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Stepan Povin #1
Kyril: A novel of espionage
Ivan Bucharensky: KGB Superagent. — Code name: Kyril. — Assignment: to smoke out a British mole in the KGB. — The British think Kyril's a double agent. The mole thinks Kyril suspects his identity. The Russians in London know Kyril must die. Hunted by both the West and East, Kyril weaves a web of espionage and counter-espionage throughout Europe. — While in London, quietly waiting, are the killers cloaked in many disguises, the only woman who has ever loved him, and the sleeper agent who has the strangest identity of them all...
279 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 19, 2026
The Man Called Kyril by John Trenhaile, 1981, is book 1 of his General Povin spy trilogy. Trenhaile in his afterword confesses he had never been to Russia, his information gathered from research. I’ll start with the author’s afterword… “The main character is Stepan Ilyich Povin, a colonel-general in the Russian secret service formerly known as the KGB.” In formulating the new book with his agent… “ Everything we discussed always circled back to the late John le Carré. He was my role model. — ‘What’s the opposite of le Carré?’ And the answer turned out to be an intensely private, able spy who worked for the other side, for Russia, but also for us, here in the West, not just a spy but a traitor, too. A double agent who betrayed by the behemoth that Russian state had become, an apparatchik turned idealist in whose tortured, closet-Christian soul the saints had supplanted Stalin. — The book was finished. Julian sold it to Sphere and publication was set for October 1981. Then came a stroke of luck. Martin Cruz Smith published Gorky Park… Suddenly there was this New Wave, and I rode it.”
“The blue street lamps were extinguished one by one, conceding the snow-covered streets to the grey half-light of dawn. Dzerzhinsky Square was quiet. Nothing moved. — the old man had an uninterrupted view of Marx Prospekt and the statue of ‘Iron Felicks’, who had given the square its name— The old man, who was paid to do nothing but watch … the old man’s whole attention was concentrated on The Chair. The Chair had become a legend for the men who worked in this building. The initials KGB officially stand for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti –(although within the KGB itself they traditionally represent Kontora Grubykh Banditov, or ‘Office of Crude Bandits’). — The Chair, as it is always simply known, has an altogether different reputation. It is an old, heavy and extremely uncomfortable wooden throne, it is presumed to be a relic of the Tzarist regime, once the property of an autocratic nobleman. … But they all sit in it. No one could ever get rid of The Chair. It has become a symbol. For in it reposes supreme power, control over the daily lives of the citizens of the USSR, power extending into the heart of the Politburo itself. —Soviet law, The Chair is never empty. Marshal Voldemar Pavlovich Stanov, at 73 the oldest man ever to hold the office of Chairman of the KGB, approached The Chair very slow… my last duty to the Soviet Union. To root out this traitor. And to save the KGB from… Kazin.’ — Kazin, the Party theoretician and member of the Politburo, a civilian without either knowledge or experience of the KGB, a man thirsty for blood and the purification of another purge, or so it was rumoured… He was Stalin’s man, would be to the last… and he was one of Nature’s survivors.”
“London. September 24th, 1971, 105 Soviet agents expelled from the United Kingdom. Lyalin “defected”. The whole of Department V in Europe, Asia and Africa devastated at a stroke. —our oh-so carefully prepared disinformation was utterly without effect. The British knew the truth.’ — We are looking for a man with a peculiar affinity for England”. —Stanov— “Then suppose the following. An officer of the KGB has fallen out of favour. Let us call him… Kyril. —one day, without warning, he is promoted full colonel, taken from his lowly quarters and installed in an apartment in the Sivtsev Vrazhek district, assigned to Marshal Stanov as his personal assistant … ‘Now this Kyril is a taciturn man,’ Stanov continued, ‘not given to gossip, and so his colleagues must speculate as best they can — Soon the news is all over Centre; soon it has reached London. —one day Kyril simply disappears. The lure of the West has proved too strong … he is worth something to the British… Kyril formed an attachment to a woman. A woman who never married after he left her — Vera. They knew. ‘Do you see now, Captain, why I have chosen you for this mission? Anyone with access to your dossier will at once assume that you are making for only one possible destination – London. —another story, one so secret circulates only in the very highest echelons —that Kyril has managed to uncover the name of a traitor… The traitor must act. Yevchenko and I will be watching closely to see who jumps. —any more questions? —Bucharensky… ‘One thing. You are going to put it about that I have stolen a valuable project-plan. If you’re going to make that stick it’ll have to be one I’m in direct contact with in my new job a plan the loss of which would scare the hell out of the Politburo. —Stanov… ‘In my safe, —the only extant copy of Operation “Sociable Plover”. — your colleagues – yes, and the British too – will be told that it is something we have been working on since the War, that it sets out in precise and minute detail the connection between the KGB and organised, world-wide terrorism: the history, the financing, including the money-route, the co-operation, proposed joint operations, everything —Can you imagine what the loss of such a file, if it existed, would mean?’ —Its “loss” will make those vultures in the Kremlin shit their pants.’”
