What do you think?
Rate this book
Catesby #2
The Midnight Swimmer: A gripping Cold War espionage thriller by a former special forces officer
Spawned in the bleak poverty of an East Anglian fishing port, Catesby is a spy with a big anti-establishment chip on his shoulder. He loves his country, but despises the class who run it. Loathed by the Americans and trusted by the Russians, Catesby is sent to Havana and Washington to make clandestine contacts. London has authorised Catesby to offer Moscow a secret deal to break the Cuban Missile Crisis deadlock. But before that can happen, Catesby meets the Midnight Swimmer who has a chilling message for Washington. Once again, the author poses the fundamental question that few spy novelists What is the greater crime? Betraying your country or betraying the person you love? A triangle of love and death that began in Berlin ends in Cuba. On one corner is a war disabled KGB general, on another corner is his unfulfilled wife � This sophisticated novel is full of twists and turns that merge historical fact with fiction. Sleaze and high politics literally share the same beds. A white-knuckle superpower standoff is played out against a backdrop of honey trap blackmail, Mafia contracts, assassination and Vatican scandal. The real blurs into the surreal as Che�s car surfs on the Havana seafront and Fidel takes the pitcher�s mound against a professional baseball team.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 12, 2011
70 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Edward Wilson
121 books58 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Edward Wilson served in Vietnam as an officer in the 5th Special Forces. His decorations include the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for Valor. Soon after leaving the army, Wilson became a permanent expatriate in the UK in 1974. He formally lost US nationality in 1986. Edward Wilson is a British citizen, but has also lived and worked in Germany and France.
Edward Wilson served in Vietnam as an officer in the 5th Special Forces. His decorations include the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal for Valor. Soon after leaving the army, Wilson became a permanent expatriate in the UK in 1974. He formally lost US nationality in 1986. Edward Wilson is a British citizen, but has also lived and worked in Germany and France.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
July 30, 2016
This was a 4 1/2 star book. Set during the Cold War running up up the Cuban Missile Crisis. Catesby is a British agent working in Berlin and then Cuba. The intrigue between countries and secret agents makes this a different kind of spy story. Wilson creates rich atmospheric descriptions of places like Berlin, Havana and the Chesapeake Bay Area. I would have raced through this but am traveling. Highly recommended for people who like spy thrillers set in the Cold War.
July 13, 2020
Another great Cold War spy story. I’m hooked on Edward Wilson’s Catesby series. Intellectually commanding. A thinking person’s John le Carre.
May 29, 2021
The 2nd in the Catesby series but this is the book which actually introduces us to William Catesby, a left wing leaning spy who uncovers a chilling secret from the Soviet Union that could affect the balance of power.
The author mixes historical fact with fiction as the action ramps up, moving from Berlin to London to Cuba as John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States and presides over the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion. Later, the story describes the tension as the USA and the Soviet Union face each other over the Cuban Missile Crisis. If you enjoy espionage novels with a Cold War angle, you'll love this one. Recommended for fans of John Le Carre and Alan Furst.
The author mixes historical fact with fiction as the action ramps up, moving from Berlin to London to Cuba as John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States and presides over the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion. Later, the story describes the tension as the USA and the Soviet Union face each other over the Cuban Missile Crisis. If you enjoy espionage novels with a Cold War angle, you'll love this one. Recommended for fans of John Le Carre and Alan Furst.
June 13, 2012
I'm writing a review, which I don't normally do, because I was astonished that more people haven't come across this book. I chanced across it in the bookshop and bought it because I love a good spy novel. I was at a slight disadvantage, as this is apparently the third in a trilogy of novels, but that barely affected it at all, except some small parts where old angst was rehashed. Despite this, it was gripping from start to finish. A thriller which doesn't talk down to its readers and which looks at the human emotions behind the action.
