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Philip Mangan #1
Night Heron
Set in China, and ripped from today's headlines, comes a pulse-pounding debut that reinvents the spy thriller for the 21st century.
A lone man, Peanut, escapes a labor camp in the dead of night, fleeing across the winter desert of north-west China.
Two decades earlier, he was a spy for the British; now Peanut must disappear on Beijing's surveillance-blanketed streets. Desperate and ruthless, he reaches out to his one-time MI6 paymasters via crusading journalist Philip Mangan, offering military secrets in return for extraction.
But the secrets prove more valuable than Peanut or Mangan could ever have known. . . and not only to the British.
A lone man, Peanut, escapes a labor camp in the dead of night, fleeing across the winter desert of north-west China.
Two decades earlier, he was a spy for the British; now Peanut must disappear on Beijing's surveillance-blanketed streets. Desperate and ruthless, he reaches out to his one-time MI6 paymasters via crusading journalist Philip Mangan, offering military secrets in return for extraction.
But the secrets prove more valuable than Peanut or Mangan could ever have known. . . and not only to the British.
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 27, 2014
217 people are currently reading
2518 people want to read
About the author
Adam Brookes
8 books176 followersAdam Brookes was born in Canada, but grew up in the UK, in a village in Oxfordshire. In the 1980s, he studied Chinese at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and went on to become a journalist, working briefly in magazines before landing a post as a 'copytaster' at the BBC, a job now extinct. Adam became a radio producer at the BBC World Service, and then a foreign correspondent, based first in Indonesia, then China and the United States, where he now lives. Along the way he has reported from some thirty countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea and Mongolia, for BBC television and radio. His latest book is 'Fragile Cargo: The Wartime Race to Save the Treasures of China's Forbidden City', a narrtive non-fiction account of the astonishing jouner taken by China's imperial art collections during the Second World War. 'Fragile Cargo' is out in the UK, and will be published in the USA in Fenrurary 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
April 26, 2014
Selecting the 5-star "it's amazing" designation risks causing some grade inflation, but this book was amazing enough to overcome my decades-old bias against thrillers. I won Night Heron through a Goodreads giveaway and was impressed by how thought-provoking it was, especially in terms of how it depicts China and the pressures that drive intelligence-gathering. The story kept my attention the whole way through, and I'm looking forward to the other books in the planned trilogy.
Brookes excels at creating an atmosphere, and uses descriptive language effectively without trying the reader's patience. I have never been to China, but Night Heron seems to capture the contradictions of contemporary life there--the extremes of wealth and poverty in Beijing, the anonymity of large crowds and the awareness of constant surveillance, etc. He also does a great job of creating a cast of characters who demonstrate that espionage exists within complex networks of individuals and organizations rather than as a one-to-one relationship. What this book ultimately suggests about the direction of intelligence-gathering is quite disturbing. Let's just say that the Chinese government is not the only "bad guy" in this book.
I appreciated that there were strong female characters in Night Heron, although I wish Brookes had revealed more about them (especially Patterson) so we could understand their histories and motivations better. Peanut is a fascinating character, and especially admirable for not fitting any of our western stereotypes of Asian masculinity. The depiction of his physical presence--and how he moves and uses his body--is excellent. In the first chapter, I had a hard time accepting him as Chinese because his interior monologue seemed so bloody British, but ultimately I was able to perceive him as a uniquely Chinese individual, the product of a particular cultural and familial history. He is a great anti-hero for our times.
Brookes excels at creating an atmosphere, and uses descriptive language effectively without trying the reader's patience. I have never been to China, but Night Heron seems to capture the contradictions of contemporary life there--the extremes of wealth and poverty in Beijing, the anonymity of large crowds and the awareness of constant surveillance, etc. He also does a great job of creating a cast of characters who demonstrate that espionage exists within complex networks of individuals and organizations rather than as a one-to-one relationship. What this book ultimately suggests about the direction of intelligence-gathering is quite disturbing. Let's just say that the Chinese government is not the only "bad guy" in this book.
I appreciated that there were strong female characters in Night Heron, although I wish Brookes had revealed more about them (especially Patterson) so we could understand their histories and motivations better. Peanut is a fascinating character, and especially admirable for not fitting any of our western stereotypes of Asian masculinity. The depiction of his physical presence--and how he moves and uses his body--is excellent. In the first chapter, I had a hard time accepting him as Chinese because his interior monologue seemed so bloody British, but ultimately I was able to perceive him as a uniquely Chinese individual, the product of a particular cultural and familial history. He is a great anti-hero for our times.
October 1, 2014
Wow! I've never read anything by this author before, but I'm glad I corrected that. It's a fantastic spy thriller with very real people in a horrible situation. The way the players used each other was particularly horrifying & the end results were perfect. Even better, the computer stuff was well done & believable. I don't see that too often. Kudos!
If you're looking for something fun & light, don't read this. It's gritty, but not overly so. I'll definitely look for more by Brookes.
If you're looking for something fun & light, don't read this. It's gritty, but not overly so. I'll definitely look for more by Brookes.
April 26, 2014
Let's dispense with the political stuff first: this book offers a nuanced view of the "surveillance state" issue, demonstrating that it provides for good as well as for ill, and reminding us that it has much bigger offenders than the much-maligned western democracies. Espionage is a tool that can be used or misused--and yes, like a gun, it ought to be regulated to minimize the threat of misuse.
What this story proves to me again is that it is corporate spying we should be worried about--ambitious, arrogant, and truly without scruple. Where the governments of the world are at fault is in trusting these corporate entities to inveigle themselves too deeply in our affairs and cause all sorts of trouble--the dangerous op in this book, the vigilante activism of Snowden, and so on--but the government on its own, seeing to the real security needs of its people, has protocols in place, and codes, and ways of minimizing negative consequences. And there is honor in that. They are doing a difficult, morally iffy job, but there is honor in it.
As for the rest of the elements of this narrative--
I regret that I don't have a great background in Chinese politics and history, but this book provides a good primer for the current state of affairs, the recent past, and the deep cultural underpinnings that built toward both. Late in the narrative, our central Chinese character delivers a monologue on the history of the Qin kingdom and the way it grew into modern China, crushing dissent and burning books and killing intellectuals along the way--a tale that informs the modern state's secrecy and distrust of nonconforming thought. It's one man's point of view, to be sure, but it's a telling distillation of China's global persona.
The thread of traditional poetry that informs certain characters' actions is apt and beautiful, humanizing a story of abjection and desperation that might otherwise want for that sensitive touch. Overall, it's quite a fast-paced tale, moving along with a speed that sometimes obscures the international stakes the players are dabbling with--but towards the end it takes a surprisingly dark turn. Our heroes don't get out of this one entirely whole, physically or emotionally, and there are some visceral passages that had my eyes sealed to the page.
The cover hype claims that this book does for China what "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" did for Sweden. I think that might do a disservice to both books. "Dragon Tattoo" strikes me as more unflinchingly personal--this story doesn't have a standout character in the way Stieg Larsson gave us the brilliant, damaged Sallander; "Night Heron" is much more an ensemble story, and focused more on events than on the psychology of any one member of that ensemble. By the same token, "Heron" feels more weighty, more important. Where "Tattoo"'s tale of murder and economic corruption was somewhat amorphous, the threats in "Heron" are more focused and timely. I do hope that "Heron" follows "Tattoo" in one way--I would like to see the story continue in further volumes. There is a lot of fallout to deal with here, and it could lead to more of that human element down the line.
