Play the Red Queen

by Juris Jurjevics

The posthumous masterwork by critically acclaimed author, storied publisher, and Viet Nam veteran Juris Jurjevics—the story of two American GI cops caught in the corrupt cauldron of a Vietnamese civil war stoked red hot by revolution.

Viet Nam, 1963. A female Viet Cong assassin is trawling the boulevards of Saigon, catching US Army officers off-guard with a single pistol shot, then riding off on the back of a scooter. Although the US military is not officially in combat, sixteen thousand American servicemen are stationed in Viet Nam “advising” the military and government. Among them are Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson, two army investigators who have been tasked with tracking down the daring killer.

Set in the besieged capital of a new nation on the eve of the coup that would bring down the Diem regime and launch the Americans into the Viet Nam War, Play the Red Queen is Juris Jurjevics’s capstone contribution to a lifelong literary legacy: a tour-de-force mystery-cum-social history, breathtakingly atmospheric and heartbreakingly alive with the laws and lawlessness of war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Politics, The United States Of America

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 11, 2020

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Albert Camus quote, 'Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth', perfectly captures Juris Jurjevics’s blend of historical fiction with fact as he shines a light on the less well known aspects of 1963 Saigon in Viet Nam under the then presidency of Diem and the huge US political and military presence, ostensibly under an advisory and training role, focusing particularly on countering the 'commie infestation' of the likes of the Viet Cong (VC). The Catholic Diem, along with his more ruthless and murderous younger brother, Nhu, and his powerful wife, are brutally wiping out any form of opposition, real or otherwise, particularly the protesting Buddhist monks, their paranoia knowing no bounds. All the parties involved are ignoring the rules of war and the Geneva Convention, such as the illegal bullets, and the horrifying American deployment of phosporous artillery and napalm.

In the sweltering heat, and unbearable humidity, Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Miser and African American Sergeant Clovis Robeson, military CID investigators are on the scene of the random third assassination of a member of the American military, by the VC in the form of the young Lady of Death, or the Red Queen as she is known, as she rides by on a bike, making her impossible shots and disappearing immediately. When it appears her next target is going to be a more important 'old fox', it is thought that this could either be Diem or the American ambassador, Henry Cabot Lodge, who has put the squeeze on Diem and his supporters by stopping the treacherously eye watering levels of corruption by which the elites have enriched themselves. In a narrative where very few are as they appear, the hell hole that is Saigon is portrayed with expert local knowledge, Miser and Robeson try to locate the Red Queen amidst the dangerous, tension filled times, where intrigue comes from every corner, rumours of a coup escalate, and no-one can be trusted, least of all their own side.

Jurjevics storytelling is so atmospheric, haunting and gripping, that he makes you feel you are right there in the horror show that is Saigon, where life is cheap, people disappearing, barbaric torture and industrial level killing is the norm, a place teeming with spooks everywhere, including the big CIA presence with their black ops.. The American ambassador is sheltering Buddhists, and whilst overtly apparently appearing to have nothing to do with Viet Nam politics, is not above shady, below the radar pulling of strings, the Americans staggeringly complicit in Viet Nam's elites corruption, set to replicate their Korea experience of can't win, can't lose, and can't quit. This is a superb piece of historical fiction laden as it is with the truth of the US, Saigon and Viet Nam in this particular turbulent and wretched period of history. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Oldcastle Books for an ARC.

[Gram · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvellous read that opens a window on to Vietnam in 1963. Two army cops are trying to find a deadly female assassin who's murdering members of the American military in Saigon. Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson, army CID investigators discover that the next victim might be South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem or American ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge.
As they go about their investigation they discover staggeringly high levels of corruption within the South Vietnamese government and the plan for a military coup to overthrow President Diem. The author, who served in Vietnam, perfectly captures the atmosphere of a country which was to become the battleground for the USA's failed foreign policy bid to prevent a Communist takeover of South Vietnam. To do so, the Americans were happy to support the overthrow of Diem. But whoever takes over will face the same problems and the Americans will come to realise they are in a war which they cannot win.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Play the Red Queen is a really interesting read for two reasons.