The basic premise is that the main character, Catesby, is a reluctant spy - good at his job but always questioning the humanity of what he has to do (and his actions generally verge into a very morally grey area). He is a working class boy from Lowestoft, who came to SIS via grammar school and Cambridge and constantly has the thought at the back of his mind that he is betraying his class by his actions. He is also dragged down by grief from said emotional trauma from previous books (I deduced what had happened but it would certainly have been easier to read the first two books beforehand :p).
The action takes place in the early 60s and Catesby finds himself at the heart of the Cuban missile crisis, flitting between London, Berlin, Washington and Havana. Most people know the basic historical fact, and Wilson fleshes it out in a very engaging way. There are all sorts of references to major events of the sixties such as the Profumo scandal, skillfully integrated in the plot. And always the reader feels the tension of the threat of nuclear war either lurking in the background or very prominently in the foreground.
Highly recommended. I'm definitely going to check out the first two books.
The basic premise is that the main character, Catesby, is a reluctant spy - good at his job but always questioning the humanity of what he has to do (and his actions generally verge into a very morally grey area). He is a working class boy from Lowestoft, who came to SIS via grammar school and Cambridge and constantly has the thought at the back of his mind that he is betraying his class by his actions. He is also dragged down by grief from said emotional trauma from previous books (I deduced what had happened but it would certainly have been easier to read the first two books beforehand :p).
The action takes place in the early 60s and Catesby finds himself at the heart of the Cuban missile crisis, flitting between London, Berlin, Washington and Havana. Most people know the basic historical fact, and Wilson fleshes it out in a very engaging way. There are all sorts of references to major events of the sixties such as the Profumo scandal, skillfully integrated in the plot. And always the reader feels the tension of the threat of nuclear war either lurking in the background or very prominently in the foreground.
Highly recommended. I'm definitely going to check out the first two books.
January 28, 2015
Review also posted on my blog http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/2014...
The Midnight Swimmer is the continuation of Edward Wilson’s class espionage series and the striking cover is not the only remarkable thing about this book. Each book in this series has been an improvement on the one that came before, which considering they’ve all been brilliantly written, is a good sign. I was glad to see the return of Catesby in this book and his character went from strength to strength in The Midnight Swimmer, which with its outstanding prose, was Edward Wilson’s best yet.
The plot, like Wilson’s others, is a little cynical and full of strong historical links. The Midnight Swimmer has a combination of real life personalities such as JFK and fictional characters too. It all makes a fascinating story, one you know is fiction and yet is so plausible and convincing, you have to second guess it for a moment. The humour in this novel stood out for me too, like the reason why Marilyn Monroe sang happy birthday to JFK and other moments where Wilson’s effective wit was used.
I loved the strong characters, the patriotism, the historical background, the dialogue and a lot more too. There’s just so much to like about The Midnight Swimmer from an author who simply gets better and better. That Wilson writes novels in a genre I rarely pick up and makes me love them leaves me in awe. The Midnight Swimmer is a stunning novel written by a fantastic author and I have to recommend this book because it would be a waste for Wilson’s talent to go unrecognised.
5/5.
June 14, 2017
Edward Wilson has again crafted an engaging, well-paced, and thrilling novel that brings back William Catesby, a sentimental yet coldly efficient agent in Britain's MI-6. Shuttling from West Germany to London, to Havana, and onward to Washington between October 1960 and the final week of October 1962 (when the world was on the brink of nuclear war), Catesby is given a thankless, yet vital task. That is, to make clandestine contacts and "offer Moscow a secret deal to break the deadlock" between it and Washington. One of the observations he makes during his service in Havana is the following: "The most interesting aspect of international relations wasn’t the conflict between enemies, but the conflicts between allies. You only had to go to an embassy cocktail party to see those conflicts in the flesh. It was easier for Western diplos to talk to the Russians than to talk to each other."
Cross, double-cross, love, the clear and present threat of war balanced against the preciousness of peace . Taken together, all these elements faithfully evoke the spirit of the early 1960s. Wilson has this uncanny skill for blending in fiction with history that will have the reader wondering how much more there may have been to the Cold War beyond what is the common narrative surrounding it today. Read "The Midnight Swimmer" and be amazed.
