The film “The Third Man”, the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (or KGB as it’s widely known in the West) and Katarina Witt all have something in common – although the latter is a tenuous link at best, they are all mentioned in Charles Cumming’s “Trinity Six” – a tale of spies, political skullduggery, cold war secrets and a Russian expert hell-bent on discovering an intriguing truth that has remained a secret for decades.

Full Review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/02/22...

Way back in the late 80’s I was visiting a friend of mine in California – a US Marine (Ooh-rah)– and I remember calling him a few days before the flight and mentioned I was after a book that had been banned in the UK called “Spycatcher” by Peter Wright – ex MI5 assistant director and operative - who had sold his soul and secrets to make a fast buck. Having secured a copy in the US I remember gorging on the secrets and Wright’s public outing of Sir Roger Hollis who he claimed was a double agent – although this was later disproved. (I still have a copy in my study gathering dust!)

“Spycatcher” was my first introduction to a world of conspiracy and chicanery igniting an interest in all matters espionage in me that has lasted ever since – I can’t get enough of tales of “The Cambridge Five”, undercover operatives in the war, double agents and the ramifications of their actions. Harper Collins recently released “Trinity Six” where Charles Cumming runs with the assumption that not only were there five spies in Cambridge, all discovered by Arnold Deutsch, but adds another for luck – the supposition that there was another double agent allows Cumming to run riot and deliver a breathtaking story that you will never want to end – I know I didn’t!

“Europe is still littered with the darkest secrets of the Cold War. And the most deadly revelation of them all is about to be made…

Hard-up Russia expert Dr Sam Gaddis finally has a lead for a book that could set his career back on track. He has staggering new information about an unknown sixth member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring – a man who has evaded detection for his entire life.

But when his source suddenly dies, Gaddis is left with just shreds of his investigation, and no idea that he is already in too deep. He is threatened, betrayed, hunted – and alone. To get his life back, he must scour a continent still laced with lies to find the truth behind the “Trinity Six”.

Both Moscow and MI6 will use everything in their power to keep their fragile peace intact. But why murder people to hide secrets that should by now be history? Gaddis starts to understand – far too late – that he is closing in on a discovery that will shake Europe to its foundations…”

Trinity Six had me gripped from the very first chapter. The narrative is so slick that I never once wanted to put the book down – forget food, forget drink – I just wanted to know what would happen to the dogged and determined Sam Gaddis. A likeable chap who is struggling to make ends meet – he isn’t your typical espionage hero – in fact Cumming has made a point of making him an “ordinary” but intelligent intellectual. He isn’t suave, he isn’t debonair – he’s a down to earth guy, heavily in debt, fighting for his beliefs and protecting those he loves and has loved.