• First, it's set in Vietnam before the fall of "President" Diem, when the U.S. (and Russia and China and...) was an active present, but had not yet begun to participate in combat. The U.S. offered the South Vietnamese all sorts of "advisers," some who really advised on something, many who were actually CIA-affiliated trying to suss out and manipulate various factions in Diem's government. Many American readers have encountered the later years of this conflict, when the U.S. was engaged in combat, through novels or memoirs. Play the Red Queen lets readers see some of the context leading up to greater U.S. involvement.

• Second, the narrator's voice is distinct—well-informed, cynical, with a knack for turning the unexpected phrase. My personal favorite: "Our top military honchos and the new ambassador were like ants riding down the Saigon River on a turd, each of them convinced he was the commodore."

The central mystery itself involves a female, Vietnamese sharp-shooter who is being driven around Saigon on the back of a Vespa killing American officers. This provides a workable central pillar around which the rest of the novel is arrayed.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jurjevic provides a powerful testament to the Indochina conflict, not only with a writer’s eye, but also with having served in the war himself. This combat experience strengthens the authenticity and realism of his work, making it very reminiscent of the the work of such Vietnam War chroniclers such as Tim O’Brien and Philip Caputo…

What I found particularly impressive about this book was the sheer wealth of detail that Jurjevic injects into the book in a relatively slim page count. Not only does the reader get a real sense of the socio-political life of Vietnam during this period relating to the dictatorial grip of Vietnam’s rulers and the host of global interferences in the day to day life of the country, but also much more besides. There are references to not only the extreme corruption that lays at the heart of society, the influence of the supernatural on the mindsets of the citizens and the undercurrents of tensions on a country divided, and on the cusp of a major conflict. The air is rife with tension, and as a cunning and inventive assassin roams the streets, Jurjevic keeps the reader on a knife edge throughout. Not only does he focus on the powerplays and subjugation impacting on the citizens, and the US military personnel, but he also cleverly weaves in references to life back in America, with the rise of the civil rights movement and the growing unease at America’s involvement in what we now know with hindsight to be a particularly contentious and catastrophic intervention.

There are a wealth of characters in the book, some we get to know up close and personal and some we only view through the yes of others. I particularly liked the two main protagonists, Sergeants Miser and Robeson, who have had to undertake the dubious task of tracking the female assassin stealthily wreaking havoc amongst the military community. Miser in particular is a world weary and cynical individual whose dry humour and pragmatism adds an edge to his character, and endears us to him. As he finds himself negotiating the upper echelons of the American political hierarchy, and keeping ahead of the killer, we get an even greater sense of the corruption and potential power grabs that underscore this volatile situation. He has a little time for a romantic entanglement along the way, which again heightens the undercurrent of the communism vs capitalism ethos of the book, and along with Robeson gets into some very tight and dangerous situations indeed. Along with the references to the civil rights unrest at home, we also see this nicely played out with Miser being white and Robeson black, and how Robeson is often thoughtfully, and not so thoughtfully, excluded from some situations that arise purely due to his skin colour and not his rank.

The book nips along at a good pace with some good action packed set pieces and a satisfyingly violent and almost ethereal final scene. Jurjevic keeps a solid control of the escalating feel of peril, as Miser and Robeson close in on their target, and the contrary influence of others so involved in the central theme of corruption. I must confess that this genre is close to my heart having written my MA dissertation on representations of the Vietnam War in fiction, so it’s likely that I enjoyed Play The Red Queen as an assured representation of this genre. It oozes with realism, is packed with detail, and has a perceptive use of tension and scene setting, bolstered by strong characterisation. Recommended.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Play the Red Queen could have been tightened up a bit more to keep the flow of the story moving, I did like the book. One of the two investigators had what I thought was an unnecessary love affair, but perhaps the author meant to show just how many countries were interested in what was going on in South Viet Nam.