Cross, double-cross, love, the clear and present threat of war balanced against the preciousness of peace . Taken together, all these elements faithfully evoke the spirit of the early 1960s. Wilson has this uncanny skill for blending in fiction with history that will have the reader wondering how much more there may have been to the Cold War beyond what is the common narrative surrounding it today. Read "The Midnight Swimmer" and be amazed.
July 1, 2019
A spy story from the Cold War - the author very cleverly inserts Catesby into US-Russia-UK intelligence agencies in the run up to the Cuban missile crisis
October 29, 2014
I was a child when the Missile Crisis was happening, so I was curious to read this as I felt it would give me a good insight into events. In many respects it did, however, I must admit I found it hard to follow in places as the author was very keen on the double agent aspect of things. When a double agent doubles back and becomes a double double agent, it's tricky to know any semblance of truth or direction (maybe that was the point?). As such, I think the above is an accurate review of the book. But maybe it isn't and I'm bluffing. It could, of course be a double bluff and I really did enjoy it. Maybe not though, that's the thing with us spies . . .
April 24, 2018
Quite good although a bit talky and occasionally pompous. Centers around the Cuban Missile Crisis but really about espionage and betrayal - the eternal question of who are you loyal to, family and friends or country. Written from the English perspective, caught between the great powers and useful in finding a way out of the crisis caused by the bi polar great powers. The two main Soviet characters are enormously sympathetic; none of the Americans are. Has a line that’s been used before about the USSR playing chess and the USA poker. Like a lot of spy novels it assumes that the world, including the secret world, fits together just a bit too seamlessly: the answer isn’t ‘only connect’ but that ‘everything connects.’ If Klaus Barbie appears as part of the Vatican’s involvement in covering up war crimes, he then reappears at the death of Che. And the assassins of the military industrial complex/Mob appear regularly to do the dirty work. Somehow they manage to kill both Kennedys but not the spy Catesby.
August 21, 2014
Terrific, old school spy thriller; measured, stylish and full of dry, restrained wit (the Catesby/Bone sequences are priceless). Such a pleasure to read after being previously tortured by I Am Pilgrim.
The author Wilson is an intriguing character himself, coming into writing relatively late after a lengthy career in teaching following a youthful dose of Vietnam. His own autobiography would, I suspect, be a fascinating read, but his age, experience and viewpoint can be detected throughout this book without ever overwhelming it and giving it just the right degree of a philosophical, almost elegiac, undertone.
This is very much a classic Cold War spy novel of the Le Carre mould, framing real life events - Cuban missiles crisis in this case - with twisty plotting and a delightful cast of outwardly civilised but ruthless tragedians who manage to retain their own grubby, skewered dignity while playing their dirty little games. You detect the spirit of Grahame Greene and Martin Cruz Smith as well as Le Carre; themes of dogged principles, unspoken sacrifices and stoic redemptions, but this is still an author with his own voice.
Turns out this is my introduction to characters who have already been around in some of Wilson's earlier books, but it's still possible to read it as a one-off. Look forward to reading more from this writer, who is still a bit under the radar but is likely to be quietly appreciated by many.
The author Wilson is an intriguing character himself, coming into writing relatively late after a lengthy career in teaching following a youthful dose of Vietnam. His own autobiography would, I suspect, be a fascinating read, but his age, experience and viewpoint can be detected throughout this book without ever overwhelming it and giving it just the right degree of a philosophical, almost elegiac, undertone.
This is very much a classic Cold War spy novel of the Le Carre mould, framing real life events - Cuban missiles crisis in this case - with twisty plotting and a delightful cast of outwardly civilised but ruthless tragedians who manage to retain their own grubby, skewered dignity while playing their dirty little games. You detect the spirit of Grahame Greene and Martin Cruz Smith as well as Le Carre; themes of dogged principles, unspoken sacrifices and stoic redemptions, but this is still an author with his own voice.
