The Good Assassin

George Mueller #2

by Paul Vidich

Former CIA Agent George Mueller arrives in Havana in August 1958—the last months before the fall of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista—to look into the activities of Toby Graham, a CIA officer suspected of harboring sympathies for the rebel forces fighting the unpopular Batista regime. Mueller knew Graham as an undergraduate and later they were colleagues in Berlin fighting the Soviet NKVD. Under the guise of their long acquaintance Mueller is recruited to vet rumors that Graham is putting weapons, covertly provided by the CIA to Batista, into the hands of Castro’s forces. Public exposure of the CIA weapons mission, and the activity of one rogue agent, threaten to embarrass the agency.

Mueller uncovers a world of deceit as the FBI, CIA, and State Department compete to influence the outcome of the revolution in the face of the brutal dictatorship’s imminent collapse. Graham, meanwhile, is troubled by the hypocrisy of a bankrupt US foreign policy, and has fallen in love with a married American woman, Liz Malone.

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

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2017

About the author

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

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

Publishers Weekly and Library Journal STARRED reviews.

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

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

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

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


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

A Booklist STARRED Review.

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews

[Always Pouting · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Mueller is a former secret agent who reluctantly agrees to go to Cuba for the CIA and track down and old friend, Toby Graham, whose loyalties are being questioned. With Batista's corrupt government in power and the rebel's running around with Castro as their leader the ties between the US government and the different political entities is ambiguous at best, especially in the context of the FBI and CIA's strained relationship. Things only get messier when Graham's involvement with Muller's married friend Liz only gets tangled up into an already complicated situation.

I really enjoyed this book and I just realized when I came to write this review that it's a sequel and I'm definitely going to go read the first one now. I can't find anything that I actually didn't enjoy about this book. I think that a lot of times with thrillers or spy novels there are things authors tend to do and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Things that annoyed me in other books just seemed to be executed so well in this one. The authors writing really captured a certain mood and tone that pulled me into the story and really brought out the themes of uncertainty and ethics. Muller's struggle with his empathy for Toby and his idealism versus his need to be loyal and do as he was supposed to on his mission work so well. The whole book really played up the themes of grey areas in a way that is hard to do, where I really felt for both sides of the issue and I felt Muller's conflict as if it were my own. Also the ending really worked, it's sometimes hard to make death effective instead of cheap and theatrical in books but it was really effective here and really depressed me, especially afterwards where Muller was reflecting that he never really knew Graham, nobody probably did, especially the scene with Liz where she says how kind and noble Graham is .

Also bonus points for the mentions of Hemingway and his drinking habit because for whatever reason whenever that is brought up I feel highly amused.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A CIA agent is sent to 1958 Cuba to vet rumors that his best friend and fellow agent is selling guns to Castro.

1970's style moral equivalency stuff.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It kept my attention and 1950s Cuba is an extremely interesting setting, especially considering that the United States was supporting Rebel Fidel Castro against Batista, without realizing that Castro was a hardcore communist.

The plot itself was good, and captures the moral ambiguities of espionage: which side is "good", which side is "bad", and what happens when a spy determines that he's on the "wrong" side and working against his own moral relativistic views.

[Gram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent follow-up to Paul Vidich's first novel about the ex-CIA agent George Mueller. In this story, Mueller is requested by the Agency's director to travel to war-torn Cuba to check out Toby Graham, a CIA officer who is believed to be aiding Fidel Castro's rebel forces fighting to topple the Batista regime.
The book's action is mixed with various romantic complications involving Graham and Mueller's previous connections with an unhappily married American couple living in the Cuban countryside. Mueller also has a brief affair with a young female photographer, desperate to capture the "real" Cuba. In heated discussions with Mueller, Toby Graham outlines the hypocrisy of the CIA and US Government's policy of supporting a dictatorship and the scene is set for a tragic outcome.