The daring young female assassin is played up in the synopsis-- and it is a good storyline-- but what I found to be more interesting was the fact that Play the Red Queen is actually a snapshot of a time and a place. As social history, the book is often fascinating (and infuriating). As is stated in A Note from the Author's Widow at the end of the book, Jurjevics wrote about "an underreported aspect of the Viet Nam war: 'the elaborate, even treasonous corruption-- and our complicity in it.'" Finding out just how elaborate that corruption was shouldn't have surprised me so much, even while the identity of the assassin wasn't surprising at all.

For some reason, I felt as though there should have been a bigger payoff at the end of the book. Perhaps that feeling of satisfaction never came because I already knew the end of the story. Yes, I did have mixed reactions to Play the Red Queen, but I am glad that I read it. Your mileage may vary.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Oldcastle Books for the arc of Play the red queen by Juris Jurjevics.

The story follows the Army Criminal Investigation Division officers whom are called Miser and Robeson, They have been giving a task with discovering and even stopping a scooter-riding called The Viet Cong hit woman in Saigon. There is a seemingly odd couple whom is a white and an African-American one poor, one wealthy one. . However, the hit woman is really just wants for the real story that Jurevics wants to tell, namely, about the corruption of the Diem presidency and the 1963 coup that deposed him.

4 Stars
recommend

[Roger Angle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the setting and the factual background: Saigon, 1963, during the war, the intrigue, the tidal river, the stench and the filth, the crowded city, the plots and counterplots, the many characters, from soldiers and Marines to Henry Cabot Lodge and his wife. Loved our two heroes, Army cops trying to stop the Red Queen, who is shooting American officers with remarkably dead aim.

This is part classic detective story and partly a slice of history.

I found the book uneven. About a third of the way in, I loved it. In the middle, it went too far into the weeds for me. Too many details about the complicated government agencies involved in the war. The last 100 pp were partly fun and partly a slog.

The best of it is the historical, factual information about the Vietnam War. So much information about the many intrigues swirling around Diem. I remember when this really happened. I was a newspaper editor and read a million stories and saw a million photos from the war. Here it is even more detailed, and more interesting.

All these many years later, I don’t know if I would have read a nonfiction account of all this, but I thought the factual stuff here was even more interesting than the fictional detective story, the hunt for the Red Queen. The book is an odd mix of truth and fiction. Not sure it really works. But it is worth a read. I am sure many people will find it entertaining. I know there are people who will love it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that I enjoyed less for the thriller aspects than for the picture that it gives us of Vietnam in the years leading up to the Vietnam war. Saigon is stuffed full of US ‘advisors’ and its ambassador, David Cabot Lodge is taking an active role in machinations around the first Vietnamese President Ðiem. Having said that the actual thriller does hold up alongside this, with much of it written in the style of hard boiled American detective fiction - although I did find the ending a little bit underwhelming after the build up (the book was published posthumously so I don’t know if it wasn’t quite finished before the author’s death).

I haven’t read a great deal around this period so I found it hugely informative and also an easy way of cutting to the crux of the politics of the time in a manner that was easy and not at all dry. It’s another book that I am surprised is not better known.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson are two U.S. armed forces MP's trying to stop a wily Viet-Cong assassin codenamed The Red Queen in Viet Nam in 1963, just before the coup that will bring down the Diem regime and launch Americans full-tilt into the Viet Nam war. She shoots her targets with a handgun from the back of a motor scooter with alarming accuracy. Juris Jurjevics, a Lithuanian-born American writer and publisher, who was stationed there for fourteen months, captures the atmosphere and rampant corruption of that period with perfect sensory exactness and lays the ground for an exciting thriller. - BH.

[Daniel Shindler · Rating 4 out of 5]

For American men coming of age between 1960 and 1975, the selective service draft card in their wallets loomed large in their lives.For some it represented a sword of Damocles.For others, it represented a call to patriotic service and self sacrifice. For all it represented a part of their young adulthood that was polarizing and in some way influenced their perception of life with the specter of the Viet Nam conflict hovering over their youth.