Turns out this is my introduction to characters who have already been around in some of Wilson's earlier books, but it's still possible to read it as a one-off. Look forward to reading more from this writer, who is still a bit under the radar but is likely to be quietly appreciated by many.
March 6, 2012
In the world of espionage little can be taken at surface value, neither supposed friends nor lovers nor assumed foes. This is the world William Catesby inhabits. It is 1962. An international crisis of apocalyptic potential is looming in Cuba. Catesby flits between Lowestoft, London, Berlin, Washington and Havana, never sure whether he is the hunter or the decoy.
Edward Wilson weaves a gripping tale around and within the events of those momentous months. Many of the characters are drawn from life, central players in the doomsday game. Fictitious characters blend seamlessly into the cast. The surprises are genuine and never feel forced, simply natural ingredients in the sequence of what we know to have happened.
The Midnight Swimmer is a tour de force. Five stars barely do it justice.
Edward Wilson weaves a gripping tale around and within the events of those momentous months. Many of the characters are drawn from life, central players in the doomsday game. Fictitious characters blend seamlessly into the cast. The surprises are genuine and never feel forced, simply natural ingredients in the sequence of what we know to have happened.
The Midnight Swimmer is a tour de force. Five stars barely do it justice.
July 22, 2014
Phenomenal... and most skillfully done. Cant think of any other book which so perfectly portrays the constant betrayals, double-dealing, dangers and paranoia inherent in high-level espionage ... or diplomacy for that matter. Mr Wilson does a great job in giving us a unique spin on the Cuban missile crisis and its internal dynamics, in the process, taking off the gloss of the Kennedy presidency while giving a most nuanced, and most unforgettable account of Che Guevara.... and of Robert Kennedy too. An excellent read that anyone with a liking for this genre cannot overlook......
April 12, 2015
A very good spy thriller built around the Cuban missile crisis and a sobering reminder of how close the world came to nuclear annihilation. Occasionally the pace is a little too slow but the last few chapters are gripping. The writer clearly knows his stuff.
July 3, 2017
I only gave the first book in this series three stars, so I was very pleasantly surprised when this second book (which does feature Catesby) turned out to be one of the best espionage books I have read for a long long time. Again it interweaves fact and fiction in terms of both characters and plot at a time of high international tension; this time the Cuban Missile Crisis. The lead character, Catesby, is totally convincing and one of the great spies in fiction. I felt a great deal of empathy for him and several other key characters as the tension is built step by step, with lots of side swerves to surprise the reader. Without being guilty of a spoiler I loved the ending which featured one of my great heroes! Brilliant!
June 25, 2020
A spy story, one of a series of seven following the main character, William Catesby, from the Second World War (in a prequel) to the Falklands. This one deals with spies and politicians at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The general tone reminds me of John Le Carre, but there is a much closer link with real life politics: Catesby meets Che Guevara, Bobby Kennedy and Harold Macmillan, and his boss even meets Nikita Krushchev. There is a full bibliography. The author's disclaimer states, "A few real names are used, but no real people are portrayed." Catesby's reflections are fascinating: "The thing, thought Catesby, that made the Cold War so dangerous was that the Russians were playing chess and the Americans poker." I'd like to read more of the series
July 30, 2020
This is an excellent book in a superb series. Reminds me of John Le Carre books... plenty of complexity. Suspense and enough action to be compelling ... hard to put down at midnight. Well developed characters and also poetry. The atmosphere is dark and heavy as expected in a Cold War spy book.
I began reading this one the minute I finished the previous book and have started reading the next one in the series. I wish Wilson had written 20 of them.
I began reading this one the minute I finished the previous book and have started reading the next one in the series. I wish Wilson had written 20 of them.
November 21, 2021
A clever spy novel, set in the 60's and leading up to the 'Cuban missile crisis'. I like the way this novel works in a few other historic events of this period and I enjoyed that some of the scenes were set in my home county. I also appreciate the way the author avoids heaping all the blame on Cuba and the USSR. The USA normally avoids this kind of blame simply because it has better PR.