This would make a great addition to any library's thriller collection. It's sure to snare patrons with an interest in current events and the musculature of the modern nation-state.
What this story proves to me again is that it is corporate spying we should be worried about--ambitious, arrogant, and truly without scruple. Where the governments of the world are at fault is in trusting these corporate entities to inveigle themselves too deeply in our affairs and cause all sorts of trouble--the dangerous op in this book, the vigilante activism of Snowden, and so on--but the government on its own, seeing to the real security needs of its people, has protocols in place, and codes, and ways of minimizing negative consequences. And there is honor in that. They are doing a difficult, morally iffy job, but there is honor in it.
As for the rest of the elements of this narrative--
I regret that I don't have a great background in Chinese politics and history, but this book provides a good primer for the current state of affairs, the recent past, and the deep cultural underpinnings that built toward both. Late in the narrative, our central Chinese character delivers a monologue on the history of the Qin kingdom and the way it grew into modern China, crushing dissent and burning books and killing intellectuals along the way--a tale that informs the modern state's secrecy and distrust of nonconforming thought. It's one man's point of view, to be sure, but it's a telling distillation of China's global persona.
The thread of traditional poetry that informs certain characters' actions is apt and beautiful, humanizing a story of abjection and desperation that might otherwise want for that sensitive touch. Overall, it's quite a fast-paced tale, moving along with a speed that sometimes obscures the international stakes the players are dabbling with--but towards the end it takes a surprisingly dark turn. Our heroes don't get out of this one entirely whole, physically or emotionally, and there are some visceral passages that had my eyes sealed to the page.
The cover hype claims that this book does for China what "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" did for Sweden. I think that might do a disservice to both books. "Dragon Tattoo" strikes me as more unflinchingly personal--this story doesn't have a standout character in the way Stieg Larsson gave us the brilliant, damaged Sallander; "Night Heron" is much more an ensemble story, and focused more on events than on the psychology of any one member of that ensemble. By the same token, "Heron" feels more weighty, more important. Where "Tattoo"'s tale of murder and economic corruption was somewhat amorphous, the threats in "Heron" are more focused and timely. I do hope that "Heron" follows "Tattoo" in one way--I would like to see the story continue in further volumes. There is a lot of fallout to deal with here, and it could lead to more of that human element down the line.
This would make a great addition to any library's thriller collection. It's sure to snare patrons with an interest in current events and the musculature of the modern nation-state.
August 28, 2014
There's a classic espionage story arc or two that trace back to Eric Ambler in this fine novel: how journalists get suborned by the intelligence establishment and how that establishment uses up its human assets to advance the careers of the symasters. Li Heshuang, abandoned in the past by his British spymasters, escapes from a camp decades later and expects to be rescued (in return for intelligence products). Due to a misunderstanding on his part, Philip Mangam, a freelance journalist gets caught up in the affair, first as a go=between and then as a full-fledged liaison agent. Truths are told about the human cost of intelligence gathering, about the insatiable appetite of the spy machine for intelligence, and about the truly nasty relationship between the spymasters and the private intelligence and technology industries. Brookes writes movingly about people caught up in the machine, and also knows how to ratchet up tension and action. The novel ranks with the best of LeCarre.
March 28, 2014
4.0 of 5 stars – An Exciting Spy Thriller Set in China
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Adam!)
I love spy thrillers, and my not having been to China I was intrigued that this one was set there. It did not disappoint. Adam Brookes’ descriptions of the surroundings were vivid and helped me picture what it is like. The plot moves quickly with various twists and turns and with just the right amount of tension. The characters are interesting and well developed, especially the two main characters of Peanut and Phillip. This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to more from Brookes.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Adam!)
I love spy thrillers, and my not having been to China I was intrigued that this one was set there. It did not disappoint. Adam Brookes’ descriptions of the surroundings were vivid and helped me picture what it is like. The plot moves quickly with various twists and turns and with just the right amount of tension. The characters are interesting and well developed, especially the two main characters of Peanut and Phillip. This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to more from Brookes.
March 31, 2024
Cina contemporanea: da un lato, nel deserto della provincia nordoccidentale di Qinghai, in un campo di lavoro correttivo, il prigioniero 5995 (alias Li Huasheng, conosciuto come Peanut) attua la fuga dopo vent’anni di prigionia; dall’altro, nella provincia meridionale di Jiangxi, nella città di Jinyi, Philip Mangan, giornalista free lance di origine britannica, raccoglie materiale audiovisivo su un episodio di violenza messo in atto dalla polizia paramilitare nei confronti di quella che il Partito Comunista cinese definisce come una setta, un culto malvagio, quello dei Seguaci.
Peanut e Mangan avranno modo di incrociare le loro strade a Pechino, dove il primo si rivelerà al secondo come “l’airone notturno” nuovamente a caccia e, a partire da ciò e dalla ricerca di uno scoop degno di un Pulitzer, verrà dato il via ad una serie di eventi concatenati e inevitabili, che affondano le radici nel passato di Peanut e del suo amico Wen Jinghan, quando entrambi lavoravano per l’Accademia della Tecnologia e del Lancio ed erano stati coinvolti in sperimentazioni militari top secret, legate alla costruzione di missili mobili per testate termonucleari. A fare le spese del fallimento, però, nel 1989 fu solo Peanut ed è giunto ora il momento di pareggiare i conti, coinvolgendo i servizi di intelligence da cui, in passato, era stato reclutato.
“IL CODICE SEGRETO DI PECHINO” è un thriller accattivante basato sullo spionaggio e reso ancor più interessante dai continui e vari accenni alla cultura cinese e ai suoi principali eventi storici e socio-politici a partire dalla metà degli anni Ottanta ad oggi.
Se sulla copertina la scrittura di Adam Brooks è stata paragonata a quella di John Le Carré e di John Grisham, devo dire che, per quanto la mia esperienza sia limitata, l’ho preferita ad entrambi. Ho infatti trovato che il suo stile narrativo fosse più chiaro e ricco di quello del primo e più coinvolgente e meno “noioso” di quello del secondo. Insomma, è stata un’esperienza più che positiva, nonostante non sia tra i miei generi prediletti.
Peanut e Mangan avranno modo di incrociare le loro strade a Pechino, dove il primo si rivelerà al secondo come “l’airone notturno” nuovamente a caccia e, a partire da ciò e dalla ricerca di uno scoop degno di un Pulitzer, verrà dato il via ad una serie di eventi concatenati e inevitabili, che affondano le radici nel passato di Peanut e del suo amico Wen Jinghan, quando entrambi lavoravano per l’Accademia della Tecnologia e del Lancio ed erano stati coinvolti in sperimentazioni militari top secret, legate alla costruzione di missili mobili per testate termonucleari. A fare le spese del fallimento, però, nel 1989 fu solo Peanut ed è giunto ora il momento di pareggiare i conti, coinvolgendo i servizi di intelligence da cui, in passato, era stato reclutato.
“IL CODICE SEGRETO DI PECHINO” è un thriller accattivante basato sullo spionaggio e reso ancor più interessante dai continui e vari accenni alla cultura cinese e ai suoi principali eventi storici e socio-politici a partire dalla metà degli anni Ottanta ad oggi.