M16 London – “REDFIRE + COL IVAN YEVSEEVICH BUCHARENSKY DESERTED MC 03 MARCH + CASENAME KYRIL + BELIEVED SEEKING BRITISH CONTACT VIEW DEFECTION + POSSESSION TOPMOST SECRET DOCUMENTS — REDFIRE + ALL STEPS NEUTRALISE SHORT SHUTDOWN + SECURE PRIMEMOST + REDFIRE END ++
‘Redfire’ was the most urgent classification a Soviet transmission could carry. — ‘What is the meaning of “shutdown”?’ ‘Execution,’ explained the head of the Inquisition. ‘They want him alive.’
— A picture was flashed on the far wall. They all turned to look at the face of the one the Russians called ‘Kyril’; sad but friendly, the kind of man your child could safely talk to in the park. ‘Find out the colonel’s movements. Seize him alive by any means possible.’”
That’s the setup… any questions read the book. Or my highlights visible on Goodreads …
https://www.goodreads.com/notes/24228...
“The blue street lamps were extinguished one by one, conceding the snow-covered streets to the grey half-light of dawn. Dzerzhinsky Square was quiet. Nothing moved. — the old man had an uninterrupted view of Marx Prospekt and the statue of ‘Iron Felicks’, who had given the square its name— The old man, who was paid to do nothing but watch … the old man’s whole attention was concentrated on The Chair. The Chair had become a legend for the men who worked in this building. The initials KGB officially stand for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti –(although within the KGB itself they traditionally represent Kontora Grubykh Banditov, or ‘Office of Crude Bandits’). — The Chair, as it is always simply known, has an altogether different reputation. It is an old, heavy and extremely uncomfortable wooden throne, it is presumed to be a relic of the Tzarist regime, once the property of an autocratic nobleman. … But they all sit in it. No one could ever get rid of The Chair. It has become a symbol. For in it reposes supreme power, control over the daily lives of the citizens of the USSR, power extending into the heart of the Politburo itself. —Soviet law, The Chair is never empty. Marshal Voldemar Pavlovich Stanov, at 73 the oldest man ever to hold the office of Chairman of the KGB, approached The Chair very slow… my last duty to the Soviet Union. To root out this traitor. And to save the KGB from… Kazin.’ — Kazin, the Party theoretician and member of the Politburo, a civilian without either knowledge or experience of the KGB, a man thirsty for blood and the purification of another purge, or so it was rumoured… He was Stalin’s man, would be to the last… and he was one of Nature’s survivors.”
“London. September 24th, 1971, 105 Soviet agents expelled from the United Kingdom. Lyalin “defected”. The whole of Department V in Europe, Asia and Africa devastated at a stroke. —our oh-so carefully prepared disinformation was utterly without effect. The British knew the truth.’ — We are looking for a man with a peculiar affinity for England”. —Stanov— “Then suppose the following. An officer of the KGB has fallen out of favour. Let us call him… Kyril. —one day, without warning, he is promoted full colonel, taken from his lowly quarters and installed in an apartment in the Sivtsev Vrazhek district, assigned to Marshal Stanov as his personal assistant … ‘Now this Kyril is a taciturn man,’ Stanov continued, ‘not given to gossip, and so his colleagues must speculate as best they can — Soon the news is all over Centre; soon it has reached London. —one day Kyril simply disappears. The lure of the West has proved too strong … he is worth something to the British… Kyril formed an attachment to a woman. A woman who never married after he left her — Vera. They knew. ‘Do you see now, Captain, why I have chosen you for this mission? Anyone with access to your dossier will at once assume that you are making for only one possible destination – London. —another story, one so secret circulates only in the very highest echelons —that Kyril has managed to uncover the name of a traitor… The traitor must act. Yevchenko and I will be watching closely to see who jumps. —any more questions? —Bucharensky… ‘One thing. You are going to put it about that I have stolen a valuable project-plan. If you’re going to make that stick it’ll have to be one I’m in direct contact with in my new job a plan the loss of which would scare the hell out of the Politburo. —Stanov… ‘In my safe, —the only extant copy of Operation “Sociable Plover”. — your colleagues – yes, and the British too – will be told that it is something we have been working on since the War, that it sets out in precise and minute detail the connection between the KGB and organised, world-wide terrorism: the history, the financing, including the money-route, the co-operation, proposed joint operations, everything —Can you imagine what the loss of such a file, if it existed, would mean?’ —Its “loss” will make those vultures in the Kremlin shit their pants.’”
M16 London – “REDFIRE + COL IVAN YEVSEEVICH BUCHARENSKY DESERTED MC 03 MARCH + CASENAME KYRIL + BELIEVED SEEKING BRITISH CONTACT VIEW DEFECTION + POSSESSION TOPMOST SECRET DOCUMENTS — REDFIRE + ALL STEPS NEUTRALISE SHORT SHUTDOWN + SECURE PRIMEMOST + REDFIRE END ++
‘Redfire’ was the most urgent classification a Soviet transmission could carry. — ‘What is the meaning of “shutdown”?’ ‘Execution,’ explained the head of the Inquisition. ‘They want him alive.’
— A picture was flashed on the far wall. They all turned to look at the face of the one the Russians called ‘Kyril’; sad but friendly, the kind of man your child could safely talk to in the park. ‘Find out the colonel’s movements. Seize him alive by any means possible.’”
That’s the setup… any questions read the book. Or my highlights visible on Goodreads …
https://www.goodreads.com/notes/24228...
April 23, 2024
My rating: 4.5 stars rounded to 4
My first book by Trenhaile but certainly won't be last!
It is hard to find authors of espionage who could be as good as the Old Masters such as Le Carre, Deighton, Forsyth, Ambler, MacLean, etc. Very few authors apart from these Old Masters were able to produce novels of similar quality. Only perhaps Simon Conway and Jack Grimwood are quite capable to match these legends. I am glad to have discovered Trenhaile whom I happy to report that belongs to this select, small group of newer writers.
This novel is well researched and written. The plot is very byzantine and the characters are well drawn out. The author manages to avoid simplistic one-dimensional viewpoint but portrays these different characters as real life humans who have their own issues and inner demons to address.
I particularly liked the fact that the extensive research the author has done on Soviet era Russia and how he manages to convey a realistic sense of place and time.
If I have complaints, it is the plot holes. Some of the incidents and even spy craft do not look feasible. Otherwise, it is a pleasure to read this book. I am looking forward to read his other books.
My first book by Trenhaile but certainly won't be last!
It is hard to find authors of espionage who could be as good as the Old Masters such as Le Carre, Deighton, Forsyth, Ambler, MacLean, etc. Very few authors apart from these Old Masters were able to produce novels of similar quality. Only perhaps Simon Conway and Jack Grimwood are quite capable to match these legends. I am glad to have discovered Trenhaile whom I happy to report that belongs to this select, small group of newer writers.
This novel is well researched and written. The plot is very byzantine and the characters are well drawn out. The author manages to avoid simplistic one-dimensional viewpoint but portrays these different characters as real life humans who have their own issues and inner demons to address.
I particularly liked the fact that the extensive research the author has done on Soviet era Russia and how he manages to convey a realistic sense of place and time.
If I have complaints, it is the plot holes. Some of the incidents and even spy craft do not look feasible. Otherwise, it is a pleasure to read this book. I am looking forward to read his other books.
September 12, 2024
Mixed feelings about this. I enjoyed reading it about 40 years ago, but was less impressed re-reading it in 2024. That might be a reflection of the passage of time for me, as much as for the book. The author did a good job overall, taking into account he never actually visited Russia, but it was less convincing than other novels about a Cold War period when the British actually had a real mole (Gordievsky) inside the KGB - not that Trenhaile could have known at the time! Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story and its intricacies, in spite of some minor niggles and a few typos in a book that has been reprinted for the umpteenth time in 40 years! I'm probably too pedantic - but what are editors and proofreaders paid for?