[Traygerr · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tempted to use zero stars but relented because a few passages, very few, sparkle. Overall the novel is a huge disappointment, particularly when compared Vidich's previous novel that, as I recall, captured the mood and despair of the period. The Good Assassin begins well and establishes the outlook of Mueller toward his new assignment; ambivalent.
From that point the novel begins to stumble. Mueller arrives in Havana, meets a shadowy, at times clownish FBI agent and together they reveal the murky background and personality of Mueller's target, a spy named Graham. Then, Vidich loses control. He meets up with a crowd of jaded expats that include a sexy (sort of) photographer, a troubled married couple, a snarky Brit, and they travel far and wide within Cuba sometimes with and sometimes without Graham who or may not be linked with Castro.
All of this sounds very Graham Greene...ish. It is not. There are huge gaps in the narrative where you ask yourself, exactly where is this crowd and is it morning or evening. And the point at which I tossed the book aside (regrettably deeply along) is when the man driving a Land Rover is stunned by a comment, then throws a file that conveniently has come along on the journey at Mueller and proceeds to carry on a philosophical conversation while nearly running over the driver's lover!
Good bye to The Good Assassin. I really don't care.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

In An Honorable Man, the debut novel by Paul Vidich, we meet George Mueller. In my review of the novel, I described him as "a veteran officer in the early CIA who is honorable only in an ironic sense. The world he inhabits, and the life he lives, are fraught with dreadful expectations and impossible choices." In Vidich's captivating second novel, The Good Assassin, Mueller has been retired from the agency for five years. He is teaching Shakespeare at his alma mater, Yale University, when the director of the CIA approaches him to take on an assignment in Cuba. There, he is to track down an old acquaintance, Toby Graham. The director seems to suspect that Toby may not be following orders. Mueller is to find out "what's on his mind."

The action unfolds in the closing weeks of 1958, as the Cuban Revolution is heading toward its climax on New Year's Day, 1959. Traveling under cover as a travel writer for Holiday magazine, Mueller circulates through Havana with a freelance photographer in tow. She is an attractive young woman with whom, unsurprisingly, he ends up in bed. And it turns out that she is friendly with a married American couple who have purchased land for a cattle ranch nearby. Mueller knows them both: he and Jack Malone both attended Yale, as did Graham, and Jack's unhappy wife, Liz, had once slept with Mueller. Together with Graham, the four—Mueller, Jack, Liz, and Katie Laurent, the photographer—wind up spending a great deal of time together as Liz and Jack's marriage steadily disintegrates. The five are drawn closer together by the civil war spiraling out of control all around them.

Graham is the "good assassin" of the novel's title. He is a veteran officer of the CIA with a violent past and a troubled mind. Among many other assignments, Graham had helped engineer the overthrow of Jacobo Arbenz, the elected socialist president of Guatemala. In a long conversation with Mueller, Graham conveys his discontent with the agency's coup there. "I was in the room. Men died. It was all concocted by ambitious men thinking they were playing a Cold War board game. Do you know what I'm talking about? It was a feeling I got—hard to put into words—these perfectly decent Ivy Leaguers at their desks writing memos on extreme interrogation and assassination. We were given a manual on the best ways to extract a man's eyes to keep him alive, but blind, one eye at a time, to get a confession. Decent men, ambitious men, who were asked to rationalize assassinations, so they wrote a manual on the most effective way to kill. I got the manual in Guatemala." Sadly, as the author well knows, the CIA did indeed create such a manual. (You can read it here.) The manual was made public in 1997 as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request.

In Cuba, however, Toby's loyalties are unclear. He appears to be smuggling guns into the country—but it's unclear for a time who is receiving them. Only gradually does Mueller learn the truth about Toby's activities in the country.