Se sulla copertina la scrittura di Adam Brooks è stata paragonata a quella di John Le Carré e di John Grisham, devo dire che, per quanto la mia esperienza sia limitata, l’ho preferita ad entrambi. Ho infatti trovato che il suo stile narrativo fosse più chiaro e ricco di quello del primo e più coinvolgente e meno “noioso” di quello del secondo. Insomma, è stata un’esperienza più che positiva, nonostante non sia tra i miei generi prediletti.
April 16, 2018
*Im gonna go burn this book now😊
Ok no I'm sorry thats too harsh. It took me 387 pages to realize Im a 14-year-old who knows NOTHING about political terms. I get the whole espionage idea and I like it but it was on a rather advanced level of my understanding (meaning I was pretty dumb throughout the whole book). Can't wait to see the pages flicker in ash😉.
Ok no I'm sorry thats too harsh. It took me 387 pages to realize Im a 14-year-old who knows NOTHING about political terms. I get the whole espionage idea and I like it but it was on a rather advanced level of my understanding (meaning I was pretty dumb throughout the whole book). Can't wait to see the pages flicker in ash😉.
April 1, 2014
I've always been fascinated by the Military Industrial Complex, and how money and greed drive such a system. So, the idea of an espionage industrial complex is an interesting concept for a novel. I really enjoyed this book for how it pitted both governmental and corporate corruption against truth, vindication, and basic human rights.
July 13, 2018
FLYING HIGH
“Any person outside the territory who, in violation of relevant regulations and without paying heed to dissuasion, wilfully meets with any person within the territory who have conducted activities endangering state security or being strongly suspected of doing so,” - Ministry of State Security website on what constitutes a potential threat to the security of the Chinese Nation.
Chinese spy thrillers. There are normally two kinds, the invade Taiwan type or the world domination type. They are normally characterized by outdated tropes and conventions that do not fully capture the glory and wretchedness of the world’s most sophisticated authoritarian state. While there have been iconic spy novels focusing on the Russians and terrorists of varying ideological stripes, there has never been a true definitive spy novel on China. Stock tropes, and a failure to fully move on from the yellow peril archetype have meant that China focused spy fiction hasn’t felt fresh or up to date in the post 9/11 world.
There have been some diamond’s in the rough, like Alex Berenson’s The Ghost War which had perhaps the first sympathetic Chinese antagonist in spy fiction, Mark Greaney’s Threat Vector which showed the glorious power and wretched weakness and pettiness of the new Chinese regime, but they have been the exceptions to the proverbial rule. Recently however, one thriller writer has written three spy novels that can only be described as the finest spy novels focusing on modern China.
This author is Adam Brookes. A highly experienced British journalist who worked at the BBC as a correspondent specializing in hostile environments such as Pyongyang and Beijing, Brookes brings his extensive personal experience in East Asia to the post 9/11 genre. His first three thriller novels focus on Modern China, its intelligence community and the geopolitical games that the PRC, USA and UK play with the boys in Beijing. The first of these novels, Night Heron, concerns the destruction of a journalistic career, an asset who has knowledge of a covert operation and a manhunt utilizing the most sophisticated electronic surveillance apparatus on earth to liquidate both. Now to the review. What happens when a dictatorship must hunt down a stool pigeon?
The story begins in Qinghai Province in the West of China. Sight of the one of the more severe prison camps, we are witnessing the first successful jailbreak in its history. Prisoner 5995, a man known by the decidedly unglamorous nom de plume “Peanut”. Imprisoned since 1989 for the murder of a PLA soldier during the Incident that nearly took down the Communists Tyrants in what could have become a messy Civil War, Peanut, has managed to skip over more than 20 decades of China’s recent history. Unbeknownst to the Ministry of State Security and his fellow prisoners however, Peanut is an intelligence asset of a foreign power. His codename, the Night Heron, and he has just taken flight. We then cut to an English journalist by the name of Mangan, who spends his days covering contemporary China.
We cover a day at work where he covers a protest against the regime (quickly broken up), and briefly has an exchange of views with the people involved. Peanut then arrives in Beijing, finds a place to hide and manages to track down Managan. He knows that Managan is an asset of the UK SIS and initiates contact. Managan is cautious but curious enough that he re – establishes communications with his old masters in Legoland. Realizing that the Firm will tell him to go pound sand, Peanut works to sweeten the deal, hunting down a collaborator who he knew from the 1980s and blackmailing him to provide sufficient valuable intel from China’s military projects in order to buy himself a ticket for a journey to the west. This goes on for a few days as the SIS through Mangan seek to verify the Night Heron’s viability. Vauxhall Cross then assigns a final price that Peanut will need to pay in order to get his passage to freedom, stealing intel on China’s nuclear arsenal. Plans are made, a heist is set, and then what should have been a simple theft is ruined by dogged, routine counter – intelligence sweeps. From the Beijing to Seoul and a fast boat across the Taiwan strait, Peanut and Mangan race to save themselves and deliver a secret with far more significance than they anticipated to the free world. Before the final mile is covered, only one question will remain. How far will you go in a flight to freedom?
In terms of plot. Night Heron is a slow, intricate burn to a violate, unpredictable firecracker blast. Brookes’ style of spy fiction is from the Le Carre/Greene/Ambler school of espionage drama. For those jaded with Post 9/11 espionage fiction, which still has its charms but let it be said, is stuck in a rut, Brookes’ work is far from the militarized kiss kiss bang bang stories of contemporary American thriller fiction. The author draws from the best of British. The focus on plots, gambits and mind games over bullets. The soul crushing business of espionage where one doesn’t need to get hands bloody to destroy lives all to easily for Queen and Country. The dark atmosphere in a world where there’s very little hope or room for idealists who live fast and die young. And of course, the impeccable research on tactics, geopolitics and real-world details that go into the narrative. Night Heron embodies the best of this spy fiction novel tradition. This is espionage as it is, not what we want it to be. Set in the most important country on earth, the understanding of which still distressingly lacks nuance, the story focuses on the issues surrounding the rising power that will determine the global order which is now up for grabs. Packed with enough beautifully written intrigue, plots and schemes Night Heron is a journey into a little explored contemporary espionage theatre, that has become more important than ever for the future of the West.
Action and setting? Well, there’s not much “action” of the kind you would find in a Mark Greaney or Vince Flynn novel in this story. But there are some highlights including a well written heist at one of the most secure military development institutes in Beijing, a race out of Beijing with Ministry of State Security officers on our hero’s tail, and a final desperate run across a Fuzhou beach. Despite the lack of gunplay (neither of our protagonists kills anyone in this story), Brookes masterfully develops and utilizes his backdrops with aplomb. Everything from the opening prison camp scenes, to a fully realized 21st century Beijing draped in the most sophisticated spy – killing surveillance network ever devised and even what’s really going on inside Babylon On Thames is beautifully rendered in stark, atmospheric prose. My favourite highlight however, is the short but excellent scene inside the Ministry of State Security offices outside the North Beijing Summer Palace gardens. Brookes lived and worked in Beijing for a sizable portion of time so unlike many of his thriller writing peers who were only able to do hit and run research trips, his China is one of the most accurate in 21st century thriller fiction.