January 6, 2025
There is a mole high up in the KGB in the late 1970s and it seems that they've been passing information to the British for quite some time. KGB Chairman Stanov decides on a plan to uncover the traitor and to do so in a way that doesn't spook him before he can be brought to a suitably sticky end. Apparently disgraced KGB agent Ivan Bucharensky – codename Kyril - is asked to stage a defection to the West. Kyril's mission is to parade himself openly in front of suspect KGB sections in Athens and Brussels before heading to London for the main stage of his operation. However, there's a complication Kyril doesn't know about. The KGB have their own mole in MI6.
Rather a run of the mill spy novel, which is best summed up as Meh. The plot has the kind of twists and turns that you'd expect from a spy novel. Mercurial characters; episodes of danger and derring do; plots within plots within plots. However, it didn't grip me and I found myself only reading half a chapter at a time rather than wanting to race on. I think that the fact this is the first of a trilogy was a problem- I knew that the mole in the KGB would get away with it and live to feature in the sequels. I don't think I will bother with those. I'm sure I said no more spies a little while ago, anyway.
Rather a run of the mill spy novel, which is best summed up as Meh. The plot has the kind of twists and turns that you'd expect from a spy novel. Mercurial characters; episodes of danger and derring do; plots within plots within plots. However, it didn't grip me and I found myself only reading half a chapter at a time rather than wanting to race on. I think that the fact this is the first of a trilogy was a problem- I knew that the mole in the KGB would get away with it and live to feature in the sequels. I don't think I will bother with those. I'm sure I said no more spies a little while ago, anyway.
February 15, 2024
Damn Fine Show, Although A Shame About One Of The Characters!
New to the author.
Very impressed with the author.
Excellent style, plot, characters, the mien was perfect, tradecraft, too.
The twists and turns, they were good.
Excellent tension throughout.
Many dilemmas and optics are borne and looked through, philosophical?
I think the ending will be a surprise to many.
Onto Book Two.
New to the author.
Very impressed with the author.
Excellent style, plot, characters, the mien was perfect, tradecraft, too.
The twists and turns, they were good.
Excellent tension throughout.
Many dilemmas and optics are borne and looked through, philosophical?
I think the ending will be a surprise to many.
Onto Book Two.
February 15, 2024
Awful book that began with such promise, at least in the first few pages.
Simplistic and dreary, with countless random characters charging at you for no apparent reason in the first half of the book.
Convinced me more than ever to ignore promotional stuff that compares the author to accomplished writers.
Don't bother.
Simplistic and dreary, with countless random characters charging at you for no apparent reason in the first half of the book.
Convinced me more than ever to ignore promotional stuff that compares the author to accomplished writers.
Don't bother.
December 26, 2021
Very little spy stuff. The book plods along. I put it aside more than once, but kept at it. Shoudn't have.
February 21, 2022
I’d give this a 3.5. Seemed to jump ahead a few times and leave gaps. Didn’t find myself eager to read it every night, more eager to finish it.
August 3, 2022
A bit slow to start but once it got going it was a really good read. I particularly liked the afterword by the author.
September 15, 2022
Complicated in parts
Interesting without being gripping. Some solid characterisation and sense of place. Could be a good series of books but I am not sure I will read the next.
Interesting without being gripping. Some solid characterisation and sense of place. Could be a good series of books but I am not sure I will read the next.
November 2, 2012
A pretty standard and uninspiring example of the genre; inhabiting a tier well below the level of even say, Robert Littell. You really have to love espionage writing to bother with this grade of material.
There's just not a lot of cleverness; its dour and a bit depressing in that its all just so conventional. The characters and their various traits/psychologies are either very 'stock' and predictable; or else thin and unconvincing. This story doesn't bear even the kindest comparison to something as superb as 'Gorky Park'.
Strictly for completists.
There's just not a lot of cleverness; its dour and a bit depressing in that its all just so conventional. The characters and their various traits/psychologies are either very 'stock' and predictable; or else thin and unconvincing. This story doesn't bear even the kindest comparison to something as superb as 'Gorky Park'.
Strictly for completists.
April 7, 2012
Decent cold war style spy novel. A mole in the KGB attempts to cover his tracks, as does a mole in the English SIS.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews