Coldest Warrior

by Paul Vidich

In 1953, at the end of the Korean War, Dr. Charles Wilson, an Army bio-weapons scientist, died when he “jumped or fell” from the ninth floor of a Washington hotel. As his wife and children grieve, the details of his death remain buried for twenty-two years.With the release of the Rockefeller Commission report on illegal CIA activities in 1975, LSD is linked to Wilson’s death, and suddenly the Wilson case becomes news again. Wilson’s family and the press are demanding answers, suspecting the CIA of foul play, and men in the CIA, FBI, and White House conspire to make sure the truth doesn’t get out.Enter agent Jack Gabriel, an old friend of the Wilson family who is instructed by the CIA director to find out what really happened to Wilson. It’s Gabriel’s last mission before he retires from the agency, and his most perilous as he finds a continuing cover-up that reaches to the highest levels of government. Key witnesses connected to the case die from suspicious causes, and Gabriel realizes that the closer he gets to the truth, the more he puts himself and his family at risk.Following in the footsteps of spy-fiction greats such as Graham Green, John Le Carré, and Alan Furst, Paul Vidich presents a tale―based on the unbelievable true story told in Netflix’s Wormwood―that doesn’t shy away from the true darkness in the shadows of espionage.

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

Paperback

First published February 4, 2020

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

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Vidich's historical cold war espionage drama is a compulsive and tense thriller that is based on a true story to which he has personal family connections. In the midst of the height of the paranoia of the cold war in 1953, Dr Charles Wilson either falls or jumps off the ninth floor to his death at the Harrington Hotel in Washington, leaving behind a grieving wife and family. The truth is buried until 22 years later, the Rockefeller Commission are reporting on and holding hearings on illegal CIA activities, under pressure from the Wilson family who want to know the truth and a Agency that is being excoriated by the media. CIA agent Jack Gabriel is on the cusp of retiring, a friend of the Wilson family, when he is asked to find out what happened back then by the current CIA director.

As Jack begins to investigate, he has no idea just how much danger he and his family will face. It doesn't take long for it to become obvious that there was CIA involvement in Wilson's death, but identifying the culprits and securing evidence seems beyond the realms of possibility with the lack of records. Additionally, there are ruthless and powerful individuals and agents within the CIA, FBI and the White House that have no intention or interest in allowing the truth to emerge. Further obstacles come with the all too convenient deaths of those associated with Wilson's demise. Apparent help comes in the form of a person who has no wish to be identified. The disinterment and examination of Wilson's body all but confirms that he was definitely murdered, contradicting the official reports of his death back in 1953. Indeed, evidence suggests that Wilson's death follows the advice laid out in a CIA Assassination Manual of the time. Gabriel finds himself frustrated by blocks coming from every direction as he searches for the coldest warrior in a thrilling narrative that culminates in a finale on a dark night with Hurricane Eloise raging.

Vidich makes good use of the actual real life death of Frank Olsen, a bio-warfare scientist, falling or jumping from the thirteenth floor of the Statler Hotel in New York City in 1953. He weaves a riveting espionage tale of a CIA willing to do what ever was thought necessary to keep American secrets in an intensely fought cold war, including the killing of their own citizens. This is a brilliant, fast paced and entertaining read, made all the more engaging given it is based on true life espionage history. Highly recommended. Many thanks to No Exit Press and Oldcastle Books for an ARC.

[Gram · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating blend of historical fact and fiction which documents the cover up of the death of a US Army scientist working for the CIA. In 1953, Dr. Charles Wilson was alleged to have committed suicide, jumping or falling from the window of a Washington D.C. hotel, but the exact details of his death are unknown.
Fast forward to 1975 and the Rockefeller Commission report on on illegal CIA activities reveals that, prior to his death, Wilson had - unknown to him - been given a dose of LSD. Wilson had been involved in germ warfare experiments, one of which was actually carried out on civilians during the Korean War. He'd also taken part in interrogations of Soviet double agents and ex-Nazis working for the CIA in which torture and mind altering drugs were used.
It seems that, just before his death, Wilson was having doubts about his work.
As the Senate hearings continue, the Director of the CIA tasks one of his longest serving and respected agents, Jack Gabriel, with finding out what really happened. Gabriel knew the dead man and his family who - 22 years later - along with the US media, are demanding answers .
After 25 years with the Agency, Gabriel had just tendered his resignation but reluctantly agrees to carry out the Director's wishes.
Gradually, aided by a Deep Throat type source, he discovers what seems to be the truth, but there are men within the CIA who are desperate to ensure that truth stays buried. Slowly but surely, Gabriel begins to unravel the various threads of this mystery. Misplaced documents he uncovers in Government archives, include a CIA assassination manual from 1953, which instructs agents, "The most efficient accident, in simple assassination, is a fall of 75 feet or more onto a hard surface."
The story's action picks up speed as people involved in the case die in suspicious circumstances and suddenly, he and his family are in danger. Gabriel knows he must risk everything to keep his wife and teenage daughter safe.
This is a fictional story based on real life events. In 1953, Frank Olson, an American biological warfare scientist and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, was secretly dosed with LSD by his CIA supervisor as part of Project MK-Ultra and later plunged to his death from the window of a New York City hotel room. Official reports said Olson had been depressed and committed suicide, but subsequent investigations indicated the cover-up of an alleged murder. In a forward to this book, the author reveals that Frank Olson was his uncle.
In this fictional tale, Jack Gabriel realises he's not certain who he can trust. Even if he does find out the real cause of Wilson's death, will he end up another victim of a conspiracy which reaches all the way to the White House?
The CIA's unofficial motto: "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." but judging by this story, it should be "The end justifies the means." The view of the CIA's Cold Warriors is that morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally right outcomes and some deaths are merely collateral damage.
The Coldest Warrior deals with the grey areas of America's intelligence wars and how far some will go to cover up crimes from the past. It's an absolutely gripping read by a writer whose spy fiction ranks alongside the best. Highly recommended.
My thanks to the publishers Oldcastle Books and to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

[Truman32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who exactly is the Coldest Warrior in Paul Vidich’s historical spy thriller? Is it CIA agent Jack Gabriel who is tasked with investigating the death of his colleague and friend, bio-weapons scientist Charles Wilson? An investigation that may reveal that his own agency killed one of their own?!! Is it the agents who may have crossed the line into murder and now decades later need to cover their tracks or risk Congressional exposure? Or perhaps the Coldest Warrior is career army napper Beetle Baily who ducked into one of mess sergeant Cookie’s refrigerators to catch a few winks away from angry Sgt. Snorkel and his strangely anthropomorphic pet, Otto, and now finds himself trapped in a frigid and confined space?
Like a date with General Halftrack’s beautiful blonde secretary Miss Buxley, The Coldest Warrior contains multitudes of secrets and hidden pleasures that the reader must discover on their own. In fact, the less said about this book the better the experience will be for the reader. Not wanting to ruin anything, I can only share with you that the book is rectangular, red, and told using the English language. If this appeals to you, than my friends you are in for a treat!
Full of moral complexity, the writing in The Coldest Warrior is as sharp as the ironed creases in Private “Killer” Diller’s uniform before he heads out on a weekend leave. The twists and turns the story takes will have the reader as befuddled as poor bucktoothed Private Zero, that naïve farm boy who misunderstands everything.
Just by looking at the back jacket author photograph, you can see that Vidich has the unhinged quality in his expression one normally only finds in truly talented writers or serial killers.

[Rowena Hoseason · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The most efficient accident, in simple assassination, is a fall of 75 feet or more onto a hard surface.’ That’s how a CIA manual from the early 1950s instructed its agents in the ultimate sanction. And that’s what happened in 1953 to a scientist who may have been involved in MK-ULTRA, the American bio-warfare project which attempted mind control through psychoactive drugs.

The Coldest Warrior picks up the thread of this story a quarter-century later in the mid-1970s. This skeleton is rattling so loud that it threatens to come crashing out of the cupboard and ruin the careers of agency operatives – now at director level – and the politicians who quietly sponsor them. The subsequent cover up requires the involvement of a deniable black-ops unit, in conflict with an ‘honest spy’ whose sources and even his family are at risk as he gets nearer to the truth.
This book sits slightly uncomfortably in that space between the real world – where an American government employee being shoved out of a hotel window by CIA agents is indeed shocking – and the fictional world of espionage adventure where such events are small beer indeed.
This is a low-key investigation into the murky territory of inter-agency rivalry. A quiet menace pervades the narrative but it’s not a rip-roaring page-turning action-packed thriller by any means.
I struggled to make a connection with any of the characters, or to believe that the protagonist was genuinely at risk. Nor were there any particularly shocking revelations; perhaps because we’ve become desensitised to the murderous behaviour of intelligence agencies towards their own citizens.

So this was an intellectually engaging read, but not an intense or involving one. It’s well researched and easy enough to read, but offers few of the poetic moments of grit or gravitas which bring real emotional impact to the espionage genre.
7/10

There are more reviews of spy stories and crime-thrillers over http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third thriller I have read by this underrated author and it is an excellent cold war thriller partially based on true events.

I won't provide any spoilers but simply say that Vidich is a master of time and place and he brilliantly evokes America in the 1950s as a cold case from that period is re-examined and a cover up exposed.

The characters are well drawn and credible and the plot engrossing. Vidich is a gifted writer and his talent shines through.

Highly recommended.

[Lynsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been interested in this era of history - perhaps more from the USSR side but then I did do a MA in Russian History! However, what really intrigued me about this book was the fact that it was based on true life events and even more so when I found out that it was the authors Uncle that was thrown out of that hotel window. It must have taken great strength to be able to write this book and I applaud them.

The book opens with the incident in question where a scientist is thrown out a hotel window whilst residing in a CIA safe house / room. It then quickly moves to the Senate trial on the events which took place 20 years ago. What follows is an organisation looking to protect itself, a group of people scrambling to pass the buck with only one out of them really wanting to get to the truth.

This is a fast paced novel which keep your attention right to the end! It’s very engaging and the knowledge that this can and did happen in the world makes the narrative all that more realistic. The characters are captivating, especially Gabriel and his daughter.

This is definitely a book I would recommend without question.

[Allison Poholka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I spent the first half of this book waiting for the action and boy oh boy, once it started it really started

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely brilliant work of espionage fiction. I was riveted by the story, right from the very beginning when we witness the events that set of a chain of events that reverberated through the decades.

Dr. Charles Wilson is deemed to be 'a threat to national security' and so he must be stopped, silenced before he causes irreversible damage to security of the United Stated of America. Men who are trained to take and follow orders without question do so but then have to live with the consequences. They are professionals though so the threat is dealt with and any trace is cleverly cleared away. Dr. Wilson's death is considered a suicide.

However, years later the files are reopened after the release of the Rockerfeller Commission report on illegal CIA activities in 1975. The current director wants answers, as do the family and so agent Jack Gabriel starts digging. There is someone who wants the facts of the case to remain hidden, in fact they'll stop at nothing to keep the truth from surfacing. Chillingly based on a true story, this is an absolutely brilliant thriller and one that I enjoyed very much. I can imagine this adapted for the screen. It has so much suspense and intrigue and I could not put it down. Thoroughly recommended.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a remarkable novel for an author who does not have any professional background with government or intelligence agencies. Based on the story of Vidich's uncle, The Coldest Warrior explores the lengths that the intelligence community is willing to go to - in terms of misdirection, obfuscation, intimidation, and even assassination - to protect its (often unethical) secrets. Vidich systematically explores the boundaries between truth and lies, through the eyes of his protagonist, Jack Gabriel, who knew the Frank Olson-like character (Dr. Wilson) and seeks to discover the circumstances of his murder, two decades after the fact. The details about Washington, D.C. in the 1970s were spot-on, and there were several strong female characters, particularly in Gabriel's own family. Fast-paced after a slow start, with lots of nuance; a thought-provoking look at some of the major geopolitical issues of the Cold War.

One interesting allusion that my book club noted: this character is named Gabriel, as is Gabriel Allon in Daniel Silva's espionage series; Gabriel the archangel is both revealer and defender, so both spies are aptly named because of their desire to defend their countries and also to pursue and reveal the truth.

[Jack Douglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

An imagined fiction based on the true story of scientist Frank Olson who fell or jumped from the thirteenth floor of a hotel in New York City. The catch? Frank was working on biological weapons for the US Army. The story unfolds later, however, and delves into what the US Army, CIA and other security agencies were up to during the Cold War when they would stop at nothing to curb the spread of communism and the influence of the Soviet Union. A compelling Cold War thriller by Vidich, one of the the very few "true" heirs to the Le Carré throne, as this term is loosely thrown around for every spy author still alive. Vidich pens more novels and with the increasing quality of his works, he might just be leading towards that goal. Recommended for Cold War spy fans and those who are into a more cerebral spy novel rather than the "Shoot, shoot, bang, bang" style of James Bond.

[David O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page Turner of the first order

This novel moves right along, with an accelerated pace as the pages fly by.

Yet, it has a defect typical of many spy novels: all the characters seem to speak with the same voice, with the same meter and usage, even the single child in the story. Call me a writing snob, but . .

Final thought: Never try to do a review on your phone. The result, once read and reviewed after the fact, will be embarrassing. Mr. Vidich did me the courtesy of "liking" my initial review, which prompted me to look it over. I was horrified. So, this morning, with the lesson relearned that first drafts are always crap, I went to my laptop and did repairs.

Thank you, Mr. Vidich for your courtesy.