[Rob Kitchin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Cuba in 1958, The Good Assassin tells the story of George Meuller, a former CIA agent, tasked with assessing whether his friend, Toby Graham, has been supplying Castro’s rebels with arms. Meuller is very much the reluctant, ambivalent spy, slouching round Havana and the Cuban countryside, first trying to make contact with Graham, then trying to assess whether he’s pursuing his own agenda, all the while mildly antagonising the local FBI agent and the Cuban intelligence services. Vidich nicely captures Meuller’s persona and frustration and the unsettled situation of the last few months of the Batista regime. The plot seems to meander along without really changing pace or rising in tension. Occasionally there are dramatic moments, but they too are told in a laconic way, almost as if they are incidental, and their consequences are little explored. The result is a story that seems quite flat and overly understated. As a consequence I was never quite captivated by the tale, despite some nice prose and occasional choice observations.

[Jack Mulcahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating read.

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Assassin begins with Paul Vidich's lead character from his first novel, George Mueller, pulled from his post-CIA job as a college professor to give his old organization a hand on a temporary assignment. It's pre-Castro Cuba in their sites, and they're interested in whether their man on the island, Toby Graham, has gone off the reservation and is supporting the 'wrong' side.

Graham, coincidentally or not, is a Mueller ex-workmate and semi-friend. Mueller reluctantly agrees to the assignment, and both he and we are pulled into political and personal confusion. Cuba's at the breaking point where a civil war seems near, and both Mueller and his target find themselves attached to a contingent of American ex-pats, one of whom is a larger-than-life figure married to a woman with whom both Mueller and Graham have past romantic histories. Mueller eventually reaches a conclusion on Graham's role in Cuba, but the resolution is both unsatisfying and expected. Along the way the tension of the romantic entanglements places an additional layer on the actions of the players that contributes to a great period-piece.

Vidich's writing in The Good Assassin is, as it was in An Honorable Man, superb- an excellent match for the time and place of the action. I know authors typically don't like comparisons to other writers, but Alan Furst to me is an obvious point of reference. Both use styles of writing that seem to create an atmospheric feel as you're reading. As a reader, I really enjoy novels whose settings and actions I can see in my mind's eye, and Vidich paints his pictures very well in that regard. His first two novels are first rate and I hope the Mueller series continues.

[Paul Bk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good Assassin - Paul Vidich
(Second in the George Mueller series).
The Good Assassin is a highly entertaining and crisply written spy novel. It gathers momentum as the intrigue ramps up; an intelligent thriller that matches the high standard set by the first Mueller outing, 'An Honorable Man'. Vidich is a strong new voice in historical spy fiction - he could fast become a must read author for fans of the sub-genre. Maybe over time a match for Alan Furst or David Downing and his writing is, in my opinion, already superior to Joseph Kanon in depth and style.
It is 1958, Five years have passed since George Mueller, the spy at the centre of 'An Honourable Man', survived a mission that could have seen him in gaol or dead. Now retired from CIA he has a college teaching job in quiet New Haven. Every year Mueller meets with 'The Director' for lunch, only this year there is an agenda behind the usual entreaties to come back into the fold. The Director asks for a seemingly innocuous favour - help keep an eye on an old friend. He wants George to find out why Toby Graham wants out of the Agency, what's he planning? Why has he become disillusioned? Mueller can't help himself he tries to look disinterested but spying is in the blood and the temptation is just too much. There is the possibility that Graham, on assignment in Cuba, has gone rogue adding to the volatility of the political situation in the country. Mueller is fixed up with a cover story as a journalist visiting Havana. The local FBI agent, Frank Pryce, believes Graham is breaking the US embargo on arms shipments into Cuba in support of the rebels. Mueller had a bad time with the FBI in the past and it's clear that Pryce doesn't trust him. He thinks that the CIA may have sanctioned Graham's actions. The Revolution is coming, already Castro's rebels have defeated Batista's army in the mountains and bombs are going off in the city. When a dead body turns up in a hotel swimming pool Mueller realises he has stepped into a deadly game where everyone has an angle and will use any methods to get what they want.
The Good Assassin is a brilliant recreation pre- Castro Cuba. From the shanty town streets, bars and cafes to the wild rebel held countryside. From the bodies of young rebels hanging from lampposts, (to discourage the insurgents), to the city as 'playground' for American tourists, (the sex clubs and casinos). The corrupt politicians, the American company executives protecting their business interests, the gangsters looking for another Las Vegas and the spies working every side of the street. This is the Havana seen in the Godfather films and the bars are those frequented by Hemmingway. The Cuban regime is a dictatorship on the verge of collapse refusing to believe what is happening around them. The setting is pitch perfect.
Vidich has mastered the politics of the time; the US attitude to Cuba, the failings that lead to totally misguided outcomes, the vested interests that see Cuba as a cash cow that they just can't let go of but their actions are hastening it's demise. Pryce says;
"Batista is a monstrum horrendum" (implying - he is our monstrum horrendum).Or as FDR is said to have put it years before, 'he may be a son of a bitch but he's our son of a bitch'. Graham, jaded by the effects of policy in the field says in an early exchange with Mueller;
"....[American] Patriots embrace freedom and democracy like they are God-given and yet here and in Guatemala - places I've got experience of - those patriots prop up men like Castillo Armas, men like Batista...."
Like all the best spy novels, nothing is black and white and there are so many shades of grey, so much ambiguity. That feels true to the time and place but the politics don't get in the way of the plot or slow the momentum. Vidich makes serious points that demonstrates how the disastrous relationship between Cuba and the US began to develop.
The characters in the novel are well drawn, particularly the two main protagonists. When Mueller meets Graham their relationship becomes apparent, Vidich paints a credible picture of two men conflicted, there are things going on that will test their friendship, (bonds forged on past missions). Calling into question where loyalties lay, where patriotism clouds moral judgement? Can you escape the past or is it always there to haunt you? Vidich seems to be able to flesh out Mueller with sparse but incisive observations. In 'An Honorable Man' George Mueller is a jaded agent losing his sense of purpose and values, disheartened by the 'game' and hating the life of deceit and it's emptiness. Here Mueller is more upbeat, a little too keen to be back in the game, drawn deeper into murky waters. He has a thirst for the truth and an integrity that guide him.
There are reviews of Vidich's first novel 'An Honourable Man' on nudge, including my own;
'....[it] is an evocative and atmospheric spy thriller. Not a shoot 'em up page turner....[it] seethes with betrayal and double cross, mistrust and fear. The twisting plot unfolds in a no man's land of bluff, counter bluff....'
In 'The Good Assassin' all of the above applies, we are not looking for a double this time but a rogue agent, or maybe not, maybe something else entirely is going on.
Vidich has a quick and easy style, simple prose that complements the dark nature of this complex tale. He creates a realistic impression of CIA field operatives and the operations they were running in Cuba at the time. The atmosphere of fear and suspicion pervades the dark nebulous world in which they function - skilfully imagined.
The Good Assassin is a really good literary thriller, a read to keep you guessing and thinking. I want to hear more about George Mueller, I hope this is a long running series. It may appeal to fans of José Latour and Arnaldo Correa if Cuba is a topic you enjoy.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Mueller is an ex-spy called upon by the CIA to travel to Cuba in 1958, on the eve of the revolution there, to report on the activities of an old colleague/friend, Toby Graham. The action unfolds in a country about to boil over into open war, a milieu which mirrors the emotional turmoil of the characters as their various romantic entanglements come to light. Like the great spy novels of Graham Greene and John LeCarre, The Good Assassin depicts duplicity in both the personal and political spheres and shows the repercussions of both. It's also satisfying on a visceral level, with a number of thrilling set pieces that get the blood racing. Elegantly written and plotted, meticulously researched, and peopled with complex, interesting characters, The Good Assassin will engage both your mind and your heart.

