Published by Thomas & Mercer Format: ARC, eBook
Charles Jenkins, a man in his early sixties, needs money. His wife is pregnant with their second child and his security business is facing bankruptcy due to one of his vendors not paying bills on time. Although he finds relief reading Harry Potter to his son at night, thoughts about finances and the future trouble him. When Carl Emerson, his former CIA station chief contacts him, Charlie is intrigued. Charlie walked away from the CIA forty years ago, but when Emerson presents him with a mission and a way to make some money, Charlie cannot refuse. Charlie speaks Russian, had experience working with the KGB years ago when he worked undercover in Mexico, making him the perfect person to gather information for this covert mission.
Charlie is soon in Russia engaged in a game of cat and mouse trying to find the identity of the eighth sister, the one who is killing members of US spy cell known as the seven sisters – Russian women who are being killed for being spies. Soon, things become intense and Charlie must put all his past CIA experience to the test in order to come out this alive.
There is a lot going on in this book especially in the first section. The cat and mouse game in Russia is exciting, intriguing and kept my attention. Never really knowing what was going to happen next, had me on the edge of my seat. Plus, Charlies found a worthy opponent in Russian Agent Federov.
Dugoni shared about his previous trip to Russia with his family, being followed, a child thinking he was military and even rumors of listening devices and walking naked in front of mirrors. He also shared a discussion he had with Kristin Hannah about her inspiration for the Nightingale and his encounters with individuals who shared parts of their lives with him, as his inspiration for this book.
It’s fair to say, I think Dugoni nailed it. Not only did he create interesting and well-developed characters, he used the environment of Russia as a character as well. I could feel the cold seeping from the pages. I am also not a big spy/espionage fan, but he made me one with this book. He also showcased his research and ability to write in various genres. I found this book to be captivating and although the last half slows down with the court room scenes, they are still interesting and thought provoking.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions are my own.