The story did jump around a bit which made it a little difficult to follow at times.
The story did jump around a bit which made it a little difficult to follow at times.
October 8, 2024
This is the best book out of Edward Wilson's William Catesby series. This whole series is page-turner by character study - conflicts and moral dilemma during the cold war laid bare, more raw and bleak than Le Carré. One can disagree with Catesby's (by extension, the author) rather slanted left-wing politics but still appreciate the delicately written power dynamic in the age of nuclear annihilation.
September 26, 2020
This is my second Catesby book by Wilson. It is less snarky, more plot driven, and again, very class oriented. British Spy fiction from Buchan through Fleming to even Mick Herron reeks with class divides in the UK. Catesby is no George Smiley, but he is fun read.
July 9, 2017
Classics spy thriller
This classic thriller puts reader in the middle of Cold War intrigue between allies and Russia. You can never tell who is on your team when Wilson is writing.
This classic thriller puts reader in the middle of Cold War intrigue between allies and Russia. You can never tell who is on your team when Wilson is writing.
August 24, 2019
All the Catesby books are good, and the context for this one is fascinating. An alternative history, yet how alternative, in fact? We will never know.
March 16, 2020
A well woven tale that prepares its reader for both the brutality of man and the hope of striving for better. Spy novel at its very best.
January 1, 2021
A good read well written with some nice detail
April 12, 2024
Another seamless merging of fact and fiction - this time the Cuban missile crisis
October 12, 2025
Edward Wilson every bit of a master, anyone interested in the genre should read him.
May 15, 2019
The author has a lot of imagination.
November 7, 2013
The Midnight Swimmer – takes you to London, Berlin, Havana, Washington
Reviewed in full on The BookTrail
This is a clever tour of behind the scenes of the diplomatic and spy worlds at a time in history – leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis – where tensions are heightened and no-one or nothing is as it seems.
Fact and fiction merge seamlessly together – our character Catesby who is somewhat of a reluctant spy – almost everything he does, he questions the morality of it and the rights and wrongs of further actions. He has rather an interesting background for a spy – working class, grammar school and then Cambridge before entering the SIS. So, he set up as not quite the outsider anyore but certainly not ‘ one of the boys’ either.
Catesby’s boss, Henry Bone, is introduced early on as he disposes of someone is no longer useful. Further actions and events cause us to wonder who is the hunter and who is the hunter – which must have been the real state of affairs at a time where the Americans and Russian were playing a game of ‘who will blink first’ with the future of humanity. The tension of possible nuclear warfare is lurking…
At one point, Wilson has Catesby ruminate on the idea that what “made the Cold War so dangerous was that the Russians were playing chess and the Americans poker.’ Many of the British officials seem to mistrust the Americans and vice versa. The British are scared of the fact that it will be the British Isles which would be blown off the map if weapons were used. The reader is left wondering just what the real behind the scenes level of trust, mistrust and double dealing really was like. As Catesby himself thinks -
”The most interesting aspect of international relations wasn’t the conflict between enemies, but the conflicts between allies.”
The murky and shady dealings of the spy setting goes hand in hand with that of the real historical setting and combines for an explosive and fascinating mix. The fictional characters in The Midnight Swimmer become involved with scandal and intrigue on every level – rubbing shoulders with as diverse characters as Harold Macmillan and Che Guevara
Take a shady but thrilling ride along the corridors of the smooth stone walls of La Cabaña of Che Guevara
The ornate embassies of Georgetown, Washington and the fishing villages of Norfolk
Reviewed in full on The BookTrail
This is a clever tour of behind the scenes of the diplomatic and spy worlds at a time in history – leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis – where tensions are heightened and no-one or nothing is as it seems.
Fact and fiction merge seamlessly together – our character Catesby who is somewhat of a reluctant spy – almost everything he does, he questions the morality of it and the rights and wrongs of further actions. He has rather an interesting background for a spy – working class, grammar school and then Cambridge before entering the SIS. So, he set up as not quite the outsider anyore but certainly not ‘ one of the boys’ either.
