It is usually not a good idea to start in the middle of a series. There are too many “back pieces of information” you are not privy to. Of course, for the adult reading, it is a good way to gage if the series is good. The first in a series can always be good. It sets the story up, so unless it is just plain bad, there is not a lot to complain about. But if you are picking up the series in the […]
Women & Espionage in the World Wars
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn is an ambitious work of historical fiction that straddles two world wars and their aftermath, and that shines a light on the heroic work of female spies. Quinn uses a solid base of historical fact and real people to create her fictional heroine Eve (aka Evelyn Gardiner, aka Marguerite Le Francois), a spy for England in WWI who made shattering sacrifices and has never healed from her tragic and brutal experiences. Eve is an alcoholic recluse when, in the […]
Chilly Spying
CBR IX: 1 The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré What can be said about John le Carré that hasn’t already been said. It’s over fifty years since this novel was published. It’s fifty years since Richard Burton starred in the film adaptation. And like all influential reads it feels like you’ve read it before even if you haven’t. For some this is a problem, for me I just sat back and enjoyed the experience. Every spy film or book […]
“KISS ME, HARDY! Kiss me, QUICK!”
I was about ten minutes away from sobbing ugly sobs in a Whole Foods. Luckily, my butt started hurting from the hard chairs up in there, and I moseyed on home to finish the book there. I then proceeded to sob those ugly sobs all by my lonesome for about half an hour. This book was really good but I was very sad after finishing it. I mean, if you’re prone to crying at fiction (like I am), just know this book will probably get […]
A successful sequel that needs a bit of a haircut.
I liked this, even though it is pretty different from The Rook. Maybe because it’s different? Nobody likes a re-tread. Spoilers for The Rook to follow, though, so don’t read if you’re planning on starting this series. Myfanwy, the main character from The Rook, is here, and she even gets some POV, but the majority of narrative real estate belongs to Felicity and Odette. Felicity Clements is a Pawn from the Checquy, and Odette Lelefield is a Grafter. We see the story from both their […]
Worst John Le Carré book ever.
I feel like I’ve been screwed over twice. First by the publisher, for advertising this as a spy story, and then by the author, for the way he wrote this entire fucking book. Seriously, want to know what Ian McEwan thinks of you, his reader? Especially if you happen to be a lady reader? Read Sweet Tooth right to the fucking end and find out. Serena Frome (rhymes with “plume,” as she tells us) is the smart, beautiful daughter of an Anglican bishop. Raised in a loving family, she has been spared from […]