Research? Some may argue that journalists make the best spy novelists, perhaps even better than actual spies. I don’t agree with that sentiment, but Brookes follows the great tradition of journalist spy novelists who do significant homework on their subject matter. Whether it be the immensely detailed look at the Chinese prison system in the opening chapter of the book, the variables of doing espionage in 21st century Beijing where the legions of chaps who graduated from a top flight goon school are the least of your worries when spying, the intricacies of doing journalism in a China that wants to be loved, while at the same time despises meddlesome Western correspondents who hurt the regime members feelings and make them look bad by showing them their sins, Brookes gives a comprehensive insight into 21st century spying and spying in an environment that makes Russia look easy by comparison. This is one of the best portrayals of the Chinese intelligence community to date, showing its true power, ingenuity and devious skill that it combines with a suddenly ballooning operations budget. With this research he takes a brick to several tropes and stereotypes that have held China focused spy fiction back from achieving the same stature as Russia or Islamic terrorist focused espionage thrillers.
Characters? A bit average in some respects. Don’t worry, the characterization gets better in the next two books, but I can only really talk about three highlights. Peanut, Patterson and the Poons. First, Peanut. Peanut is an academic/researcher whose family suffered during the cultural revolution. This made it easy for him to turn traitor against the CCP which had failed to deliver on its promises of building a better China. Serving the UK SIS, Peanut was set to become a promising asset that would ride the rising Chinese juggernaut for the next 20 years, but a moment of rage at Tiananmen Square ended those plans. But once out, Peanut proves himself to be one heck of a covert operator. With the survival instinct of an old school bandit, Peanut drives the action of the story, and with ruthless common sense, manages to stay ahead of the hunters. That indomitable will to survive and power through the odds against a centralized totalitarian state that had invested its money into holding all the cards, makes Peanut’s character arc the most compelling between our two main protagonists.
Next, Patterson. Patterson is the modern-day archetype of an SIS officer and the furthest thing from the Clubland set that the Cambridge Five destroyed in the 1950s. A North London girl who joined the British Army, saw action and then joined the Firm, she acts as the handler for Peanut and Managan. A consummate professional, Patterson is the sort of handler one would hope to have as an asset, very calming and willing to help her assets circumstances permitting. Her character develops further in the next book, but here, the author establishes her as a presence in the trilogy with impressive skill.
Finally, the Poons, in particular, Elieen Poon. Loyal Servants of the British Crown, the Poon family are Hong Kong Chinese operatives for the SIS and the tip of the spear when it comes to the firm’s Chinese ops. Under the cover of their profitable plastic products business, Poon and her sons keep the SIS one step ahead using their airtight covers to operate in Beijing with near impunity and help other case officers and assets who stick out like a sore thumb with the logistics they need during ops. Elieen Poon in particular is a highlight, a grizzled old pro who has gone up against the Chinese intelligence community and remained standing. One of the best chapters in Night Heron is when she ruthlessly critiques Managan’s performance during an op, listing down several dozen mistakes that those who underestimate Chinese surveillance at their peril would make. I would love to see the Poon family in a series of their own, but for now, they make appearances in all three books.
Constructive criticism? Well, a few, but I have one. Managan. He just didn’t click with me, despite being the deuteragonist and a realistic portrayal of a civilian caught up in the spy game. Despite being clearly gifted and skilled at motivating assets and being professionally paranoid, he did turn into a bit of a wet rag when his life as a journalist is destroyed and he has the MSS heading towards his front door in numbers. Granted, it’s understandable that his nerves would begin to fray as he’s no James Bond or Nick Stone, but Managan just wasn’t compelling in this book as he is in the second one.
Overall, Night Heron is a refreshing blast of fresh air. A nuanced, mature spy novel that finally brings China focused Spy fiction the quality and stature it deserves, Adam Brookes has found himself a once untapped niche, and exploited it impressively. With a timely, realistic plot, a rich and dark setting, a cast of down to earth characters who aren’t superhuman but very capable humans, and impressive real-world detail, Night Heron should fly high in anyone’s to read list. The best is yet to come as Brookes writes a masterpiece in his second book Spy Games,” and all I can say is, you will want to be there for Mangan’s end.
Recommended.
“Any person outside the territory who, in violation of relevant regulations and without paying heed to dissuasion, wilfully meets with any person within the territory who have conducted activities endangering state security or being strongly suspected of doing so,” - Ministry of State Security website on what constitutes a potential threat to the security of the Chinese Nation.
Chinese spy thrillers. There are normally two kinds, the invade Taiwan type or the world domination type. They are normally characterized by outdated tropes and conventions that do not fully capture the glory and wretchedness of the world’s most sophisticated authoritarian state. While there have been iconic spy novels focusing on the Russians and terrorists of varying ideological stripes, there has never been a true definitive spy novel on China. Stock tropes, and a failure to fully move on from the yellow peril archetype have meant that China focused spy fiction hasn’t felt fresh or up to date in the post 9/11 world.
There have been some diamond’s in the rough, like Alex Berenson’s The Ghost War which had perhaps the first sympathetic Chinese antagonist in spy fiction, Mark Greaney’s Threat Vector which showed the glorious power and wretched weakness and pettiness of the new Chinese regime, but they have been the exceptions to the proverbial rule. Recently however, one thriller writer has written three spy novels that can only be described as the finest spy novels focusing on modern China.
This author is Adam Brookes. A highly experienced British journalist who worked at the BBC as a correspondent specializing in hostile environments such as Pyongyang and Beijing, Brookes brings his extensive personal experience in East Asia to the post 9/11 genre. His first three thriller novels focus on Modern China, its intelligence community and the geopolitical games that the PRC, USA and UK play with the boys in Beijing. The first of these novels, Night Heron, concerns the destruction of a journalistic career, an asset who has knowledge of a covert operation and a manhunt utilizing the most sophisticated electronic surveillance apparatus on earth to liquidate both. Now to the review. What happens when a dictatorship must hunt down a stool pigeon?
The story begins in Qinghai Province in the West of China. Sight of the one of the more severe prison camps, we are witnessing the first successful jailbreak in its history. Prisoner 5995, a man known by the decidedly unglamorous nom de plume “Peanut”. Imprisoned since 1989 for the murder of a PLA soldier during the Incident that nearly took down the Communists Tyrants in what could have become a messy Civil War, Peanut, has managed to skip over more than 20 decades of China’s recent history. Unbeknownst to the Ministry of State Security and his fellow prisoners however, Peanut is an intelligence asset of a foreign power. His codename, the Night Heron, and he has just taken flight. We then cut to an English journalist by the name of Mangan, who spends his days covering contemporary China.
We cover a day at work where he covers a protest against the regime (quickly broken up), and briefly has an exchange of views with the people involved. Peanut then arrives in Beijing, finds a place to hide and manages to track down Managan. He knows that Managan is an asset of the UK SIS and initiates contact. Managan is cautious but curious enough that he re – establishes communications with his old masters in Legoland. Realizing that the Firm will tell him to go pound sand, Peanut works to sweeten the deal, hunting down a collaborator who he knew from the 1980s and blackmailing him to provide sufficient valuable intel from China’s military projects in order to buy himself a ticket for a journey to the west. This goes on for a few days as the SIS through Mangan seek to verify the Night Heron’s viability. Vauxhall Cross then assigns a final price that Peanut will need to pay in order to get his passage to freedom, stealing intel on China’s nuclear arsenal. Plans are made, a heist is set, and then what should have been a simple theft is ruined by dogged, routine counter – intelligence sweeps. From the Beijing to Seoul and a fast boat across the Taiwan strait, Peanut and Mangan race to save themselves and deliver a secret with far more significance than they anticipated to the free world. Before the final mile is covered, only one question will remain. How far will you go in a flight to freedom?
