Once A Spy - review

Once a Spy had an appealing cover. I was walking through Target and saw the paperback. As I read the premise, I was even more intrigued. I've shied away from the "spy" genre quite a bit as of late. Not sure why, I just felt that the action and fun I was looking for wasn't always there. This novel is cut from a different cloth and I loved it. It was fast paced, thrilling, and comedic in all the right places.



I don't want to spend a whole lot of time on the premise, since it's readily available if you look up the novel, so I'll just give a quick breakdown. Drummond Clark would appear to be a retired appliance salesman, while his son Charlie is a degenerate gambler. The truth is, Drummond is a retired spy with Alzheimer's. Suddenly the government is worried that his condition may put him in a position to spill national secrets to the wrong people. Charlie is soon sucked into the situation and attempts to help a father he isn't all that familiar with. The two are on the run after a couple of attempts on their lives. They spend the rest of the novel trying to piece things to together and stay alive as the Calvary and every other law enforcement agency chases them.



The thought of an old spy who is struggling with Alzheimer's is interesting enough, but the way Thomson bounces him in and out of lucidity is golden. His timing is dead on. He creates instances where Charlie has to step up, and this creates serious, and genuine, character development. Drummond is truly a capable killer, and I loved that. Having a much older protagonist handle almost all of the action was so much fun to read. Also, while on the adventure the two begin to work on their estranged relationship, and Charlie comes to understand the nature of the man he considered to be a horrible parent.



What a concept! This novel was fun for all the reasons you would think it is. The "spy" aspect of it was low-tech, and I loved that. It was gritty in a sense that Drummond came from a very old school era of spy craft.



The only complaint I would have was the ending. After this grand adventure, I did feel it was a bit abrupt. Also, there was a gunfight involving another main character minutes before the end, and it's never resolved, the character just kind of shows up in another scene with no explanation as to how they escaped the predicament they were in.