Catesby’s boss, Henry Bone, is introduced early on as he disposes of someone is no longer useful. Further actions and events cause us to wonder who is the hunter and who is the hunter – which must have been the real state of affairs at a time where the Americans and Russian were playing a game of ‘who will blink first’ with the future of humanity. The tension of possible nuclear warfare is lurking…
At one point, Wilson has Catesby ruminate on the idea that what “made the Cold War so dangerous was that the Russians were playing chess and the Americans poker.’ Many of the British officials seem to mistrust the Americans and vice versa. The British are scared of the fact that it will be the British Isles which would be blown off the map if weapons were used. The reader is left wondering just what the real behind the scenes level of trust, mistrust and double dealing really was like. As Catesby himself thinks -
”The most interesting aspect of international relations wasn’t the conflict between enemies, but the conflicts between allies.”
The murky and shady dealings of the spy setting goes hand in hand with that of the real historical setting and combines for an explosive and fascinating mix. The fictional characters in The Midnight Swimmer become involved with scandal and intrigue on every level – rubbing shoulders with as diverse characters as Harold Macmillan and Che Guevara
Take a shady but thrilling ride along the corridors of the smooth stone walls of La Cabaña of Che Guevara
The ornate embassies of Georgetown, Washington and the fishing villages of Norfolk
August 31, 2014
A jacket review of the Midnight Swimmer described it as “the thinking person’s Le Carre” and although I do not agree with that assessment, mentioning this book in the same breath as Le Carre is fair.
Set in the 1960’s, Edward Wilson’s Cold War thriller is excellent. Fans of the espionage genre will not be disappointed and in William Catesby, Wilson has created a hero every bit as intriguing as George Smiley or Bernard Sampson (from Len Deighton’s ‘Hook, Line and Sinker’ series). Whereas the spies in Le Carre’s books stem from the English upper classes, Catesby is the complete opposite. Brought up in a working class fishing village in Lowestoft and having served in the SOE during WW2, Catesby is someone who has made it to the top table, dragging himself up by his boot straps, via Cambridge. He seems to resent the upper classes with whom he works and does not even seem to like his job, despite being very good at it.
Wilson is able to draw an intriguing plot set with key events of the 1960’s, the Bay of Pigs disaster, the Cuban Missile Crisis and even the Profumo affair among others, all in the background. We are introduced to Che Guevara, Jack Kennedy and Harold McMillan who all supporting characters to what is an extremely well written book.
Catesby is tasked with providing a back channel to the Russian’s during the Cuban Missile crisis as the world teeters on the brink of a Nuclear Holocaust. This sees him running agents in Berlin, escaping CIA hit teams in Suffolk and Washington, to taking pictures of tactical nuclear weapons in Cuba.
This brilliant novel bears closer comparison to Len Deighton than Le Carre, but Edward Wilson is a welcome addition to the stable of espionage writers and fans of Le Carre, or the newest to their ranks, Charles Cumming, will be delighted to stumble on Edward Wilson. I’m already looking forward to reading his other books.
Set in the 1960’s, Edward Wilson’s Cold War thriller is excellent. Fans of the espionage genre will not be disappointed and in William Catesby, Wilson has created a hero every bit as intriguing as George Smiley or Bernard Sampson (from Len Deighton’s ‘Hook, Line and Sinker’ series). Whereas the spies in Le Carre’s books stem from the English upper classes, Catesby is the complete opposite. Brought up in a working class fishing village in Lowestoft and having served in the SOE during WW2, Catesby is someone who has made it to the top table, dragging himself up by his boot straps, via Cambridge. He seems to resent the upper classes with whom he works and does not even seem to like his job, despite being very good at it.
Wilson is able to draw an intriguing plot set with key events of the 1960’s, the Bay of Pigs disaster, the Cuban Missile Crisis and even the Profumo affair among others, all in the background. We are introduced to Che Guevara, Jack Kennedy and Harold McMillan who all supporting characters to what is an extremely well written book.