In terms of plot. Night Heron is a slow, intricate burn to a violate, unpredictable firecracker blast. Brookes’ style of spy fiction is from the Le Carre/Greene/Ambler school of espionage drama. For those jaded with Post 9/11 espionage fiction, which still has its charms but let it be said, is stuck in a rut, Brookes’ work is far from the militarized kiss kiss bang bang stories of contemporary American thriller fiction. The author draws from the best of British. The focus on plots, gambits and mind games over bullets. The soul crushing business of espionage where one doesn’t need to get hands bloody to destroy lives all to easily for Queen and Country. The dark atmosphere in a world where there’s very little hope or room for idealists who live fast and die young. And of course, the impeccable research on tactics, geopolitics and real-world details that go into the narrative. Night Heron embodies the best of this spy fiction novel tradition. This is espionage as it is, not what we want it to be. Set in the most important country on earth, the understanding of which still distressingly lacks nuance, the story focuses on the issues surrounding the rising power that will determine the global order which is now up for grabs. Packed with enough beautifully written intrigue, plots and schemes Night Heron is a journey into a little explored contemporary espionage theatre, that has become more important than ever for the future of the West.
Action and setting? Well, there’s not much “action” of the kind you would find in a Mark Greaney or Vince Flynn novel in this story. But there are some highlights including a well written heist at one of the most secure military development institutes in Beijing, a race out of Beijing with Ministry of State Security officers on our hero’s tail, and a final desperate run across a Fuzhou beach. Despite the lack of gunplay (neither of our protagonists kills anyone in this story), Brookes masterfully develops and utilizes his backdrops with aplomb. Everything from the opening prison camp scenes, to a fully realized 21st century Beijing draped in the most sophisticated spy – killing surveillance network ever devised and even what’s really going on inside Babylon On Thames is beautifully rendered in stark, atmospheric prose. My favourite highlight however, is the short but excellent scene inside the Ministry of State Security offices outside the North Beijing Summer Palace gardens. Brookes lived and worked in Beijing for a sizable portion of time so unlike many of his thriller writing peers who were only able to do hit and run research trips, his China is one of the most accurate in 21st century thriller fiction.
Research? Some may argue that journalists make the best spy novelists, perhaps even better than actual spies. I don’t agree with that sentiment, but Brookes follows the great tradition of journalist spy novelists who do significant homework on their subject matter. Whether it be the immensely detailed look at the Chinese prison system in the opening chapter of the book, the variables of doing espionage in 21st century Beijing where the legions of chaps who graduated from a top flight goon school are the least of your worries when spying, the intricacies of doing journalism in a China that wants to be loved, while at the same time despises meddlesome Western correspondents who hurt the regime members feelings and make them look bad by showing them their sins, Brookes gives a comprehensive insight into 21st century spying and spying in an environment that makes Russia look easy by comparison. This is one of the best portrayals of the Chinese intelligence community to date, showing its true power, ingenuity and devious skill that it combines with a suddenly ballooning operations budget. With this research he takes a brick to several tropes and stereotypes that have held China focused spy fiction back from achieving the same stature as Russia or Islamic terrorist focused espionage thrillers.
Characters? A bit average in some respects. Don’t worry, the characterization gets better in the next two books, but I can only really talk about three highlights. Peanut, Patterson and the Poons. First, Peanut. Peanut is an academic/researcher whose family suffered during the cultural revolution. This made it easy for him to turn traitor against the CCP which had failed to deliver on its promises of building a better China. Serving the UK SIS, Peanut was set to become a promising asset that would ride the rising Chinese juggernaut for the next 20 years, but a moment of rage at Tiananmen Square ended those plans. But once out, Peanut proves himself to be one heck of a covert operator. With the survival instinct of an old school bandit, Peanut drives the action of the story, and with ruthless common sense, manages to stay ahead of the hunters. That indomitable will to survive and power through the odds against a centralized totalitarian state that had invested its money into holding all the cards, makes Peanut’s character arc the most compelling between our two main protagonists.
Next, Patterson. Patterson is the modern-day archetype of an SIS officer and the furthest thing from the Clubland set that the Cambridge Five destroyed in the 1950s. A North London girl who joined the British Army, saw action and then joined the Firm, she acts as the handler for Peanut and Managan. A consummate professional, Patterson is the sort of handler one would hope to have as an asset, very calming and willing to help her assets circumstances permitting. Her character develops further in the next book, but here, the author establishes her as a presence in the trilogy with impressive skill.
Finally, the Poons, in particular, Elieen Poon. Loyal Servants of the British Crown, the Poon family are Hong Kong Chinese operatives for the SIS and the tip of the spear when it comes to the firm’s Chinese ops. Under the cover of their profitable plastic products business, Poon and her sons keep the SIS one step ahead using their airtight covers to operate in Beijing with near impunity and help other case officers and assets who stick out like a sore thumb with the logistics they need during ops. Elieen Poon in particular is a highlight, a grizzled old pro who has gone up against the Chinese intelligence community and remained standing. One of the best chapters in Night Heron is when she ruthlessly critiques Managan’s performance during an op, listing down several dozen mistakes that those who underestimate Chinese surveillance at their peril would make. I would love to see the Poon family in a series of their own, but for now, they make appearances in all three books.
Constructive criticism? Well, a few, but I have one. Managan. He just didn’t click with me, despite being the deuteragonist and a realistic portrayal of a civilian caught up in the spy game. Despite being clearly gifted and skilled at motivating assets and being professionally paranoid, he did turn into a bit of a wet rag when his life as a journalist is destroyed and he has the MSS heading towards his front door in numbers. Granted, it’s understandable that his nerves would begin to fray as he’s no James Bond or Nick Stone, but Managan just wasn’t compelling in this book as he is in the second one.
Overall, Night Heron is a refreshing blast of fresh air. A nuanced, mature spy novel that finally brings China focused Spy fiction the quality and stature it deserves, Adam Brookes has found himself a once untapped niche, and exploited it impressively. With a timely, realistic plot, a rich and dark setting, a cast of down to earth characters who aren’t superhuman but very capable humans, and impressive real-world detail, Night Heron should fly high in anyone’s to read list. The best is yet to come as Brookes writes a masterpiece in his second book Spy Games,” and all I can say is, you will want to be there for Mangan’s end.
Recommended.
October 28, 2024
Un giornalista free lance britannico, Philip Mangan, incontrerà a Pechino il cinese Peanuts, alias Li Huasheng, ex spia ed ex prigioniero in un campo di lavoro, e da quel momento resterà invischiato in una storia di spionaggio industriale riguardante la costruzione di missili per testate termonucleari.
Uno spy thriller con alti e bassi, diventa più "accattivante" soprattutto nella seconda parte. Trovato per caso nella bancarella di libri che in estate frequento.
Uno spy thriller con alti e bassi, diventa più "accattivante" soprattutto nella seconda parte. Trovato per caso nella bancarella di libri che in estate frequento.
April 11, 2014
I received an arch of this novel through Goodreads First Reads.
I marked the book as 'read' because I made it through most of it, but I was unable to finish it because the amount of profanity was just too much. I did, however, do my best to come up with cohesive thoughts to write a review, so from what I read I'll tell you why I didn't think it was a good book.
