The Man Called Kyril

Stepan Povin #1

by John Trenhaile

A double agent is leaking crucial Soviet secrets to London from the heart of Moscow. He must be stopped before the leak becomes a full, raging meltdown.The KGB director turns to Ivan Bucharensky – codename Kyril – to smoke him out.Kyril becomes live bait for both sides. The British think he’s a double agent. The Russians in London know Kyril must die. The mole thinks Kyril suspects his identity.Hunted by East and West, only when the last traitor dies will Kyril know who’s won the deadliest game ever played…A classic Cold War espionage mole hunt from ‘the heir-apparent to le Carré’ (Today) lovingly reissued for a new audience with a brand new afterword from the author. Perfect for fans of Alan Furst, John le Carré and Martin Cruz Smith.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Russia, Espionage

373 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 1981

Reviews

[Sudhagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating: 4.5 stars rounded to 4

My first book by Trenhaile but certainly won't be last!

It is hard to find authors of espionage who could be as good as the Old Masters such as Le Carre, Deighton, Forsyth, Ambler, MacLean, etc. Very few authors apart from these Old Masters were able to produce novels of similar quality. Only perhaps Simon Conway and Jack Grimwood are quite capable to match these legends. I am glad to have discovered Trenhaile whom I happy to report that belongs to this select, small group of newer writers.

This novel is well researched and written. The plot is very byzantine and the characters are well drawn out. The author manages to avoid simplistic one-dimensional viewpoint but portrays these different characters as real life humans who have their own issues and inner demons to address.

I particularly liked the fact that the extensive research the author has done on Soviet era Russia and how he manages to convey a realistic sense of place and time.

If I have complaints, it is the plot holes. Some of the incidents and even spy craft do not look feasible. Otherwise, it is a pleasure to read this book. I am looking forward to read his other books.

[Vitaly Popov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this. I enjoyed reading it about 40 years ago, but was less impressed re-reading it in 2024. That might be a reflection of the passage of time for me, as much as for the book. The author did a good job overall, taking into account he never actually visited Russia, but it was less convincing than other novels about a Cold War period when the British actually had a real mole (Gordievsky) inside the KGB - not that Trenhaile could have known at the time! Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and its intricacies, in spite of some minor niggles and a few typos in a book that has been reprinted for the umpteenth time in 40 years! I'm probably too pedantic - but what are editors and proofreaders paid for?

[Simon Langley-Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a mole high up in the KGB in the late 1970s and it seems that they've been passing information to the British for quite some time. KGB Chairman Stanov decides on a plan to uncover the traitor and to do so in a way that doesn't spook him before he can be brought to a suitably sticky end. Apparently disgraced KGB agent Ivan Bucharensky – codename Kyril - is asked to stage a defection to the West. Kyril's mission is to parade himself openly in front of suspect KGB sections in Athens and Brussels before heading to London for the main stage of his operation. However, there's a complication Kyril doesn't know about. The KGB have their own mole in MI6.
Rather a run of the mill spy novel, which is best summed up as Meh. The plot has the kind of twists and turns that you'd expect from a spy novel. Mercurial characters; episodes of danger and derring do; plots within plots within plots. However, it didn't grip me and I found myself only reading half a chapter at a time rather than wanting to race on. I think that the fact this is the first of a trilogy was a problem- I knew that the mole in the KGB would get away with it and live to feature in the sequels. I don't think I will bother with those. I'm sure I said no more spies a little while ago, anyway.

[Amzon_Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn Fine Show, Although A Shame About One Of The Characters!

New to the author.
Very impressed with the author.
Excellent style, plot, characters, the mien was perfect, tradecraft, too.

The twists and turns, they were good.
Excellent tension throughout.
Many dilemmas and optics are borne and looked through, philosophical?

I think the ending will be a surprise to many.

Onto Book Two.

[Gregory Beaman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful book that began with such promise, at least in the first few pages.

Simplistic and dreary, with countless random characters charging at you for no apparent reason in the first half of the book.

Convinced me more than ever to ignore promotional stuff that compares the author to accomplished writers.

Don't bother.

[R. Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very little spy stuff. The book plods along. I put it aside more than once, but kept at it. Shoudn't have.

[Colin A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give this a 3.5. Seemed to jump ahead a few times and leave gaps. Didn’t find myself eager to read it every night, more eager to finish it.

[David Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow to start but once it got going it was a really good read. I particularly liked the afterword by the author.

[andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complicated in parts

Interesting without being gripping. Some solid characterisation and sense of place. Could be a good series of books but I am not sure I will read the next.

[Feliks · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty standard and uninspiring example of the genre; inhabiting a tier well below the level of even say, Robert Littell. You really have to love espionage writing to bother with this grade of material.

There's just not a lot of cleverness; its dour and a bit depressing in that its all just so conventional. The characters and their various traits/psychologies are either very 'stock' and predictable; or else thin and unconvincing. This story doesn't bear even the kindest comparison to something as superb as 'Gorky Park'.

Strictly for completists.

[John Treanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent cold war style spy novel. A mole in the KGB attempts to cover his tracks, as does a mole in the English SIS.