[Robert Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist, Jack Gabriel is a senior CIA officer. Nearing retirement in 1975, Gabriel is asked by the Director to investigate the death of a CIA employee in the 1950's. The book is set in the context of the Rockefeller Commission report, and Congressional investigations of CIA abuses. Vidich indicates that the book is based on real events, and provides details and references.THE COLDEST WARRIOR is fast-paced, and well-written.

[Michael Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Gabriel is a loyal friend. When he is asked to look into the apparent suicide of Dr. Charles Wilson, a wave of unwanted reactions take place. He delays his retirement and places himself in harms way. This novel is actually based on a true story. Biological and chemical warfare is still terrifying to me. Awesome read.

[Mal Warwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

On November 28, 1953, an American scientist named Frank Olson who had been working on biological weapons for the US Army “fell or jumped” to his death from the thirteenth floor of a New York City hotel. Paul Vidich, the author of two superb previous historical spy novels, imagines what might really have happened that day in The Coldest Warrior. The story unfolds twenty-two years later as both the US Senate and the CIA undertake investigations into the Agency’s notorious Project MK-Ultra on “human behavior modification,” which administered LSD to Olson and others without their knowledge or consent.

The historical setting
After an introductory chapter set in 1953 in the hotel where “Dr. Charles Wilson” (Frank Olson) dies, the scene shifts to 1975 at a hearing in the United States Senate exploring that death.

During that period, all the chickens were coming home to roost for the CIA. Its many crimes — assassinating foreign leaders, overthrowing governments, corrupting labor and student groups, and Project MK-Ultra — were coming to light in an orgy of recriminations.

William Colby directed the CIA, one of the last of the old Cold Warriors who had graduated from the OSS into the newly-formed Central Intelligence Agency following World War II. Under Allen Dulles in the 1950s, the CIA was unhinged, engaging in often blatantly illegal operations not just around the world but within the US as well. And the long-time Director of Counterintelligence James Jesus Angleton (“James Coffin” in the novel), nearly sank the Agency in an orgy of paranoia about a “mole” in its ranks. Morale was the lowest it had ever been, and the American public had come to distrust anything the Agency touched.

Gerald Ford was in the White House. And Ford, who had been roundly criticized for pardoning ex-President Nixon, was anything but eager for a new scandal to emerge on his watch. The 1976 election was on the horizon, and Ford’s prospects were by no means secure.

A long-forgotten incident
In The Coldest Warrior, Dr. Wilson’s death, presumed a suicide, might have been but a footnote to the Agency’s history. But “an inadvertent mention in the Rockefeller Commission Report on CIA misdeeds had stirred up the forgotten incident” and stimulated interest in Project MK-Ultra. Which quickly became one of the questions that most concerned the members of the Senate subcommittee probing the Agency’s misbehavior.

An investigation into Project MK-Ultra fraught with great danger
Jack Gabriel is an old CIA hand who had known Dr. Wilson and his family. As the Agency’s moves to cover up the circumstances of Wilson’s death become increasingly clear, he finds himself drawn into an investigation out of concern for the family as well as anger toward his colleagues — and the Agency’s Director supports him. “‘There is more to Wilson’s death,’ he tells Gabriel. ‘I need to know if the men responsible are still inside. If they are, they need to go.'” And that investigation will subject Gabriel, and his own wife and daughter, to great danger, as those who were responsible for Wilson’s death strike out in desperation over the threat to their careers and their reputation.

The character who “made the poisoned cigar to kill Fidel Castro”
One of the more compelling characters in The Coldest Warrior is “Dr. Herb Weisenthal,” the Director of the CIA’s Technical Services division. (In reality, the man was Dr. Sidney Gottlieb.) Vidich describes him as “the spy whose Technical Services staff had made the poisoned cigar intended to kill Fidel Castro” and who traveled to the Congo with poisoned toothpaste to assassinate Congolese President Patrice Lumumba. (Someone, possibly involving the CIA, actually managed to kill Lumumba another way.) With subject matter like this, it’s tough for a novelist to outdo reality.

About the author
The Frank Olson story is personal for Paul Vidich. As he writes in his acknowledgments, his aunt Alice was Frank’s widow, and she personally testified to the lies she was told by the US Government that he describes in The Coldest Warrior. (One of Olson’s sons, Eric Olson, built a website for the Frank Olson Project. You can access it and learn more at https://frankolsonproject.org/.) Yet Vidich’s personal connection to the facts behind this tale come as a surprise. There’s no hint in this top-flight espionage thriller that the author has an ax to grind.

