival of Beth help Mueller get his life back?
The opening scene of a dead drop in wintery Washington is deliberately reminiscent of classic spy fiction. As the back story in post war Europe slowly unfolds it gives a plausible meaning to the hunt for 'Protocol'.
This is spy fiction that should appeal to fans of Joseph Kanon and David Young's Stasi Child. A solid first novel, entertaining and thoughtful and a worthy addition to the genre. Vidich has woven real history into credible fiction that provides an insight into the CIA mindset of the time.
An Honorable Man is not on a par with Le Carre but it is a better class of spy fiction, controlled, noirish and pleasurable. A great holiday read, recommended.