The Romeo Flag

by Carolyn Hougan

Nicola Ward is a divorced schoolteacher living in Maine when a mysterious (and long-delayed) trunk arrives from Shanghai. Inside are family papers, photographs, and several pieces of priceless Russian art. To authenticate the art (and translate the diary bundled with it), Nicola hires Neil Walker, a burnt-out former CIA operative. Neil's spy-world training comes in handy when Nicola starts receiving death threats clearly connected with the contents of the trunk. What stirred up the hornets' nest? The Russian collection, which seems to identify Nicola as the heir to the Romanov throne? Or could something in her family papers point to a Soviet mole in the U.S. government?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Espionage

532 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was outstanding. I wasn't sure through the first few chapters but by page 25 I was hooked. I lived and worked for years in DC and the Virginia suburbs and I can tell you from first hand experience that those parts are dead on. I knew the streets and locations mentioned and everything lined up with reality. I hate reading fiction where real places are described accurately! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys international thrillers!!

[Leah Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book years ago off the dollar table in Barnes and Noble (remember them?) so I knew this book would be kind of hit or miss. It was a hit. The story itself was engaging, learning a bit of history is always good, the characters were real, and it was just a thoroughly enjoyable book. I reread it recently and found that it held up although the fact that the story takes place pre-internet/pre-cell phone era was more noticeable.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written 40 years ago by an obscure author, but wow, what an excellent spy novel. Set during the Carter administration but also going back to the early 20th century, the novel covers the Cold War, WWII, and the Bolshevik revolution. The first several chapters were slow-going with the many characters and their backgrounds. However, all this very dense information is vital for the fast-moving plot that follows. I’m definitely going to look for Hougan’s other book, Shooting In The Dark. It’s unfortunate that the author wasn’t better known and there’s so little of her work.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start with all the changing perspectives, but a nice old-fashioned thriller in the end.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book. It started off a little slow, but by the time I was halfway through it really picked up. I was kind of surprised that it had such a nice ending.

[Polina · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

[Jmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neil Walker used to work for the internal security department (OS) of the CIA but, after his wife died in a car accident that left his eleven-year-old son physically disabled, he called it quits and became a professional genealogist, using the research skills and contacts honed during his career as a spy to put together family trees for those willing to pay for his expertise. However, when the OS goes looking for a highly placed Soviet mole, nicknamed Dante, in the U. S. government, Neil is summoned to answer questions about an interrogation he conducted of a defector, now in the CIA protection program, who has just been murdered.

Nicola Ward is a divorced schoolteacher living in Maine with an anorexic daughter, Kate, on the verge of no return. When Nicola receives a trunk from her uncle's estate in England addressed to her from her deceased Russian parents then living in Shanghai, she is delighted to discover the lost remnants of her past along with photos of her grandfather and parents. The trunk also contains valuable Russian antiques that, if genuine, will help Nicola climb out of the financial hole that threatens engulf her and Kate. When she takes her inheritance to a respected New York auction house, they decide to hire Neil to research the history of the items, which include a Faberge egg. But the investigation takes an unexpected and dangerous turn when one of the photos turns out to be that of the cell members of a group of Russian agents operating in Shanghai, China, in 1941. Dante does not want anyone connecting the dots that lead straight back to him, and he will do anything to stop the investigation now codenamed DANTE.

The Romeo Flag transcends the gender barrier that often divides readers of the thriller genre. With a complex plot revolving around Russian-Chinese history, spies and agents from both sides of the fence provide heavy doses of danger and intrigue for everyone, including hapless neighbors. Balanced against this action is the growing attraction between Neil and Nicola and the difficulties they have as single parents trying to help their children overcome trauma and illness. Hougan's characters are finely drawn with a story worth reading.

[Barb Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is fun book of espionage and suspense. It was a little slow starting out but ends with tension and excitement as spies and counter spies infiltrate US government. As risk of discovery increases, the stakes get higher and the action picks up. The various characters are interesting, though hard to keep straight for a little while at the start. I really enjoyed this book and found a brief bit of writing about Russia and the mole in government pretty interesting and having some parallels with the current US presidential candidate Trump, who has some questionable relationships with Russia today.

[Jessica - How Jessica Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Cold War spy drama with a bit of Romanov intrigue thrown in for good measure. Nicola, a divorced school teacher, receives a mysterious package from China--a package that was sent to her 40 years earlier. She enlists a former CIA operative to help her decipher the meaning of some of the letters in the package, and suddenly they and their families find themselves running for their lives. The Romeo Flag was quite likeable, and even though it was written 20 years ago it didn't feel too out of date.

[Jeremy Lyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Romeo Flag" was slow going for the first 50 pages or so but then really picked up and kept me turning the pages from about midway through to the end. It's a spy novel, set in the United States in 1980, with flashbacks to pre-WWII Shanghai. The plot is as engaging as anything written by Tom Clancy, and the characters are believable flawed people (unlike Mr. Clancy's typical cardboard fare).

[Spednic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was such a page turner;It had everything. It was a spy novel which included the CIA, NSA, FBI, KGB, the Russian Revolution, the Romanoffs, and Maine!
I would recommend this book to anyone that really wants to loose themselves for a few hours with a "GOOD READ!"

[Sharon martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is dear to me because my daugher gave it to me for my birthday. I enjoyed it because it was different from what I normally read. I took me a while to get into it, but it did get interesting about half way thru.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun - one of the more successful Felony & Mayhem titles I've read. It integrated China, Russia and the US - and included a Faberge egg and a potential Romanov! Not especially deep or thought provoking, but a good yarn.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll have to do some flipping back & forth to keep everything straight, as this is one REALLY complicated book. But it's very interesting and the primary characters are pretty well drawn. Be warned, there is a lot of violence, but it's an espionage plot, so that's not unexpected.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I got all the characters straight, this book was a fantastic read. A good mystery with lots of espionage, double agents, KGB, the Romanovs, and Cold War history. It doesn't get much better! Now I need to read Hougan's other books.

[Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, absorbing, complex mystery. Very enjoyable.

[JenRaye · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good thriller, if you can keep all the characters straight! A little heavy on the espionage stuff, but a good read if you can make it through.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one by accident and turned out to be a great story! Anything with a mystery trunk, an expensive egg, and Russian spies has to be a good read!

[Sarah "Kat" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, and very intriguing to keep me up all night reading.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I've read a few times in the past years but wanted to read again. Enjoyed it once again! I really like the characters - they are personable and well-developed. It's easy to imagine just how each one feels. The intrigue and be a little intense and hard to follow. I didn't mind back-tracking to clarify a point or two. If done correctly, this book could be developed into a fantastic thriller for the big screen.

[Susan Beecher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptionally entertaining and engrossing spy/mystery.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mystery, insider CIA stuff at the end of the Cold War.