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Espionage thrillers probably work best when they feel grounded in the truth and The Coldest Warrior is most definitely that; Paul Vidich has fictionalised and expanded upon a family tragedy and explains in the preface that his uncle, Frank Olsen died in 1953 when he "jumped or fell" to his death from his room on the thirteenth floor of the Statler Hotel in New York City. The prologue describes how CIA scientist. Dr Charles Wilson comes to be in a Washington hotel room, viewed via a two-way mirror, with his fate already sealed. Like his real-life counterpart, his death is explained away as an unfortunate accident or the choice of a depressed man. His murder is inevitable but still chilling - this is a ruthless insider hit and though not described in graphic detail, it certainly sets the scene for what proves to be a tense and disturbing read.
Twenty-two years later, the CIA is under scrutiny, with public support for the agency suffering after a number of distressing allegations and revelations. When Charles Wilson's name is mentioned during the Rockefeller Commission, the White House summons the director of Central Intelligence, nervous that more dark secrets are going to be aired. With an election looming, the Presidency will seek to distance itself from the scandals of the CIA and in an effort to protect the Agency, the director asks Jack Gabriel to look into Wilson's death. Gabriel is a seasoned agent who is ready to leave the CIA but persuaded to stay on in the short term; his friendship with Wilson and the debt he feels he owes the man and his family meaning he cannot refuse the director's request, despite knowing that his decision will affect his own family.
The impact on family life that comes from working in intelligence is explored throughout the book, most notably through Gabriel's interactions with his wife, Claire and teenage daughter, Sara. His marriage has endured difficult periods and extended separations due to his job but this latest development threatens all that they have worked for. Gabriel and Claire have faced danger before, especially during his posting in Vietnam but now it is his strained relationship with Sara which becomes particularly painful; the usual strains of a father coming to terms with his daughter being on the cusp of adulthood and finding her own way in the world is further complicated by his role and the secrets he has kept from her. The ultimate consequence of working within intelligence is felt, of course, by the Wilson family who have lived under the shadow of Charles' death for decades. The novel asks the troubling questions as to whether knowing the truth as to what really happened in that hotel room would allow them to feel some sort of closure or would just serve to open up new wounds.
Throughout The Coldest Warrior, the sense of time and place is vividly realised and the secretive world of intelligence work during the paranoid Cold War years becomes especially unsettling when the adversaries come from within the same organisation. The moral ambiguities of the actions of many of the characters - Gabriel included - is a stark reminder that atrocities are perpetrated by those who protect a nation's interests and secrets. Whether those acts are defensible will be determined by each person's own beliefs but I found this quote to be particularly powerful,

'Our current history is written with our official denials, and with each denial comes a truth, which defeats the truth. Of course, you'd never get anyone to admit that, but there it is. We've used language cleverly and systematically to make it hard for anyone to say there it is, there's the truth.'

This tautly paced, intricately plotted novel is thoroughly engaging throughout but becomes utterly irresistible during the final chapters when the sinister sense of tension which steadily escalates during the course of the novel reaches its heart-stopping climax. The nail-biting drama that plays out in the final third of The Coldest Warrior is the icing on the cake of this first-rate thriller. Suspenseful, exciting and authentic, I loved it.

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Coldest Warrior", the latest thriller from Paul Vidich, is fiction based on the true story of a CIA episode back in the 50's where one of their scientists who 'knew too much' was dosed up on LSD and 'later committed suicide' by jumping from a 9th floor window in a hotel. That was the original official story, which stayed official until an investigation a couple decades later opened a giant can of worms. Jack Gabriel, a friend of the dead scientist and on his way out of the CIA, is kept on to re-investigate the death, supported by the family of the deceased who never believed the original story. As with any story, real or fictional, involving the CIA, there are huge doses of treachery, backstabbing, and deceit (and worse) involved, and as Gabriel gets closer and closer to the truth the people who actually know the truth begin dropping like flies. Gabriel does his job well, but isn't necessarily rewarded for it.

Paul Vidich's "The Coldest Warrior" starts a bit slowly but quickly picks up steam and finishes near the top of my 'Best of the Year' list. It's a fine piece of writing by one of my favorite practitioners in the spy thriller genre. Vidich deserves a much larger audience for his work and I highly recommend all of his novels.

[S Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I'm out of step with the other reviewers but I found the writing lacking--I kept putting it down and had to force myself to pick it up and finish. The true story could be told as an in-depth journalistic article which would be effective and more fascinating than this garbled tale advancing extraneous murderous plots that create an overblown tragedy which would be more powerful standing on its own. Example of poor writing: "He saw jeopardy in everything he had worked for. No words fully expressed his contempt for human frailty. Terror's drumbeat filled his head, and old resentments came alive with fury."

[Rob Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite good.