First of all, there are way too many characters. The only names I recognized in the 300ish pages I read were Peanut, the Professor, and the 'Sarah' lady, simply because her name was always in apostrophes. Quite honestly, the characters were dry and didn't seem to have any relationships. They just seemed heartless in their actions, and the bad guys didn't really have a motive. I still don't understand why Peanut, an escaped concentration camp prisoner, is doing what he's doing. I don't even understand what his scheme truly is because of my next point...
The writing style is awkward. I've already used this adjective, but the whole book is just dry. There would be sentences I'd have to read five times to make heads or tails of what they meant, and overall this author doesn't have very good sentence structure. I found myself face palming several times and groaning at how cheesy and just poorly written certain sections were. Granted, there were some paragraphs that sounded like a cohesive book, but for the most part it was just flat.
The Mandarin is hardly ever explained! There were several sections I just scratched my head in even more confusion, as the characters would be speaking a whole other language, but what it meant wouldn't be printed anywhere. And seeing as I don't know Mandarin, it was very hard to make heads or tails of several sections of dialogue. The dialogue itself was just plain awkward. For some reason every single character didn't use contractions, which is totally unrealistic, and it all sounded the same. None of the characters had a unique voice. They all sounded exactly the same and seemed to repeat the same thing over and over and over.
Going back to the too many names, the book mentioned who had what code name once, then expected you to just magically remember fifteen code names. With no personality to recognize the characters from, there would be 30 pages of supposed to be intense action, but I'd have absolutely no clue who was talking and what in the world was going on! I still have no idea who Goddess 2 is or why C has only one letter for a name. In fact, whenever C showed up I kinda just shook my head and pulled a blank on who he was. At first, I thought it was just shortened for another character's name, but that's not so.
So, I think I've laid out my reasons why this is a bad book very clearly. The characters had no personality, the writing needs desperate work, and the dialogue was just a big information dump. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Sorry, Adam Brookes. I wanted to like your book, but maybe you should stick to fan fiction.
I marked the book as 'read' because I made it through most of it, but I was unable to finish it because the amount of profanity was just too much. I did, however, do my best to come up with cohesive thoughts to write a review, so from what I read I'll tell you why I didn't think it was a good book.
First of all, there are way too many characters. The only names I recognized in the 300ish pages I read were Peanut, the Professor, and the 'Sarah' lady, simply because her name was always in apostrophes. Quite honestly, the characters were dry and didn't seem to have any relationships. They just seemed heartless in their actions, and the bad guys didn't really have a motive. I still don't understand why Peanut, an escaped concentration camp prisoner, is doing what he's doing. I don't even understand what his scheme truly is because of my next point...
The writing style is awkward. I've already used this adjective, but the whole book is just dry. There would be sentences I'd have to read five times to make heads or tails of what they meant, and overall this author doesn't have very good sentence structure. I found myself face palming several times and groaning at how cheesy and just poorly written certain sections were. Granted, there were some paragraphs that sounded like a cohesive book, but for the most part it was just flat.
The Mandarin is hardly ever explained! There were several sections I just scratched my head in even more confusion, as the characters would be speaking a whole other language, but what it meant wouldn't be printed anywhere. And seeing as I don't know Mandarin, it was very hard to make heads or tails of several sections of dialogue. The dialogue itself was just plain awkward. For some reason every single character didn't use contractions, which is totally unrealistic, and it all sounded the same. None of the characters had a unique voice. They all sounded exactly the same and seemed to repeat the same thing over and over and over.
Going back to the too many names, the book mentioned who had what code name once, then expected you to just magically remember fifteen code names. With no personality to recognize the characters from, there would be 30 pages of supposed to be intense action, but I'd have absolutely no clue who was talking and what in the world was going on! I still have no idea who Goddess 2 is or why C has only one letter for a name. In fact, whenever C showed up I kinda just shook my head and pulled a blank on who he was. At first, I thought it was just shortened for another character's name, but that's not so.
So, I think I've laid out my reasons why this is a bad book very clearly. The characters had no personality, the writing needs desperate work, and the dialogue was just a big information dump. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Sorry, Adam Brookes. I wanted to like your book, but maybe you should stick to fan fiction.
December 30, 2014
An extremely enjoyably read, Night Heron has restored my faith in the spy thriller genre. Brookes' descriptions of Beijing are vivid and realistic, bringing back memories of the sights and smells of the city. Equally vivid are his protagonists - Peanut and Mangan in particular. Night Heron strikes a careful balance between drawing out personality and keeping the action sweeping along, so don't expect highly detailed character studies but do expect to complain when someone interrupts your reading. I suspect Brookes is an author to watch; he's definitely going on my 'should read' list.
*Goodreads First Read Review*
*Goodreads First Read Review*
March 18, 2020
"Der Chinesische Verräter“ ist der realistischste Agententhriller, den ich je gelesen habe. Die Geschichte fußt sogar auf wahren Ereignissen, die der Autor selbst erlebt hat und die er in diesem Video schildert. Der Autor Adam Brookes, selbst Journalist des BBC in China, legte ein großartiges Debüt hin.
Der Hauptcharakter Philip Mangan ist sehr greifbar und natürlich. Immer auf der Suche nach einer Reportage, die ihm den Durchbruch ermöglicht, hat er auch gute Kontakte in die britische Botschaft. Und so gerät er eher zufällig rein in eine ziemlich gefährliche Sache. Natürlich weiß ich selbst nicht wirklich, wie es im britischen Geheimdienst abläuft (naja, wer weiß ;)), aber alles im Buch „Der Chinesische Verräter“ klingt absolut glaubwürdig.
In dem Buch, das im Original den Titel „Night Heron“ trägt, verfolgt man alle Geschehnisse genau, als läse man ein Protokoll der Operation. Vielleicht gerade deswegen schafft es Adam Brookes, das Buch unheimlich spannend zu machen. Ich hatte wirklich Angst um Philip Mangan und einige andere Menschen in dem Roman, die man sehr gern haben kann. Für jeden, der nur perfekte Heldenfiguren ohne Fehler mag, ist das Buch aber nichts: denn alle Charaktere – besonders Philip Mangan – sind authentisch.
Zum Schluss kann ich jedem, der spannende Thriller mag, dieses Buch nur empfehlen. Und es gibt noch eine weitere gute Nachricht: „Der Chinesische Verräter“ erschien im Original bereits 2015, wurde aber erst 2019 auf Deutsch übersetzt und ist im Suhrkamp-Verlag erschienen. In der Zwischenzeit sind bereits zwei weitere Bände herausgekommen, in denen es ebenfalls um Philip Mangan geht. Auf die bin ich sehr gespannt!
(Die ganze Rezension könnt ihr auch auf meinem Blog lesen: https://jaspersbuchblog.de/2019/10/05...)
Der Hauptcharakter Philip Mangan ist sehr greifbar und natürlich. Immer auf der Suche nach einer Reportage, die ihm den Durchbruch ermöglicht, hat er auch gute Kontakte in die britische Botschaft. Und so gerät er eher zufällig rein in eine ziemlich gefährliche Sache. Natürlich weiß ich selbst nicht wirklich, wie es im britischen Geheimdienst abläuft (naja, wer weiß ;)), aber alles im Buch „Der Chinesische Verräter“ klingt absolut glaubwürdig.
In dem Buch, das im Original den Titel „Night Heron“ trägt, verfolgt man alle Geschehnisse genau, als läse man ein Protokoll der Operation. Vielleicht gerade deswegen schafft es Adam Brookes, das Buch unheimlich spannend zu machen. Ich hatte wirklich Angst um Philip Mangan und einige andere Menschen in dem Roman, die man sehr gern haben kann. Für jeden, der nur perfekte Heldenfiguren ohne Fehler mag, ist das Buch aber nichts: denn alle Charaktere – besonders Philip Mangan – sind authentisch.
Zum Schluss kann ich jedem, der spannende Thriller mag, dieses Buch nur empfehlen. Und es gibt noch eine weitere gute Nachricht: „Der Chinesische Verräter“ erschien im Original bereits 2015, wurde aber erst 2019 auf Deutsch übersetzt und ist im Suhrkamp-Verlag erschienen. In der Zwischenzeit sind bereits zwei weitere Bände herausgekommen, in denen es ebenfalls um Philip Mangan geht. Auf die bin ich sehr gespannt!
(Die ganze Rezension könnt ihr auch auf meinem Blog lesen: https://jaspersbuchblog.de/2019/10/05...)
March 2, 2014
I don't usually read spy thrillers, but this one caught me up and held me in until the end. A Chinese spy, away for 20yrs, now loose in a country he no longer know how to operate in. A British journalist just doing his job and trying to get a story. They meet in modern Beijing, a world of GPS, security cameras and computer networks and their lives will never be the same. Just who is watching ?? and who is really running the world ??
Overall a good,fast read. The author was a little heavy with the descriptive words at first, but then found his flow. A fascinating look at the workings of modern spy work. But humans never change, they don't know when to shut up and let greed rule their decisions.
Overall a good,fast read. The author was a little heavy with the descriptive words at first, but then found his flow. A fascinating look at the workings of modern spy work. But humans never change, they don't know when to shut up and let greed rule their decisions.
August 4, 2015
Excellent spy story set in China with UK and Chinese security services and the dreaded private contractors! A journalist scraping by in Chine writing about various human rights abuses is contacted by an escapee from a detention camp where he spent 20 years. This starts the story of espionage and ultimately leads to an exciting search for secret Chinese weapons systems that the West is unaware of! So the story ratchets up the spy hierarchy in the UK pressuring the reluctant journalist and leading to a convoluted escape effort.
The author points out the level of control the private IT contractors have over the intelligence services and that they are directing the show and increasing the dangers to all sides.(I hope that this is just a clever fictional device!)
The author points out the level of control the private IT contractors have over the intelligence services and that they are directing the show and increasing the dangers to all sides.(I hope that this is just a clever fictional device!)
January 20, 2014
Brookes takes you into the streets of Beijing following escaped prisoner Peanut. His escape from the labor camp opens this fast paced debut thriller - a real winner. Peanut re-connects with his MI6 liaison once hiding among the citizens of Beijing. Brookes does a very good job creating the atmosphere of running around a city filled with government cameras. The horrors of the labor camp and oppression of the streets fill the story, as does the history shared by Peanut and Mangan - his MI6 paymaster. A noteworthy debut - looking forward to more from him.
March 15, 2014
I won Night Heron in a Goodreads give away.
The novel revolves around two main characters, 'Peanut' an escaped convict and Phillip Mangum a freelance British journalist based in Beijing, and is narrated in three parts.
Essentially Peanut and Mangum join forces in an attempt to procure Chinese state secrets for the British intelligence agencies.
The story is really well written, the plot is compelling and thorough, a very fast paced novel which has a definate SPOOKS edge to it.
I would like to see this on the big screen!!
The novel revolves around two main characters, 'Peanut' an escaped convict and Phillip Mangum a freelance British journalist based in Beijing, and is narrated in three parts.
Essentially Peanut and Mangum join forces in an attempt to procure Chinese state secrets for the British intelligence agencies.
The story is really well written, the plot is compelling and thorough, a very fast paced novel which has a definate SPOOKS edge to it.
I would like to see this on the big screen!!
March 25, 2014
Enjoyable debut novel from Adam Brookes, a spy thriller based in China. Loved the ideas in the story and the main characters. Also enjoyed the scenes where food was being consumed. Very descriptive and making my tummy rumble. Not giving anything away about the book but if you love spy thrillers then you will more than enjoy this novel.
September 23, 2014
This is a totally serviceable story but I kept feeling like it was translated from Chinese into English. The timing, the rhythm it just didn't flow like a book originally written in English. Since the author is an American I'm not really able to diagnose what was happening except maybe to say that future books will flow more naturally as the author writes more novels.
March 9, 2014
Won this book via a Goodreads giveaway and I am so glad I did. usually don't go for this genre but I started reading and literally didn't stop for 12 hours (apart from the occasional comfort break) until I finished it. this book is amazing!
May 20, 2023
I was very disappointed by this book. There was just too much unnecessary violence, and the characters were not well developed.
I think one reason I was so disappointed is because I really liked a previous book I read by Adam Brookes: "Fragile Cargo." It's interesting how one book can really resonate with you, while another book simply doesn't.
二零二三年： 第十二本书
I think one reason I was so disappointed is because I really liked a previous book I read by Adam Brookes: "Fragile Cargo." It's interesting how one book can really resonate with you, while another book simply doesn't.
二零二三年： 第十二本书
August 20, 2021
Well if China had been on my ‘to visit’ list it would have come straight off. At last, a spy story I could follow, one which had some real nail biting gasp out loud moments. Thank you #aboxofstories for putting this in my box. Will def be checking out other books by this author
November 23, 2024
This book is a good spying thriller and, at the same time, an example of a terrifying world .
December 21, 2018
Well written with interesting view of China. However plot is a little loose and the end a liitle unsatisfying if you are looking for a sense of completion. But perhaps the intent is to create a tableau and the result is effective in that perspective.
June 15, 2020
This book was recommended by David Ignatius as one of the 6 best spy novels ever. I chose it because its setting is China, a change from Le Carre's Europe.
Entertaining and formulaic.
Entertaining and formulaic.
Read
September 25, 2022Note: My star system means:
Unrated: Either DNF'ed - generally because the writing at some point made me angry and I lost faith in the author - or F'ed but resentfully so.