[H-Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We all like to think of ourselves as better than we are. It’s that deception that keeps us from depression.” This quote from one of the characters best describes the title of The Good Assassin. – The lead character of this book is the place – Cuba in the 1950s – and since this was what I’d wanted most from reading it, my endeavor was successful. Whether the style is a classic, gritty, noir detective novel, I don’t know. I don’t typically read, or enjoy, that genre. I didn’t enjoy reading this book and yet I found it quite satisfying.

[Stephen Selbst · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid thriller about espionage games in the last days of Batista's Cuba. Vidich captures the fear, the violence and the corruption of that era, along with the hopes of Cuba's ordinary citizens for an end to the Batista era and its thuggishness.

[bobsherwood]

Paul's ability to capture 'time & place' is quite exceptional.
His plots are believable and his sense of the Cuba of the late '50s is very reminiscent of the country of which I've read a great deal since school days.
When's the third book coming ?
Bob Sherwood

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Ugly American for the Caribbean.

An elegantly written story of the tragedy of the American cold war meddling in the Central America/Caribbean region and the epiphany and redemption of one of its CIA agents.
Anyone who has read and enjoyed any of Edward Wilson's books will find Paul Vidich a very rewarding read.

[John Machata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written narrative of FBI and CIA goings on in Cuba just before Fidel. Characters are believable.
Plot adds up. At times a bit dry, but filled with pleasant turns of phrase and excellent choice of words.

[Barry Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave Vidich's first book (An Honorable Man) five stars. The Good Assassin is even better. Here's a sample of his writing from Chapter Two: "Drenching rain pulled a veil over the face of the city. Mueller stood just inside the bar's door, as did a jolly, middle-aged American couple, who had also been caught in the downpour and laughed brightly at the indignity of their misfortune. One week in Havana had bronzed Mueller's face and work thin the lovely of the place."

Set in 1958 Cuba when the corruption of the Batista government invited revolution, while Castro, still a romantic figure to many, directed supporters from his mountain hideaway, Vidich captures the country as though he were present. You'll feel the life and grit of the city in Chapter Eight's opulent San Souci nightclub. And you'll feel the anguish of expat Americans, spies, and agents as they foresee the inevitable future.

[Jack Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those few books one dreads finishing and having to leave the space where you have been happily suspended. The richness and depth granted each character, makes you treasure how real they are to actual people. No stereotypes here. Wanted to drop everything and step into the book while settling in with a superb drink.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook read by the terrific George Newbern.

[Sonam Nagpal · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 2.5*
Given the title, I went into the book in full swing with the expectations of a page turner thriller. Sadly, this wasn't the case.
The plot started off quite well, setting a good base for the protagonist, George Mueller, to go to Cuba and be the investigator in disguise to reveal hidden secrets of Toby Graham. But as the book progressed, the narrative between the chapters got so disconnected that the plot also felt disjointed in between. The story got lost somewhere and felt like the prime motto got sidelined, with a married couple problems mixing up with the plot and taking over.
Hardly any thrilling event occurred throughout the book. This felt like a big amiss given it was a thriller read. It actually made the plot bit stagnant. An okay read overall.

[Craig Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a certain mystic to books about the 50's. Perhaps it is because I was child then, or perhaps it was because the world was cleaner then without the pollution of air, water and mind. Paul Vidich attempts to invoke the mystic of that era by placing George Mueller in Cuba before the complete take over by Communism. Unfortunately seeing the hubris of Hemingway does not add to a story that took too long to get started for me to stay interested. Perhaps I will have to keep those memories of the 50's that I already have: Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Wonderful World of Disney, cheesy monster movies. Oh wait -- I don't remember the bad things of the world of the politics that were slowly creeping into a world that did not want them.

[R.R. Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from Vidich, though I'm hesitant to say it's better than his first book, An Honorable Man. That's not saying it's bad by any means, because it's not. I'm simply have a preference for the first, which is a bit faster moving and filled with a deeper sense of intrigue and the sort of spy tradecraft that makes these type of books exciting. The second, however, is richer in character content and more delicately woven, which is all very admirable, and the setting in 1958 Cuba is beautifully painted. Those who loved the first book for the same reasons I did may find the second slower and different in tone, but are encouraged to enjoy it for the more mature story it tells. I look forward to a third book in this series!