Who says there are no second acts in America?

Paul Vidich has written a great take on a famous Cold War mystery that started close to home for him.

I particularly enjoyed that one of the characters was named Weisenthal. Paul knows why.

[Alaknanda Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read full review here.

We always see in movies that the CIA controls everything. They are the eyes and ears of the eyes and ears! So when I saw this book for review, I grabbed the chance to read and review it. It also seemed like a fiction based on a true story, on which a TV series had already been made. It was too good an opportunity to miss.

The Coldest Warrior is the story of a highly respected scientist, Mr. Olson, who worked in the highest levels in the CIA. He died under mysterious circumstances, and his family was torn apart by his death and the ensuing legal battle to gather the truth. This respected scientist was the author’s uncle. He saw his aunt and cousin go through the pain of having to lose their husband and father, and how the agency refused to give them the truth. This book is a fictional account, it is not what transpired in reality, but it is very intriguing, and also very believable.

The story starts off with the death of the eminent scientist. The case had been closed, but is reopened for investigation now. Retired CIA officials are called in for questioning, and nobody knows the truth except the actual truth behind what happened. The current CIA director puts his man Gabriel on the job to find out the reality of Mr. Olson’s death. It helps that Gabriel also has a personal connect with the family. At huge personal risk and huge risk to his family, Gabriel keeps to his task doggedly, until he discovers the whole truth. Obviously, nothing is as it seems, as it was told to the family.

I loved this book! It’s based on a true incident, it’s also a thriller. For a non-fiction and thriller junkies like me, it was the perfect read. The characters and settings were very realistic. Majority of the people involved belonged to the CIA, and they and they had layers upon layers of personality, which I expect CIA people to have.

There was one point in the story that was poignant- when Gabriel went to the Olson’s house to discuss something with the son, and the mother hobbled in, it really reflected the extent to which this single incident and the search for truth had broken them. The book is fast-paced, not lagging at any point, and I finished it within a day.

Highly recommend this book- especially to all thriller and non-fiction lovers.

[miss.mesmerized mesmerized · Rating 4 out of 5]

1953 – the Korean War has ended, but the Cold War emerges and the intelligence services’ nerves are frayed. When CIA officer Dr Charles Wilson dies under blurry circumstances, all information is closed down immediately. It will take twenty-two years until his death gets the attention it deserves. He “jumped or fell” from the ninth floor of a Washington hotel and his family is now demanding answers. Jack Gabriel, an old friend of Wilson’s, also an agent himself, starts digging and the deeper he gets, the more coincidental deaths among key witnesses this cases produces. Somebody tries to hide something and Gabriel soon has to ask himself how much he is willing to risk for the truth.

Paul Vidich narrates a fictional story based on the real events of the mysterious death of Frank Olson, CIA employee and biological warfare expert. The author has seen himself what the agency’s policy of secretiveness can do to a family: Olson was his uncle and he could witness the family’s grief at close range.

“That was the story of the Agency then. We could do whatever we wanted because we were fighting the Soviet Union.”

The CIA killed its own men if need be. What sounds like the plot of a superb spy novel today, was a reality back then. As Vidich recalls, raising the subject at family reunions was a taboo, even though somebody suffered a terrible injustice, everybody remained silent and thus approved of the methods. Reading about the disclosure of Wilson’s/ Olson’s murder makes you oscillate between fascination and abhorrence. A lot has been revealed about the dark sides of espionage and spying, nevertheless, I am still stunned each time I read about how ruthless the business can be and how little a human life counts.

It is remarkable how Vidich manages to transport the story in an entertaining way even though he is that close to the case. A fast paced read that gives much more insight than you could ever wish for.

[Alex Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to No Exit Press and Random things tours for my ARC of ‘The Coldest Warrior’ by Paul Vidich.

Based at the height of the Cold War, this story, which is in fact Based on the true events of a Frank Olson, personally known by the author and his family. A story about Dr Charles Wilson, a scientist who dies when he ‘jumped or fell’ from his 9th floor hotel room in Washington.

When the Rockefeller commission is realised in 1975 it again brings to light this death and with a fresh investigation by Jack Gabriel, an agent with links to Wilson and his family.

An intriguing, serious and compelling story takes shape as the CIA, the FBI and top White House officials do all they can to cover up any involvement in this Darkly sinister espionage thriller ripe with murder, lies and government corruption and cover ups

A deeply far reaching and intense novel. It’s gently paced high quality taut spy thriller and it’s also quite a timely reminder of the past and of also of alleged recent day events in politics.

A historic thriller full of conspiracy and intrigue. This is an expertly written top notch addition to the spy genre.

4🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Rachel Rothwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant thriller based on a true story of the author's uncle.

[Patrick SG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a true story, this novel will appeal to those interested in the nuts and bolts of espionage at the highest level, I.e. inside the bureaucracy of the CIA. It will have particular appeal to those who can relate to the Cold
War atmosphere of the 1950s and the later revelations of the post-a Watergate era where many secrets were revealed.

[Emily Carlin]

I can't believe that his aunt is the widow of Frank Olson [inspiration for this "based on a true story" story]...! Another banger from my guy Vidich.

[Paul Vidich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel holds a special place among literary spy novels for me, but then I am biased.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intelligent look at the compromises we make to protect our national secrets and the devastating effects of these decisions on the individuals involved.

We start in 1953, where Charles Wilson, a CIA agent working in bio-weapons, dies when he “jumped or fell” from the ninth floor of a Washington hotel. Twenty-plus years later, Congress is looking into CIA experiments with LSD and Wilson's death comes back into the spotlight.

Jack Gabriel, CIA agent on the cusp of retirement and an old friend of Wilson, is assigned by the director of the CIA to investigate Wilson's death. What follows is a story of hidden secrets, false leads, and suspicious deaths as Jack gets closer to finding out what happened in the hotel room back in 1953. But what length will he go to to find out the truth?

A great morality story set against the cold war. Captures the mood in the 1970s and the decisions good men faced.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Coldest Warrior follows the story of Jack Gabriel, a CIA agent that is hell-bent on solving the mysterious death of CIA scientist Dr. Wilson.

This story is based upon the real life story of Frank Olson, who was purportedly killed by the CIA in 1953 to prevent whistleblowing about the secret government program of MKULTRA. The author of this book, Paul Vidich, actually worked with the family of Paul Olson to craft a story that matches the real life happenings, which gives this book an heir of realism and high stakes, cumulating in a delightful read.

I had heard of the stories revolving around MKULTRA through the series of podcasts posted by the Behind the Bastards series on it, and I was able to connect the story of Frank Olson to this fictitious story early on within the book. Only knowing the cursory elements of the events, however, led me to being completely invested in the story being told within The Coldest Warrior. This is an action novel wrapped in a whodunit story, and knowing the events of this story are based on true events is chilling.

The story has almost duelling narratives throughout the book, as the perspective shifts from Gabriel to his adversaries multiple times. This lends less time trying to figure out who actually is behind the death of Dr. Wilson, and more behind the motives and others connected to the death, which was a nice change of pace from other mystery novels. Gabriel picks up new pieces of information throughout the novel, leading up to a big reveal at the end that feels earned for the reader, despite 'knowing' who was behind the death.

The writing in The Coldest Warrior is top-notch and professional. There is a sense of seriousness conveyed thought the prose that makes every chapter feel like a new important piece to the puzzle being solved. I quite enjoyed this style of writing, and would read more books by Vidich in the future.

My main complaint with the book is that it's an incredibly slow burn. When I first started reading this book, I thought I wouldn't like it with its matter-of-fact prose, and that lingered for the first quarter of the book or so. The story starts to pick up in the second half that makes this book well worth the read, but if you operate on the "100 page rule", you might find yourself dropping this book before it gets to the good parts. I implore you to continue past the slow beginning and read the whole book, as it is eventually worth it.

Overall, The Coldest Warrior was a book I thought I wouldn't like at first, but was proven wrong after a full read. This story deserved to be written, and I'm glad that Paul Vidich addressed this interesting real life mystery with a well-written parallel mystery. I highly recommend this book.

[Mark Zvonkovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A carefully constructed story that offers a fresh take on the lives of spies, a bit reminiscent of le Carre’s, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

One wants to believe that an espionage agent has a conscience, because it is well known that spy agencies do bad things, acts that are morally inconsistent with Western values. And that is exactly what The Coldest Warrior is about, a man, Jack Gabriel, who cannot retire without first uncovering the malfeasance of his employer, the CIA, two decades before, killing one of their own, Charles Wilson, who had developed a conscience while deploying germ warfare in North Korea. And so conscience abounds in the novel, or the lack of it. Murder is permitted in the CIA’s situational ethics if it is necessary to protect the agency, and the book’s plot is full of murders. Of course, one murderer finally gets his due at the end, but the agency’s secrets remain secret. They always do, which is why the agency has not been “defunded.” And there is the conundrum. Is the agency’s purpose so necessary to our national security that its inevitable associated misconduct should be kept out of sight? The reader must answer that question, although the outcome of Vidich’s story nudges one to a positive response.

The protagonist of Vidich’s earlier novels, George Mueller, was a complex character, struggling with moral uncertainty and psychological perils that one finds in Graham Greene’s characters. Jack Gabriel unfortunately isn’t as fine a character as Mueller. On occasion his internal observations are stiff, almost formulaic. His relationship with his daughter and his wife demonstrate that he is a thoughtful man, but one doesn’t see much below the superficial. Jack Gabriel’s thoughts and actions are all there, and the reader is pointed in his character’s direction, but much of the color is not filled in. Wilson’s murder is presented to the reader in the first pages. No mystery there. Then, the plot has wonderful twists and turns, and the unravelling of the motives and justifications for the murder is expertly presented. One cannot really guess what is going to happen before it does, and the final action in the story is thrilling to read. This is the stuff of a literary spy novel, not a commercialized who dunnit good-guy-prevails story.

[Mindo'ermatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging Historical Fiction of CIA 1953 Fiasco!

Enjoyed Paul Vidich's clandestine thriller of a CIA cover up of a suspicious death of one of their employees. Based on the 1953 Frank Olson's LSD induced death, this fictionalized account changes names and events, while retaining many factual elements of the anency-motivated murder of one of their own. The novel is well researched, but is not bound to the vague uncertainties and limitations of the actual facts or timeline upon which the storyline is based.

Instead, the author's imaginative plotline creates a compelling and suspenseful read, as retiring Agent Gabriel is asked by the CIA Director to stay on for a few months to focus on investigating the original death of "Dr. Wilson" in 1953. Although the available records were lost or destroyed, Gabriel takes the unusual assignment and stirs up agents who were present or involved the night Wilson allegedly "jumped" suicidally to his own death over 20 years earlier.

As those present at the 1953 tragedy start dying unexpectedly, Gabriel's investigation soon puts him and his family in grave danger. As new information begins coming to light, spooked veteran agents are threatened and everything start falling apart.

The fast-paced and short novel is great for a quick escape reading adventure, sure to please spy fans with the CIA's troubling and checkered past. The plotline is believable and the storytelling action packed, both supported by events largely historically consistent with supporting dialogues dramatic elements added. Told primarily from the likeable Gabriel's perspective, the other supporting characters are neither too stereotypical nor flat. Tensions build as agents turn on each, making this action-packed story exciting and pulse raising.

I was not disappointed, but hoped for more intrigue and character details, but thought my reading experience still exceeded my expectations. Enjoyed the Audible read-along narration supplement that added emotion and drama to the book.

A satisfying story and ending that motivated me to buy the next book by the author. Not high literature but worthwhile reading entertainment. Filled with enough facts that rarely failed scrutiny, I wished the book was not quite so linear and had included other viewpoints than just Gabriel's.

Glad I read it on a snowy weekend. Fun, focused, and a good diversion.

[Steve Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a CIA spy genre novel which steals its plot from the Frank Olson “fell or jumped” story.

The reader coming to this because of interest in the Olson story might be better off just reading some other account of it. But if they want a heavy dosage of a hero's journey spy story along with pieces of Olson, then maybe read this. The Coldest Warrior doesn’t really work for me because I’m no longer interested in spy novels. And that is the book’s main function. The conclusion was quite dramatic in a cinema spy story sort of way. Maybe someone filmmaker has already grabbed this one. It has a nice heroic male lead. Righteous story.


This is a story people like to exploit or at least hope to profit from.
It’s the same story as the Netflix Errol Morris documentary series Wormwood.
Wormwood was frustrating because it took 6 hours to tell a story. The story ends up getting lost in the details and the reenactments. Six episodes!?! Errol Morris probably wanted to get the word out, but probably didn’t mind the hefty paycheck for a production on that level.

Fell or jumped?
Tossed.
It’s not a spoiler of this novel.
Murdered and tossed out the window. Then covered up for decades.
But the story is about one spy guy trying to find out what other spies were involved with this.
That’s the story, the mystery plot not to be revealed here. It doesn’t really matter that the Olson character was murdered because he was upset with the USA using biological and chemical weapons in Korea. Perhaps having this as a minor detail that is overshadowed by the main plot of the novel trivializes it as just part of the set for this play story. It might have even helped if it had spelled out exactly why using these things in Korea was so bad.
LSD is sort of a missed opportunity. It is not explored at all. At least it is not to blame for anything. Maybe it makes one more empathetic for a time. Maybe that is part of what happened with Olson. He tripped and saw the error of the path he was following. Some people have that reaction to LSD, don’t thiey? Well, this is not the novel to discuss all that.
At any rate the book was not my cup of cheap entertainment brewed from something once living into a rather standard manly adventure saga.