Catesby is tasked with providing a back channel to the Russian’s during the Cuban Missile crisis as the world teeters on the brink of a Nuclear Holocaust. This sees him running agents in Berlin, escaping CIA hit teams in Suffolk and Washington, to taking pictures of tactical nuclear weapons in Cuba.
This brilliant novel bears closer comparison to Len Deighton than Le Carre, but Edward Wilson is a welcome addition to the stable of espionage writers and fans of Le Carre, or the newest to their ranks, Charles Cumming, will be delighted to stumble on Edward Wilson. I’m already looking forward to reading his other books.
July 4, 2014
I should start by saying that espionage thrillers aren't a big favourite of mine, so the rating should be viewed in that light. And my sister liked it a lot, so clearly others see it differently.
To my mind however it was notable more for the research and sense of place and time than for the writing or the plot, both of which were underwhelming. Although the protagonist is painted as a man with a tragic recent background, and some of his anguish is described for us, I never felt the slightest sense of involvement or empathy: being told that somebody screams at the sea doesn't equate to conveying emotion. Similarly the romantic encounters were unbelievable to me because they happened out of nowhere, more or less on first encounter, and we're given no reason to believe that the feelings described could have been generated.
Similarly though there are a fair number of escapades described, there was very little sense of tension; and the author resorts several times to having somebody say something supposedly of great importance in portentous tones but not telling us what it is, always annoying and all the more so when it turns out to be the same (less than earth-shattering) thing repeated, or is never revealed. In fairness it's undoubtedly difficult to convey today the sense of impending doom that was felt around the world at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, but then I'd argue that one shouldn't try and build a book around it.
I did like some of the ending, particularly the depiction of RFK; but the epilogues went on too long and dissipated what little sense of climax there was.
To my mind however it was notable more for the research and sense of place and time than for the writing or the plot, both of which were underwhelming. Although the protagonist is painted as a man with a tragic recent background, and some of his anguish is described for us, I never felt the slightest sense of involvement or empathy: being told that somebody screams at the sea doesn't equate to conveying emotion. Similarly the romantic encounters were unbelievable to me because they happened out of nowhere, more or less on first encounter, and we're given no reason to believe that the feelings described could have been generated.
Similarly though there are a fair number of escapades described, there was very little sense of tension; and the author resorts several times to having somebody say something supposedly of great importance in portentous tones but not telling us what it is, always annoying and all the more so when it turns out to be the same (less than earth-shattering) thing repeated, or is never revealed. In fairness it's undoubtedly difficult to convey today the sense of impending doom that was felt around the world at the time of the Cuban missile crisis, but then I'd argue that one shouldn't try and build a book around it.
I did like some of the ending, particularly the depiction of RFK; but the epilogues went on too long and dissipated what little sense of climax there was.
November 23, 2014
In The Midnight Swimmer Edward Wilson re-imagines the Cuban missile crisis. Whilst many of the characters, incidents and political stakes are real, Wilson places his working class spy, Will Catesby, into the heart of the tale. Catesby is an experienced operative with a tarnished history, and the British are still not trusted by their American counterparts given the fallout of the Cambridge ring. What unfolds is a dangerous and complex game between British, American, French, West and East German, and Russian agencies and operatives, some of whom are trying to follow the party line, others pursuing their own agendas. Even within the same country, different factions are vying to influence the paths taken. Catesby is a pawn in this landscape, never quite certain of the game being played. And neither is the reader until the latter part of the book. What that means is the first half of the tale is a little oblique and stuttering, but as it continues it becomes surer and more compelling as pieces start to drop into place. As with the first two books in the Catesby series, the narrative is layered, the characters are complex and nicely drawn, the plot has plenty of intrigue and understated encounters and action, and the historicisation is excellent with careful attention to detail. Wilson’s spy novels are intricate affairs consisting of a swirling mix of greys and shifting allegiances and unexpected collaborations, rather than black and whites and sharply drawn lines. The result is a thoughtful, engaging and entertaining spy tale.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews