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Thomas Kell #3
A Divided Spy
Thomas Kell thought he was done with spying. A former MI6 officer, he devoted his life to the Service, but it has left him with nothing but grief and a simmering anger against the Kremlin.
Then Kell is offered an unexpected chance at revenge. Taking the law into his own hands, he embarks on a mission to recruit a top Russian spy who is in possession of a terrifying secret. As Kell tracks his man from Moscow to London, he finds himself in a high stakes game of cat and mouse in which it becomes increasingly difficult to know who is playing whom.
As the mission reaches boiling point, the threat of a catastrophic terrorist attack looms over Britain. Kell is faced with an impossible choice. Loyalty to MI6—or to his own conscience?
Then Kell is offered an unexpected chance at revenge. Taking the law into his own hands, he embarks on a mission to recruit a top Russian spy who is in possession of a terrifying secret. As Kell tracks his man from Moscow to London, he finds himself in a high stakes game of cat and mouse in which it becomes increasingly difficult to know who is playing whom.
As the mission reaches boiling point, the threat of a catastrophic terrorist attack looms over Britain. Kell is faced with an impossible choice. Loyalty to MI6—or to his own conscience?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2016
761 people are currently reading
2731 people want to read
About the author
Charles Cumming
27 books1,283 followersCharles Cumming is British writer of spy fiction. His international bestselling thrillers including A Spy By Nature, The Spanish Game, Typhoon and The Trinity Six. A former British Secret Service recruit, he is a contributing editor of The Week magazine and lives in London.
http://www.charlescumming.co.uk/
http://www.charlescumming.co.uk/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
January 21, 2025
I enjoyed the first two books, penned by Cummings, featuring ex-spy Thomas Kell. The former MI6 officer has suffered rejection by the establishment and personal tragedy along the way, but he’s not quite given up on tracking down a Russian agent he knows to be the cause of much of his recent misery. Then he’s contacted by a source who spotted the Russian at a holiday resort – could this prove to be Kell’s opportunity for revenge?
I find Cummings to be less convoluted than LeCarre – a good thing – but this book also reminded me that although his stories are well crafted and have much of the intrigue you’d expect from a spy thriller, he can be… well, a little dull. Kell isn’t the most engaging of characters, and his various associates are a pretty bland crew, too. There is some fun here in being walked through the various tradecraft elements of the spy-game, but there’s nothing particularly new or startling here. The Russian is an interesting character, and the tale does spark to life whenever he’s on the scene, but I’m not sure this is enough to enliven a pretty routine plot line.
The whole thing washed over me and left a barely discernable aftertaste. There’s nothing offensive about it, and there are some good scenes, but it’s pretty average fare.
I find Cummings to be less convoluted than LeCarre – a good thing – but this book also reminded me that although his stories are well crafted and have much of the intrigue you’d expect from a spy thriller, he can be… well, a little dull. Kell isn’t the most engaging of characters, and his various associates are a pretty bland crew, too. There is some fun here in being walked through the various tradecraft elements of the spy-game, but there’s nothing particularly new or startling here. The Russian is an interesting character, and the tale does spark to life whenever he’s on the scene, but I’m not sure this is enough to enliven a pretty routine plot line.
The whole thing washed over me and left a barely discernable aftertaste. There’s nothing offensive about it, and there are some good scenes, but it’s pretty average fare.
July 13, 2016
Relentlessly fascinating, taut, atmospheric and immersive — get out your thesaurus and start looking for new superlatives. Charles Cumming’s A Divided Spy deserves them all. Quite simply, spy thrillers don’t get much better than this.
While I hate revealing my ignorance, I must admit I was not familiar with the work of Charles Cumming prior to grabbing a copy of A Divided Spy from the shelf. I was looking for a page-turner, having just invested several hours in a book that was taking me nowhere but an unpleasant abyss, and the quotes accompanying the blurb seemed to promise as much. And for once, the blurb undervalued what was delivered: one of the best spy thrillers I’ve read in years.
A Divided Spy is the third book in Cumming’s Thomas Kell series, and while new readers mightn’t appreciate the depths of some of the relationships, and be privy to the entirety of their backstory, the novel can be read as a standalone. And if you’re anything like me, it’ll only entice you to immediately add the preceding novels to your reading stack!
Kell is a former MI6 officer, but after a lifetime of dedication to Queen and Country, and an operation that went particularly bad, he’s retired from the service. His days are now perfunctory, fueled by a desire for revenge against the Kremlin who took the life of a woman he loved. When Kell is offered a chance at vengeance, he takes it, and embarks on a mission to recruit a top Russian spy and turn him against his superiors — but with the Russian holding key information about a devastating terrorist attack on British soil, Kell must decide what’s most important to him: personal retribution or protecting innocent lives. And can he live with the consequence of either decision?
A Divided Spy is a literate, exhilarating page-turner. It’s not a wham-bam actioner in the style of Robert Ludlum, whose best work loosed bursts of violence on readers every second chapter, but that said, those who read thrillers purely for the gunplay won’t be disappointed by the novel’s conclusion. Indeed, Cumming’s sparse use of shootouts is precisely what makes the book stand out: it doesn’t need blockbuster action moments to propel the story forward, and keep you entranced. And that’s a surefire sign of a great thriller.
As things stand, A Divided Spy is my forerunner for spy thriller of the year, and it will take something truly spectacular to best it.
While I hate revealing my ignorance, I must admit I was not familiar with the work of Charles Cumming prior to grabbing a copy of A Divided Spy from the shelf. I was looking for a page-turner, having just invested several hours in a book that was taking me nowhere but an unpleasant abyss, and the quotes accompanying the blurb seemed to promise as much. And for once, the blurb undervalued what was delivered: one of the best spy thrillers I’ve read in years.
A Divided Spy is the third book in Cumming’s Thomas Kell series, and while new readers mightn’t appreciate the depths of some of the relationships, and be privy to the entirety of their backstory, the novel can be read as a standalone. And if you’re anything like me, it’ll only entice you to immediately add the preceding novels to your reading stack!
Kell is a former MI6 officer, but after a lifetime of dedication to Queen and Country, and an operation that went particularly bad, he’s retired from the service. His days are now perfunctory, fueled by a desire for revenge against the Kremlin who took the life of a woman he loved. When Kell is offered a chance at vengeance, he takes it, and embarks on a mission to recruit a top Russian spy and turn him against his superiors — but with the Russian holding key information about a devastating terrorist attack on British soil, Kell must decide what’s most important to him: personal retribution or protecting innocent lives. And can he live with the consequence of either decision?
A Divided Spy is a literate, exhilarating page-turner. It’s not a wham-bam actioner in the style of Robert Ludlum, whose best work loosed bursts of violence on readers every second chapter, but that said, those who read thrillers purely for the gunplay won’t be disappointed by the novel’s conclusion. Indeed, Cumming’s sparse use of shootouts is precisely what makes the book stand out: it doesn’t need blockbuster action moments to propel the story forward, and keep you entranced. And that’s a surefire sign of a great thriller.
As things stand, A Divided Spy is my forerunner for spy thriller of the year, and it will take something truly spectacular to best it.
February 20, 2019
Tom Kell's spying pays off big time in this last adventure. Almost like being an accidental hero when the parley includes some ISIS assassin directives as a trade off compromise.
Not having read others' reviews, just their ratings! Well, they are lower than for Kell #2 Colder War. And I differ in that comparison. In fact, I liked this one just as much and found it a difficult read but not nearly as dense. And eventually too, it was more enlightening to all the 3 books' length of a dozen characters. All the tech, home office, deep Europe people too. Also more enlightening to the underlings of inconsistent "joviality".
Here we have too the regrets and the looking back coupled with the revenge factor seething within Kell. But bottom line to that reality is also a strongly walled principled survey for looking backwards toward the dead. (Were they actually SUCH loving relationships) those two mainstream "coupleships" for the two primes here?
Both with Tom and with Alexander (opposing main characters from UK/ Russia respectively)- their "soul mates" lost? Truly soul mates or merely "most recruited" assistants, in the language of an Amelia, per se- what is closer to the times shared? Or to the memories of their legacy?
You won't understand that last paragraph or two here if you don't know the wait, the lie, the recruit / seduction to "more" knowledge that is the core of this work and the process of knowledge gathering "friendship" seduction.
Amelia is as evasive and as duplicitous here as ever before. Kell is closer to facing his own self's observations to what he "feels" he holds dear from his past life and what he actually does or holds day to day in the present regarding it. And Alexander M. in this book is one of the best word crafted characterizations that I have come across in years per word count. His dialogue and cognition both in wider scope and in particulars of looks, movement, the physical- all a Cumming masterpiece. 6 stars. The sections written from the mind of the terrorist were also near perfect- 5 star.
After this book, I could relish a get together/discussion between people who have read all three of these Cumming Kell- what they thought and believe of this Kell and Alexander M. friendship itself, that in particular.
Warsaw was fabulous. Claridges not shabby. And this time no one gets lost in Harrods.
The hidden oligarch in this one reminded me strongly of some other characters in my most beloved European style series who-dun-its. Like Brunetti's father-in-law in Venice, but a whole lot meaner and more hidden in "outside Russia" association. Alexander's father-in-law is worse than any in-law from hell.
These books are hard reads. (Each took me 3 times as long to read as a usual "fiction" of such comparable length). If they hadn't been so complex (reading WORK)to grasping all the minutia of tech/location/ tailing technique nuggets I would have given them 5 stars. And I am bereft that there are no more Kell. VERY few authors can write this level of manipulation!
He (Kell) got out in perfect timing to his own self-knowledge, IMHO. Maybe now he can actually meld a life, at least that- or begin to proceed to love someone in reality.