*: The author delivered the bare minimum for me to finish the book
**: Good enough to hold my attention on a subway ride or, for non-fiction, interesting ideas told in a mediocre way
***: Maybe there were some issues with the writing but still totally absorbing/interesting
****: Either a book where the writing wasn't the best but I inhaled it anyway or the reverse, where the writing was fantastic though maybe it was a bit slow-going in parts
*****: I loved the writing and was totally inhaled by the book period
What do you think of a spy thriller writer the plot of which hinges on a middle-aged White intelligence officer who goes so gaga over nailing young Asian poon that he showboats by spilling state secrets to her? Would you think something along of the lines of, "that's so completely idiotic, sexist, and oh did I mention IDIOTIC and frankly pretty downright offensive to all genders that a professional intelligence officer would blow the entirety of his career over his dick as if he hadn't had a lifetime of training to avoid spilling secrets during sex and therefore I can't trust this writer for one second longer and am therefore DNFing"? Because if so, you're totally me! The frustrating thing was that I was actually enjoying the book - a spy novel about a journalist in China who gets drawn into freelancing for British intelligence - until that turd showed up about 60% in. A piece of me wanted to continue and just kind of blow past it, but I couldn't for the simple reason that a spy novel is entirely about clever plotting - that's literally all it is. And the fact that the author was too, I don't know what, self-oblivious? to come up with anything other sex for secrets made me realize I couldn't trust him to take me to the end of the book let alone read more in the series because someone who would allow that to appear in their writing is someone, IJHO, who doesn't care about their writing and, by extension, their readers. What's particularly frustrating is this: I totally would've been game to see a career intelligence officer outfoxed and outmaneuvered by an even more brilliant intelligence officer - that would've been cool and logical - but "ooh hot lady parts I HAVE NO BRAIN ANYMORE I’M JUST PENIS PENIS PENIS" is just so... awful not merely because it degrades him into being a total moron but it doesn't offer many favors for her either, like all she had to do was issue compliments and spread her legs and is that any character you're interested in knowing more about? This kind of thing stops me dead cold because, as mentioned, I can't continue down a road with an author who either thinks that's a good idea or knows it's a bad idea but leaves it in the final draft anyway because he either can't think of anything better or just doesn't care, but if that's not you and you don't get annoyed at the notion that men lose all rationality at the whiff of sex and that women have nothing to offer the spy game other than that whiff, then up to that point it was a pretty entertaining book and you might like it if you're looking for a modern spy novel. I'm a little bummed I can't continue because I was thinking it could be a good series, but that sequence made me lose all faith that my investment in the author would be remotely worth my time so, oh well.
For more book, TV, and movie reviews, subscribe to my Substack The Media Report and follow me on Twitter and Instagram!
Unrated: Either DNF'ed - generally because the writing at some point made me angry and I lost faith in the author - or F'ed but resentfully so.
*: The author delivered the bare minimum for me to finish the book
**: Good enough to hold my attention on a subway ride or, for non-fiction, interesting ideas told in a mediocre way
***: Maybe there were some issues with the writing but still totally absorbing/interesting
****: Either a book where the writing wasn't the best but I inhaled it anyway or the reverse, where the writing was fantastic though maybe it was a bit slow-going in parts
*****: I loved the writing and was totally inhaled by the book period
What do you think of a spy thriller writer the plot of which hinges on a middle-aged White intelligence officer who goes so gaga over nailing young Asian poon that he showboats by spilling state secrets to her? Would you think something along of the lines of, "that's so completely idiotic, sexist, and oh did I mention IDIOTIC and frankly pretty downright offensive to all genders that a professional intelligence officer would blow the entirety of his career over his dick as if he hadn't had a lifetime of training to avoid spilling secrets during sex and therefore I can't trust this writer for one second longer and am therefore DNFing"? Because if so, you're totally me! The frustrating thing was that I was actually enjoying the book - a spy novel about a journalist in China who gets drawn into freelancing for British intelligence - until that turd showed up about 60% in. A piece of me wanted to continue and just kind of blow past it, but I couldn't for the simple reason that a spy novel is entirely about clever plotting - that's literally all it is. And the fact that the author was too, I don't know what, self-oblivious? to come up with anything other sex for secrets made me realize I couldn't trust him to take me to the end of the book let alone read more in the series because someone who would allow that to appear in their writing is someone, IJHO, who doesn't care about their writing and, by extension, their readers. What's particularly frustrating is this: I totally would've been game to see a career intelligence officer outfoxed and outmaneuvered by an even more brilliant intelligence officer - that would've been cool and logical - but "ooh hot lady parts I HAVE NO BRAIN ANYMORE I’M JUST PENIS PENIS PENIS" is just so... awful not merely because it degrades him into being a total moron but it doesn't offer many favors for her either, like all she had to do was issue compliments and spread her legs and is that any character you're interested in knowing more about? This kind of thing stops me dead cold because, as mentioned, I can't continue down a road with an author who either thinks that's a good idea or knows it's a bad idea but leaves it in the final draft anyway because he either can't think of anything better or just doesn't care, but if that's not you and you don't get annoyed at the notion that men lose all rationality at the whiff of sex and that women have nothing to offer the spy game other than that whiff, then up to that point it was a pretty entertaining book and you might like it if you're looking for a modern spy novel. I'm a little bummed I can't continue because I was thinking it could be a good series, but that sequence made me lose all faith that my investment in the author would be remotely worth my time so, oh well.
For more book, TV, and movie reviews, subscribe to my Substack The Media Report and follow me on Twitter and Instagram!
August 4, 2014
A Pretty Good Slow-Build Debut Spy Thriller!
Adam Brookes has demonstrated in his debut thriller, Night Heron, that he is a very good writer and has the potential to be one of the better writers in the spy thriller genre.
I won't take your time by providing a description of the plot, as you can get this from the Goodreads Book Description and from other reader reviews. Rather, to help you decide if Night Heron is a book you'd be interested in reading, I'd like to provide you with what I consider to be its strengths and a few areas that, while not bad, could have been better.
Regarding Night Heron's strengths, Brookes clearly makes modern day China come alive for the reader by creating a strong cinematic sense of what life in China, and particularly, Beijing is like. I felt that I was right there alongside the book's characters taking in the all various sights, smells and sounds the city and country has to offer. Further, although the detailed plot takes its time to develop, the book ultimately provides the reader with a sufficient amount of twists and turns to make staying with this slow-building worthwhile. In addition, Brookes does a credible job in introducing the reader to an interesting cast of primary and secondary characters.
Based on these strengths I enjoyed Night Heron...but I didn't love it.
My enjoyment could have been enhanced had Brookes done the following: moved the plot along at a faster pace; developed his characters so that the reader could have formed more of an emotional attachment to them in order to care more about what happens to them, rather than just getting an understanding of who they are and what they are trying to accomplish; and, while the book had its share of twists and turns, I would have liked to have been made to feel more excited about the outcome of these events.
Overall, while not pefect (but how many books are?), Night Heron is a worthwhile read and Brookes is a writer that deserves spy thriller readers' attention.
Adam Brookes has demonstrated in his debut thriller, Night Heron, that he is a very good writer and has the potential to be one of the better writers in the spy thriller genre.
I won't take your time by providing a description of the plot, as you can get this from the Goodreads Book Description and from other reader reviews. Rather, to help you decide if Night Heron is a book you'd be interested in reading, I'd like to provide you with what I consider to be its strengths and a few areas that, while not bad, could have been better.
Regarding Night Heron's strengths, Brookes clearly makes modern day China come alive for the reader by creating a strong cinematic sense of what life in China, and particularly, Beijing is like. I felt that I was right there alongside the book's characters taking in the all various sights, smells and sounds the city and country has to offer. Further, although the detailed plot takes its time to develop, the book ultimately provides the reader with a sufficient amount of twists and turns to make staying with this slow-building worthwhile. In addition, Brookes does a credible job in introducing the reader to an interesting cast of primary and secondary characters.
Based on these strengths I enjoyed Night Heron...but I didn't love it.
My enjoyment could have been enhanced had Brookes done the following: moved the plot along at a faster pace; developed his characters so that the reader could have formed more of an emotional attachment to them in order to care more about what happens to them, rather than just getting an understanding of who they are and what they are trying to accomplish; and, while the book had its share of twists and turns, I would have liked to have been made to feel more excited about the outcome of these events.
Overall, while not pefect (but how many books are?), Night Heron is a worthwhile read and Brookes is a writer that deserves spy thriller readers' attention.
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