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting series, but this book is basically Graham Greene's The Quiet American but set in Cuba. Even some of the situations are the same - running out of gas in the night in rebel territory, holing up in an army outpost with philosophical discussions, escaping before the outpost is blown up by rebels. The difference is that the CIA agent - the Quiet American in this story - is acting to aid the Cuban revolutionaries, rather than the Battista regime. And there are other variations. Vidich is a pretty good writer of the genre, but seriously, to copy so directly from one of the masters?

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting! I read this over the course of a day and a half. Well plotted with lovely writing. I loved the rich evocation of Cuba, especially the countryside out of Havana, which I've never seen written about. There's also a nod to The Great Gatsby, which makes the story feel even more timeless.

[Mindo'ermatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misguided Adventures of CIA Misfits in Cuba

This espionage suspense by Paul Vidich fits in a category somewhere between Graham Greene's soul-wrenching literary dramas and John le Carre's dysfunctional MI6 tragedies, but with an American twist. This well-written novel is both entertaining and historically based, but lacks the British charm of Greene and le Carré, making it flatter but perhaps more Hollywood friendly.

Although I enjoyed my reading experience and plan to read more of the author's works, I wished the author had developed the main characters more by exploring in depth their internal motivations and personality quirks. Instead, I felt more a distant observer of the storytelling rather than being an actively involved and fully engaged reader.

Perhaps the author's intentions were to create a detached and cold-hearted storyline to represent the checkered and amoral culture of US intelligence agencies, which if true was well done.

The storyline is set in 1958 pre-emergent Castro Cuba, as ex-CIA operative George Mueller is recruited by the CIA Director to assume the cover of a journalist to find and assess the state of mind of a longtime friend and CIA associate, Toby Graham, whose errant actions in Cuba have come into question.

The tightly told historical fiction story focuses on the intertwined lives of eight primary characters and their unconventional interactions in prerevolutional Cuba, while still under the failing controls of a corrupted dictatorial regime. Everyone has secrets, living and telling lies to hide their own double lives, misdeeds, and hypocrisies. Trust no one!

The short-chapter format and dialogue-driven storyline makes for a fast, intense read worthy of a needed afternoon or weekend escape. However, the book's well-researched story was too easily forgettable because I did not connect with the protagonist as a person or as the primary narrator of his covert misadventures.

This is my second read by this author, and I have not read them in published order, so it's possible they are not reliable standalone reads. Still, the author's faux historical retrospective assessment of the early days of the CIA's unrestrained activities makes an interesting reading experience.

I found meaningful reading support from Audible's narration supplement that added appropriate drama and pacing to the story, while emphasizing personality enhancements of the characters.

Overall, a fun yet forgettable read with little literary or thought-provoking substance. Perhaps my immense respect for Graham Greene and John le Carré unfairly raised too high my expectations for this work.

[John McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Mueller is a newspaper reporter sent to Cuba ostensibly to cover the simmering revolution to unseat Fulgencio Batista. He is also former CIA, which is to say, he is still CIA since an operative might retire from the job but he never leaves the life.

He travels to Cuba where he finds nemeses who dogged him in his CIA career, and from there, the story of assassination and Batista's official cruelty unfolds. A story better read than recited.

Vidich is one of the clearest communicators I've read. He uses the fewest number of words needed to express what he intends to say. He'll use 10 words instead of 20 to say the same things and his stories, as a result, are crisp and inviting. This fulfills one of my great cravings in the written word: say it well, say it clearly, but say it concisely. Sadly, too much detail unneeded to tell the story or make the point is lost and detracts from otherwise interesting narratives. Vidich does not make that mistake. Ever. And, I the reader, appreciate that.

I've only read two of Vidich's novels--he hasn't published that many--but I am hooked. His writing reminds me of some of Don Winslow's stories--although Winslow uses far more words all needed to make the point and keep the reader pushing on.

That's the essence of good writing and good storytelling.

[Jun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good Assassin is the second book written by Paul Vidich and features the return of protagonist George Mueller, though this book can be enjoyed as a standalone title as was in my case (since the bookstore didn't have "An Honorable Man").
Set in sunny Havana during the late '50s, ex-CIA agent George Mueller has been roped into one last job to investigate the Agency's suspicion that one of their men has gone rogue and is supplying Castro's insurrection with weapons. Whilst staying with a old friend who has become a rancher on the outskirts of Havana, Mueller becomes involved in more than he bargained for - a family breaking apart under the weight of lies and corruption in a country burning from the flames of passion and sin. Can Mueller do anything to help the suffering? Can he even make it back home alive?
So yeah, a pretty solid spy drama - especially for being only the second book written by Vidich. It's a little rough around the edges, the beginning in particular is a slow burner that might turn people off but it was worth sticking through. And though I have seen the same concept done even better by veteran writers, I would still recommend this to anyone looking to get into spy drama literature and I will keep an eye out from now on for any future works by Mr.Vidich.

[Floyd Truskot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Another novel that is too good to be true!

Absolutely fabulous!

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

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

This is another real spy espionage novel by Novelist Paul Vidich.

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

If you read the Acknowledgments this novel is based on the life of William Morgan.

Now to, oh? No George Muller novel #3. Mr. Paul Vidich? Where is George Muller novel #3, George Muller novel #4, George Muller novel #5, ...

Don't stop writing George Muller novels. There great! You have a gift, a skill, a talent to share with the world.

When will the next novel be released? Titled?

Again, thank you Mr. Paul Vidich for a wonderful novel to read. Excellent!

[Jak60 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Good Assassin is a rather atypical book; if one approaches it with the expectation of a sheer espionage novel, like I did, he might struggle to grasp its substance. There's a lot of background on Cuba on the eve of the revolution; there's a lot about the personal relationships (past and present) among the 4-5 protagonists; there's not as much in terms of plot, which is rather thin and loose. In fact, at around halfway, I was a little lost; nevertheless, for some reason, I find Paul Vidich's prose so readable that I kept going. And at the end, though this is far from the best of the author's books, I was happy that I went through all of it.

This was the last of the 5 books written by Paul Vidich so far that I read; overall, not knowing the author before, I found him a very pleasant surprise in the landscape of the contemporary espionage literature. This is my personal ranking:
1. The Mercenary and The Coldest Warrior: excellent
2. An Honourable Man: good
3. The Matchmaker and The Good Assassin: OK
The variety of settings offered by Paul Vidic is also appreciable: one book in Moscow, two in Berlin, another in Washington and then one in Cuba.
An author I will keep following.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of novels within the spy, suspense and mystery genre for a long period. There was a time when every novel by the popular spy writers of the 1980s, 1990s like Robert Ludlum, Ken Follett, Tom Clancy... was 500+ pages long (and functional as a door jam, my parents used them as such). The best selling novels were sold and marketed by the author's name brand, the weight of the prose, and the global travel and suspense. That is why Paul Vidich's 2017 novel was a delight... clocking in at a neat 271 pages. George Mueller is a former CIA agent, posing in 1958, as a travel writer, and sent to find out if stolen US guns and ammo are ending up in the hands of a rebels, due to Toby Graham, another former operative (who has certain Joseph Conrad-elements to him, both mystery and myth). The novel is set in the tumult of Cuba between the Batista and Castro regimes. You have to love a book with a Chapter 2 title "Daiquiris and Bombs." Vidich is a versatile writer, this is the 2nd book in the Mueller series. I will seek out more Vidich novels. Strong characters, and a resolution that rings true for the times. (3.9-4.2 stars /5.0 stars).