Not having read others' reviews, just their ratings! Well, they are lower than for Kell #2 Colder War. And I differ in that comparison. In fact, I liked this one just as much and found it a difficult read but not nearly as dense. And eventually too, it was more enlightening to all the 3 books' length of a dozen characters. All the tech, home office, deep Europe people too. Also more enlightening to the underlings of inconsistent "joviality".
Here we have too the regrets and the looking back coupled with the revenge factor seething within Kell. But bottom line to that reality is also a strongly walled principled survey for looking backwards toward the dead. (Were they actually SUCH loving relationships) those two mainstream "coupleships" for the two primes here?
Both with Tom and with Alexander (opposing main characters from UK/ Russia respectively)- their "soul mates" lost? Truly soul mates or merely "most recruited" assistants, in the language of an Amelia, per se- what is closer to the times shared? Or to the memories of their legacy?
You won't understand that last paragraph or two here if you don't know the wait, the lie, the recruit / seduction to "more" knowledge that is the core of this work and the process of knowledge gathering "friendship" seduction.
Amelia is as evasive and as duplicitous here as ever before. Kell is closer to facing his own self's observations to what he "feels" he holds dear from his past life and what he actually does or holds day to day in the present regarding it. And Alexander M. in this book is one of the best word crafted characterizations that I have come across in years per word count. His dialogue and cognition both in wider scope and in particulars of looks, movement, the physical- all a Cumming masterpiece. 6 stars. The sections written from the mind of the terrorist were also near perfect- 5 star.
After this book, I could relish a get together/discussion between people who have read all three of these Cumming Kell- what they thought and believe of this Kell and Alexander M. friendship itself, that in particular.
Warsaw was fabulous. Claridges not shabby. And this time no one gets lost in Harrods.
The hidden oligarch in this one reminded me strongly of some other characters in my most beloved European style series who-dun-its. Like Brunetti's father-in-law in Venice, but a whole lot meaner and more hidden in "outside Russia" association. Alexander's father-in-law is worse than any in-law from hell.
These books are hard reads. (Each took me 3 times as long to read as a usual "fiction" of such comparable length). If they hadn't been so complex (reading WORK)to grasping all the minutia of tech/location/ tailing technique nuggets I would have given them 5 stars. And I am bereft that there are no more Kell. VERY few authors can write this level of manipulation!
He (Kell) got out in perfect timing to his own self-knowledge, IMHO. Maybe now he can actually meld a life, at least that- or begin to proceed to love someone in reality.
May 21, 2018
Well written, entertaining, and twisty.
An intriguing spy thriller that takes you into the duplicitous world of intelligence gathering and the mind of a terrorist.
The writing is edgy and crisp. The characters are complicated, jaded, and dubious. And the plot is a compelling ride of lies, secrets, deception, and vengeance.
A Divided Spy 🕵️♀️ is the first novel I’ve read by Charles Cumming and I can honestly say it won’t be my last. And even though this is the third novel in the Thomas Kell series, and I think reading the first books in the series would give a little more depth to the protagonists motivations, it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.
An intriguing spy thriller that takes you into the duplicitous world of intelligence gathering and the mind of a terrorist.
The writing is edgy and crisp. The characters are complicated, jaded, and dubious. And the plot is a compelling ride of lies, secrets, deception, and vengeance.
A Divided Spy 🕵️♀️ is the first novel I’ve read by Charles Cumming and I can honestly say it won’t be my last. And even though this is the third novel in the Thomas Kell series, and I think reading the first books in the series would give a little more depth to the protagonists motivations, it can definitely be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.
April 6, 2017
The British espionage novelist Charles Cumming is sometimes compared to John le Carre, who is 40 years older. Le Carre writes in the same genre but is celebrated as the author of several novels regarded as among the best ever written. I’m usually suspicious of such analogies. But this one is apt. Cumming’s protagonist Thomas Kell brings to mind the jaded George Smiley of le Carre’s early spy novels. Both constantly wrestle with moral questions and frequently reflect that the difference between MI6 and its Russian counterparts is fuzzy at best. And both are deeply skeptical of the importance or effectiveness of their efforts. As Kell reflects in A Divided Spy, “In his twenty-year career in the secret world, Kell—in common with many of his colleagues—had developed a theory that most of the Service’s greatest successes had come about, in part, because of cock-up and human error. He had never been a believer in perfect plans and immaculate conspiracies.”
Cumming describes his protagonist as a man with “a facility for deceit and manipulation [that] was as much a part of Kell’s character as his decency and capacity for love.” And Kell’s Russian counterpart notes that “[t]he constant process of lying, of subterfuge, of concealment and second-guess, is exhausting. It is bad for the soul.”
In A Divided Spy, Kell at age 46 has left MI6 after a bruising run-in with the bureaucrats who made his life miserable. He is brooding over the murder of his lover, Rachel Wallinger, at the hands of a Russian spy named Alexander Minasian. When Minasian unexpectedly surfaces, Kell resolves to avenge her death. He plans an elaborate entrapment scheme to “turn” Minasian. This plan brings Kell into conflict with Amelia Levene, an old friend who is the Director General of MI6.
Meanwhile, a high-profile terrorist plot is unfolding. A young British man who has fought for ISIS in Syria has reentered England on a false passport and is establishing his new identity in the seaside resort of Brighton. Though it may seem unlikely, these two plotlines are destined to intersect. As they do, Kell is tested in ways he has never before been required to face.
Like le Carre, Cumming grounds his tales in the realities of spycraft. Just as CIA officers were said to devour the George Smiley novels, I imagine that operatives for both the CIA and MI6 are reading the saga of Thomas Kell. Or perhaps they should be.
A Divided Spy is the third book in Charles Cumming’s compelling series of espionage novels featuring MI6 officer Thomas Kell. It may be the last.
Cumming describes his protagonist as a man with “a facility for deceit and manipulation [that] was as much a part of Kell’s character as his decency and capacity for love.” And Kell’s Russian counterpart notes that “[t]he constant process of lying, of subterfuge, of concealment and second-guess, is exhausting. It is bad for the soul.”
In A Divided Spy, Kell at age 46 has left MI6 after a bruising run-in with the bureaucrats who made his life miserable. He is brooding over the murder of his lover, Rachel Wallinger, at the hands of a Russian spy named Alexander Minasian. When Minasian unexpectedly surfaces, Kell resolves to avenge her death. He plans an elaborate entrapment scheme to “turn” Minasian. This plan brings Kell into conflict with Amelia Levene, an old friend who is the Director General of MI6.
Meanwhile, a high-profile terrorist plot is unfolding. A young British man who has fought for ISIS in Syria has reentered England on a false passport and is establishing his new identity in the seaside resort of Brighton. Though it may seem unlikely, these two plotlines are destined to intersect. As they do, Kell is tested in ways he has never before been required to face.
Like le Carre, Cumming grounds his tales in the realities of spycraft. Just as CIA officers were said to devour the George Smiley novels, I imagine that operatives for both the CIA and MI6 are reading the saga of Thomas Kell. Or perhaps they should be.
A Divided Spy is the third book in Charles Cumming’s compelling series of espionage novels featuring MI6 officer Thomas Kell. It may be the last.
July 6, 2016
Not sure about this one. I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the author's previous books. I didn't find it at all original and perhaps that's the problem of the spy genre at the moment - what new is there to say? I also found the main character Tom a bit naive for an intelligence officer. it was an ok story but not particularly credible or original and the other characters were stereotypes. I would describe this as a workmanlike effort - it passes the time but it's not great literature - quite forgettable once you've finished it.
November 5, 2017
Another outing for Tom Kell, a year after he has left the Secret Service he is drawn back by the sighting of his Russian nemesis in a gay relationship with an older German man. He acts solo to trap the Russian but finds only very lukewarm support from his old boss - nevertheless Kell uses information gained to good effect. A very decent spy thriller.
November 3, 2016
'The Mail on Sunday' has described Charles Cumming as 'the master of the modern spy thriller' (according to a citation on the dust jacket of 'A Divided Spy'). Having read two of his novels, I can understand why. Cumming's stories are credible and convincing, and in Thomas Kell he has created a likeable and interesting spook. 'A Divided Spy' is a rattling good read with a gripping plot which, despite its many twists and turns, is not difficult to follow.
Kell is a disenchanted former MI6 spy. His disillusionment set in when he lost the love of his life, Rachel Wallinger, on an MI6 operation some 12 months or so ago. She was assassinated by the Russian foreign intelligence service (SVR) in Istanbul. Since Rachel's demise, Kell has been living quietly in London and grieving over her death. He has no plans to return to espionage. But then an unexpected opportunity for revenge presents itself. He is informed by one of his ex-colleagues, Harold Mowbray, who now works privately, that Alexander Minasian, the Russian agent responsible for Rachel's murder, has a secret gay lover. Kell seizes on this information as an opening for retribution. And so begins a beguiling, cat and mouse battle of wits between Minasian and Kell. Matters become more complicated when Minasian informs Kell that he has knowledge of a terrorist attack that ISIS is planning to unleash imminently in the UK.
Written in a simple, no-frills style, 'A Divided Spy' is a very entertaining novel with believable characters and an intriguing plot. Its page-turning prose will have you gobbling up the pages avidly. There is plenty of apparently credible information about the way in which MI6 operates. Cumming also provides a fascinating and very convincing insight into the motivations of some young Islamist terrorists. 'A Divided Spy' is well worth a few hours of your time. 8/10.
Kell is a disenchanted former MI6 spy. His disillusionment set in when he lost the love of his life, Rachel Wallinger, on an MI6 operation some 12 months or so ago. She was assassinated by the Russian foreign intelligence service (SVR) in Istanbul. Since Rachel's demise, Kell has been living quietly in London and grieving over her death. He has no plans to return to espionage. But then an unexpected opportunity for revenge presents itself. He is informed by one of his ex-colleagues, Harold Mowbray, who now works privately, that Alexander Minasian, the Russian agent responsible for Rachel's murder, has a secret gay lover. Kell seizes on this information as an opening for retribution. And so begins a beguiling, cat and mouse battle of wits between Minasian and Kell. Matters become more complicated when Minasian informs Kell that he has knowledge of a terrorist attack that ISIS is planning to unleash imminently in the UK.
Written in a simple, no-frills style, 'A Divided Spy' is a very entertaining novel with believable characters and an intriguing plot. Its page-turning prose will have you gobbling up the pages avidly. There is plenty of apparently credible information about the way in which MI6 operates. Cumming also provides a fascinating and very convincing insight into the motivations of some young Islamist terrorists. 'A Divided Spy' is well worth a few hours of your time. 8/10.
July 3, 2017
I started with #3 of 3 books detailing MI6 operations involving Thomas Kell, so my view is necessarily limited. When I read descriptions of books #1-2 it would seem Kell started off beleaguered, called "a disgraced spy." The events of this book start with a man who is struggling and ends with what seems to me to be a genuinely final decision to leave the service. Who knows? Maybe that's his "shtick" - getting dragged back into the spy business unwillingly. He is not respected and then he is. Unlike any spy book I have read previously. Aren't they supposed to be supermen?
Early on he thinks he is being followed. "Kell allowed himself a half smile. His occasional outbreaks of paranoia were a kind of madness, a yearning for the old days; the corrupted sixth sense of a forty-six-year-old spy who knew that the game was over...He was just another traveler on the Tube, traceless and nondescript. Nobody knew who he was nor who he had ever been."
Kell gets drawn into an operation by a former co-worker he isn't certain of, but he decides to play. He would have the opportunity to recruit a Russian intelligence officer who had been instrumental in getting someone killed that Kell had feelings for. Or was it the opportunity for revenge he could not resist? The meeting and transactions result in a story fraught with tension over the basic question of who to trust. Packed with twists, turns, avoidance of mass murder by ISIS operative and the restoration of Kell's reputation.
So...Kell either went out on a high note, or there will be a book #4.
Early on he thinks he is being followed. "Kell allowed himself a half smile. His occasional outbreaks of paranoia were a kind of madness, a yearning for the old days; the corrupted sixth sense of a forty-six-year-old spy who knew that the game was over...He was just another traveler on the Tube, traceless and nondescript. Nobody knew who he was nor who he had ever been."
Kell gets drawn into an operation by a former co-worker he isn't certain of, but he decides to play. He would have the opportunity to recruit a Russian intelligence officer who had been instrumental in getting someone killed that Kell had feelings for. Or was it the opportunity for revenge he could not resist? The meeting and transactions result in a story fraught with tension over the basic question of who to trust. Packed with twists, turns, avoidance of mass murder by ISIS operative and the restoration of Kell's reputation.
So...Kell either went out on a high note, or there will be a book #4.
Read
July 8, 2017From my USA Today review
*
John Updike once observed that contemporary spy fiction has never stopped yearning for the Cold War. Well: be careful what you wish for. Charles Cumming’s third novel about British secret agent Thomas Kell involves the overlapping deceptions of England, Russia, and ISIS, which suddenly feels almost too topical for comfort. Kell – grizzled, trying to smoke less – tracks a closeted Russian agent through his lover, and from there trips onto a homegrown British jihadist. It’s a smart, nuanced, readable tale, reminiscent of Olen Steinhauer or Robert Littell. You want just a little more from Kell – he’s slightly anonymous, his problems slightly generic – but Cumming has mastered the texture and language of espionage. “A Divided Spy” may lack the echt cool of Deighton and le Carré, who were there for the real thing, but it’s a fine specimen of a genre headed back toward the Kremlin.
*
John Updike once observed that contemporary spy fiction has never stopped yearning for the Cold War. Well: be careful what you wish for. Charles Cumming’s third novel about British secret agent Thomas Kell involves the overlapping deceptions of England, Russia, and ISIS, which suddenly feels almost too topical for comfort. Kell – grizzled, trying to smoke less – tracks a closeted Russian agent through his lover, and from there trips onto a homegrown British jihadist. It’s a smart, nuanced, readable tale, reminiscent of Olen Steinhauer or Robert Littell. You want just a little more from Kell – he’s slightly anonymous, his problems slightly generic – but Cumming has mastered the texture and language of espionage. “A Divided Spy” may lack the echt cool of Deighton and le Carré, who were there for the real thing, but it’s a fine specimen of a genre headed back toward the Kremlin.
January 13, 2018
Intelligent and well paced thriller
Kell is a former MI6 officer retired from the service and damaged by personal tragedy. In this book he’s tracking down a Russian agent he believes to be behind the murder of his girlfriend.
Now this might sound like the start of whizz bang all action thriller, but Charles Cumming’s style is much more thoughtful with rich depth to his characters and a slow burn. The story has loads of tradecraft detail for the espionage fan and Kell is a likeable and believable character.
I won’t giveaway the plot, but suffice to say there’s some twists and turns that keep your interest just when you think you ‘ve got the plotline sussed.
All in all an entertaining read that makes you want to read more of the Cummings canon.
I was given a copy of this book to review by the publisher, but wasn’t obliged to provide a positive review.
Kell is a former MI6 officer retired from the service and damaged by personal tragedy. In this book he’s tracking down a Russian agent he believes to be behind the murder of his girlfriend.
Now this might sound like the start of whizz bang all action thriller, but Charles Cumming’s style is much more thoughtful with rich depth to his characters and a slow burn. The story has loads of tradecraft detail for the espionage fan and Kell is a likeable and believable character.
I won’t giveaway the plot, but suffice to say there’s some twists and turns that keep your interest just when you think you ‘ve got the plotline sussed.
All in all an entertaining read that makes you want to read more of the Cummings canon.
I was given a copy of this book to review by the publisher, but wasn’t obliged to provide a positive review.
February 21, 2022
Dicen del autor que es el heredero de John le Carré o de Ian Fleming. No seré yo quien diga lo contrario aunque sí es cierto que Charles Cumming, así se llama el padre de la serie de novelas de espías Thomas Kell, autoconclusivas, domina perfectamente los escenarios y confiere a las tramas lo necesario para visualizar detalladamente lo que está sucediendo y a un ritmo vertiginoso.
Thomas Kell, antiguo agente de MI6, recibirá el chivatazo de que el hombre responsable de la muerte de su novia, Rachel, un agente ruso del SVR, ha sido visto en un resort del Mar Rojo en compañía masculina. Thomas decidirá hacerle chantaje para descubrir quién fue el responsable de la muerte de su novia —el agente del SVR está casado con la hija de un magnate ruso y su homosexualidad en su país puede estar penalizada con la muerte teniendo en cuenta que trabaja para el gobierno—. Para ello ejecutará toda una serie de trampas a ambos amantes pero... https://abrirunlibro.com/2022/02/cone...
Thomas Kell, antiguo agente de MI6, recibirá el chivatazo de que el hombre responsable de la muerte de su novia, Rachel, un agente ruso del SVR, ha sido visto en un resort del Mar Rojo en compañía masculina. Thomas decidirá hacerle chantaje para descubrir quién fue el responsable de la muerte de su novia —el agente del SVR está casado con la hija de un magnate ruso y su homosexualidad en su país puede estar penalizada con la muerte teniendo en cuenta que trabaja para el gobierno—. Para ello ejecutará toda una serie de trampas a ambos amantes pero... https://abrirunlibro.com/2022/02/cone...
March 21, 2022
3,5 estrellas
Aunque me ha gustado (es difícil que una novela de espías de corte clásico no me guste), me ha atrapado menos que "Complot en Estambul", tal vez porque la línea principal de este libro, la captación de agentes de otros servicios de inteligencia, es más pausada, y en cuanto a la segunda línea argumental, la de la prevención del terrorismo islamista, me ha parecido algo manida y, por lo que se refiere al desenlace, bastante poco realista.
Con todo, sigue siendo una buena obra, muy entretenida, recomendable para los amantes del género.
Aunque me ha gustado (es difícil que una novela de espías de corte clásico no me guste), me ha atrapado menos que "Complot en Estambul", tal vez porque la línea principal de este libro, la captación de agentes de otros servicios de inteligencia, es más pausada, y en cuanto a la segunda línea argumental, la de la prevención del terrorismo islamista, me ha parecido algo manida y, por lo que se refiere al desenlace, bastante poco realista.
Con todo, sigue siendo una buena obra, muy entretenida, recomendable para los amantes del género.
June 24, 2017
I have been reading books based on the conflicts between UK/US secret agents and the Russians since I was a boy in the 1960s. I have never enjoyed and admired a spy novel more than this one.
Charles Cumming has come up with a number of credible plots and subplots and I thought his pacing was spot-on.
The trouble with page turners is that there can be too much action to be realistic, but I think that problem has been avoided here. The spate of jihadi outrages in Europe following on from the horror of 9/11 adds to the credibility of threat of the disillusioned character who is part of this story.
The ways in which people on the same side tell lies and part-truths to each other and enemies mix truth and lies to each other all ring true, as do the details of spooky tradecraft.
Congratulations to this author who has clearly not stinted on his research and who is a master of his chosen genre.
Charles Cumming has come up with a number of credible plots and subplots and I thought his pacing was spot-on.
The trouble with page turners is that there can be too much action to be realistic, but I think that problem has been avoided here. The spate of jihadi outrages in Europe following on from the horror of 9/11 adds to the credibility of threat of the disillusioned character who is part of this story.
The ways in which people on the same side tell lies and part-truths to each other and enemies mix truth and lies to each other all ring true, as do the details of spooky tradecraft.
Congratulations to this author who has clearly not stinted on his research and who is a master of his chosen genre.
June 2, 2017
This novel wraps up some unresolved business from the previous Thomas Kell books and does so nicely. Although not an MI6 officer for long, Cumming clearly was born to it; his knowledge of tradecraft and the murky world of espionage is first-hand and fairly recent and it shows. already a fan, I loved this book, not least because it focused on my town of birth-and the subject of home-grown Islamic extremism is, sadly, extremely topical at the moment. (It's been a long moment at that...) Bright, clear writing from an impressive mind, this book is pride of place in between the Le Carres and the Flemings... I recommend you buy Cumming's books in order of publication to get the most from them.
February 23, 2017
'A Divided Spy', the 3rd in Charles Cumming's Thomas Kell series, is the weakest of the group but is still a worthwhile spy thriller. It can be read as a standalone, but it helps to have consumed the first 2.
The story begins when Kell, still adrift since his previous adventures, is alerted to the presence at a resort of the Russian spy who was involved in the death of one of his previous close acquaintances. He proceeds to develop a plan to 'turn' the agent and somehow gain revenge for his prior actions. Of course, not being formally in the British spy community presents problems, as does Kell's previous relationship to the female head of MI6. In the meantime, a terrorist is planning an attack in an English seaside town. The fun, and intrigue, thus proceeds.....
The writing isn't as crisp, nor is the dialogue, the character development is pretty non-existent (the hard work with that was done in the first 2 in the series), and Kell's actions seem pretty naive throughout, but the plot is decent and the conclusion is well-done. There's a lot of introspection by the Kell character but not enough solid logic used in his decisions, for my taste anyway. Like the others in the series, the tradecraft descriptions seemed solid.
If you've followed the series, A Divided Spy is a nice addition but clearly not at the level of the first 2.
The story begins when Kell, still adrift since his previous adventures, is alerted to the presence at a resort of the Russian spy who was involved in the death of one of his previous close acquaintances. He proceeds to develop a plan to 'turn' the agent and somehow gain revenge for his prior actions. Of course, not being formally in the British spy community presents problems, as does Kell's previous relationship to the female head of MI6. In the meantime, a terrorist is planning an attack in an English seaside town. The fun, and intrigue, thus proceeds.....
The writing isn't as crisp, nor is the dialogue, the character development is pretty non-existent (the hard work with that was done in the first 2 in the series), and Kell's actions seem pretty naive throughout, but the plot is decent and the conclusion is well-done. There's a lot of introspection by the Kell character but not enough solid logic used in his decisions, for my taste anyway. Like the others in the series, the tradecraft descriptions seemed solid.
If you've followed the series, A Divided Spy is a nice addition but clearly not at the level of the first 2.
March 27, 2019
It's been a while since I read the previous book in this series, and I'm not sure why I waited so long for more. I don't remember what happened earlier, but it didn't really matter. This was a great read on its own.
The books have a little of everything - humor, human interaction, twists and turns of spies, etc. We're never really sure what is happening or going to happen because spies seem to never tell the truth. Even when it's over it's not over. Read it, if you get the chance; or even if you don't get the chance, make one.
The books have a little of everything - humor, human interaction, twists and turns of spies, etc. We're never really sure what is happening or going to happen because spies seem to never tell the truth. Even when it's over it's not over. Read it, if you get the chance; or even if you don't get the chance, make one.
April 14, 2017
Review to come.
October 9, 2022
A Divided Spy moves on from the events in A Colder War and Thomas Kell is looking for answers on how things could go so wrong. He is zeroed in on a Russian spy and focused on an intricate plan to have him questioned. Events don't play out as Kell anticipated and he feels his credibility with Mi5 has been undermined. Intrigue, double-crosses and spy vs. spy action made this an enjoyable read.
May 19, 2018
I have read the previous 2 books in this trilogy by Charles Cumming and liked the first a lot, not so much the second and this the third, not at all. The writing is just okay, but I could not find anything interesting in what Thomas Kell, Cumming's protagonist, had to say to the man he believes had his lover, Rachel, killed. And he says a lot, too much, their conversations sounding like two old gentlemen meeting in a club and nattering on endlessly over their drinks. Quite boring. Read John Le Care. He knows how to do it.
December 29, 2016
A very low 3, and this was me out of the series. Rarely heard so much rubbish talked about love in such stupid contexts, and I really don't think trying to do POV from jihadist (or hopeful jihadist) is a good idea.
June 26, 2017
Extremely disappointing- an author who is clearly under close contract to produce as much as he can. Unconvincing characters. Unconvincing plot. I don't know why I kept on to the end
August 25, 2018
I suppose the first thing to say is that it isn't quite as good as the previous book, A Colder War, it's not on the edge of your seat (or maybe just not the edge of my seat) as I found that one. That is in no way to say that this isn't a very good book, it's maybe different to A Colder War, less international, anyway - despite the Ukraine and Poland connection - as the terrorist who is going to be committing the terror attack on Britain, comes from Leeds (where I lived for 26 years) and will be committing the afore-mentioned attack...not in London. In Britain, but not London. I can't find a reference for why Charles C chose the town he did, but it's an interesting choice, and the terrorist's logic is good for why it was chosen. I'll leave it there.
Thomas Kell, is an interesting character. The reluctant spy, wanting to get out of the great game and finding his past coming back to haunt him, or at best, not wanting to leave him alone...has been done a zillion times before. I have read an article where CC was mentioning some scenes he has written in various books, as being 'homages' to John le Carré. That does dissappoint me a little. I knew that he was compared to JlC on the various covers especially of paperbacks of his books I've got, but 'homage' when you've written a scene that is like one of JlC's? Hmmm...Anyway, Kell is going quietly crazy it seems - leaving MI6, stopping smoking, going to his local gym. And if you've read the pervious book, I think, you'll know why. I can sympathise. Not because I've gone crazy not being in MI6, but the guilt that I think causes the move away, I can sympathise with entirely. maybe that's why I found Kell such a realistic, coinvincing and - as the Danse say - sympatisk - character. Holy smoke! I identified with him! Well, there you go.
The problem Kell has is, again like me, being taken seriously by his boss(es). The looking back over your shoulder and reading into normal things, or at least interpreting them to fit your own paranoia, is excellently done. Even I was getting sorely frustrated that he wasn't being listened to in that patronising, only a British person can do, kind of way. The build up to the double ending too.
So, maybe it was a lot better than I thought at first. Like I say, it isn't quite in page-turning territory, more in setting off the old idea bombs land. Good stuff.
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Thomas Kell, is an interesting character. The reluctant spy, wanting to get out of the great game and finding his past coming back to haunt him, or at best, not wanting to leave him alone...has been done a zillion times before. I have read an article where CC was mentioning some scenes he has written in various books, as being 'homages' to John le Carré. That does dissappoint me a little. I knew that he was compared to JlC on the various covers especially of paperbacks of his books I've got, but 'homage' when you've written a scene that is like one of JlC's? Hmmm...Anyway, Kell is going quietly crazy it seems - leaving MI6, stopping smoking, going to his local gym. And if you've read the pervious book, I think, you'll know why. I can sympathise. Not because I've gone crazy not being in MI6, but the guilt that I think causes the move away, I can sympathise with entirely. maybe that's why I found Kell such a realistic, coinvincing and - as the Danse say - sympatisk - character. Holy smoke! I identified with him! Well, there you go.
The problem Kell has is, again like me, being taken seriously by his boss(es). The looking back over your shoulder and reading into normal things, or at least interpreting them to fit your own paranoia, is excellently done. Even I was getting sorely frustrated that he wasn't being listened to in that patronising, only a British person can do, kind of way. The build up to the double ending too.
So, maybe it was a lot better than I thought at first. Like I say, it isn't quite in page-turning territory, more in setting off the old idea bombs land. Good stuff.
Blog: Speesh Reads
Facebook: Speesh Reads
Pinterest: Speesh Reads
March 6, 2019
Just a smidgeon under 4 stars for this one, really enjoyed it especially the fleshing out of the character of Alexander M, I’ve never felt such admiration for a Russian spy before but he is fantastic, a much deeper thinker than Kell, perhaps a much maligned man? Who knows. Am sorry we won’t see more of him, maybe the author was flagging a possible pairing of the two men in the future when, freed of loyalty (?misplaced) to their respective service chiefs they could work together for the good of humanity. What a series that could be ... how about it Mr Cumming?
October 26, 2017
Another book I won on Goodreads. Thank you. This book is so exciting and doesn't slip at all. It is the third book in the Thomas Kell series. I am going to have to get the first two, because I enjoyed this one so much. Charles Cumming writes an excellent spy story. Pick it up and read it!
December 6, 2019
3.5 STARS. Appears to be the end for Kell. Leaving the spook game. Will he return? This was a very good ending, dragged in the middle for a while. I never did understand Amelia. She reminds me some of the head of MI6 in the Slow Horses novels by Mick Herron.
July 17, 2021
I found this a gripping read which was extremely well written. Having worked as a fraud investigator I could identify with some of the subterfuge described when the characters were using various tactics to make sure they hadn’t been spotted. The central characters were well described making them very interesting to the reader. Just when you thought you knew what was going to happen there would be an intriguing twist. I also liked the fact that what started out as two separate plots were eventually linked together as well as the fact that, in the end, the good guys came out on top!
May 24, 2025
Better than the previous Thomas Kell books. but still, why so many clichés? I know editors have strict SLAs but a good book, especially one with spies, needs time to be polished, to have that spark of originality.
January 13, 2021
Somehow espionage tales set during the cold war seem leisurely, whereas this tale set very close to the present day has a hectic atmosphere about it. I suppose on reflection there are so many enemies and so much bad feeling has been stirred up bu US intervention everywhere that this is the natural consequence. A non stop, full on, tale of modern day spying featuring Thomas Kell again. Not the most likeable protagonist, is he?
February 3, 2021
I really enjoyed the third in the Thomas Kell series. I read it in two days which is really fast for me because it was so exciting. I think what I particularly like about Cumming’s spy tales is the details of’ tradecraft’. It really interests me. Kell is a flawed character - which makes him more believable. I will need to move on to one of his other characters now - hope that are equally engaging.
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