Play the Red Queen chronicles a period of the Viet Nam conflict that is not often portrayed. Set in the fall of 1963, it chronicles the search for a young female assassin, nicknamed the Red Queen, who is assassinating members of the American military. Seeming to emerge from the shadows, she rides by on a motorbike and employs uncanny marksmanship to eliminate her targets and then vanishes instantaneously.

It is the task of Sergeants Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson, military CID investigators, to locate the Red Queen and eliminate her threat. This task is especially pressing since her next suspected target is believed to be either South Vietnamese President Diem or American ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge.

In chronicling this search, the reader gets an overview of the geopolitical and economic forces that both led to and exacerbated this nineteen year military conflict. We learn about the French period of colonialism and subsequent withdrawal and the American intervention initially as military advisors. The author exposes the corruption of the ruling class, the religious suppression, the black market economy and political double dealing that complicated this conflict.

Jurevics has a flair for creating both atmosphere and dialogue that immerse the reader in the setting. The plot line is driven forward by the protagonists ,Sergeant Miser, a white Pennsylvanian, and Sergeant Robeson,a black Louisianan. Their relationship is both one of trust and one of limitations, echoing the fissures that are occurring in America.

The overriding strength of this book comes from the blend of a good story and a superb portrayal of Vietnam on the cusp of increased American intervention.In 1959, there were 1000 American military advisors.By 1963, the time frame of this novel, the number of advisors had increased to 16000. The events in this novel culminate on November 2, 1963.Three weeks later President Kennedy was assassinated, setting off a series of events that culminated in 184000 military troops swarming into VietNam by 1967.

This novel provides both an entertaining and instructive portrait of a pivotal period of world history. It will engage all readers in a historically significant time as they wend their way through a well conceived story of intrigue and mystery. 4.5 stars.

[Juha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is a very good book. It is a thriller set in Saigon in 1963 when the US had not officially entered a war in Vietnam yet. There were officially no American troops, only "advisors" in the country. What makes this book so good is that is firmly anchored in the political history of the era and the particular year. It shows how the USA was deeply entangled in supporting the brutal and corrupt government of President Diem -- and how at the same time the US ambassador Cabot Lodge was covertly supporting a military coup against Diem's government. Meanwhile, Diem and his brother and sister-in-law where ruthlessly using American aid to their own enrichment while also enriching the Viet Cong and the Hanoi government of Ho Chi Minh. This political quagmire not only provides a backdrop to the book: it is at the heart of the story.

Apart from the compelling narrative, the Red Queen is a page turner with natural dialogue and credible and interesting characters whom you get to know and care for. The mess Saigon is at the time comes alive in the pages. Juris Jurjevics knew the place, its politics and social history, and was able to convey these to the reader.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3.5*, maybe even 4 and maybe that is because it takes place in the Sai Gon I knew in 1967, even though the action is from 1963. It is a very interesting mystery wrapped around the author's feelings about the failure of US Policy and personnel and the South Vietnamese Government and their Army. Maybe because I found the descriptions of Sai Gon so spot on and the fact that his feeling reflect mine might be coloring my feelings about the book., but let me say I enjoyed the mystery part as much as the politics. The protagonist is a very real person as is sidekick. I recommend this book to anyone that likes a good mystery and also to anyone that wants to know what Sai Gon felt like in 1963...

[John Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the face of it, a competent thriller I'd be proud to have written. But it's far more than that, with an exceptional sense of place, a deep understanding of the early days of the U.S. military and political involvement in Vietnam, and without falling into the trap of lengthy exposition, manages to convey the nature of the widespread corruption at the heart of the conflict. Both exciting and a revelation. The war clearly marked the author for life - and cut short his life.

[A.K. Kulshreshth · Rating 5 out of 5]

How good does a book have to be to really get acclaim? I think Play the Red Queen is a case study of a book that deserves much more than it seems to have got. This is an outstanding thriller with great characters, fast-and-furious action sequences that are preceded by just the right amount of slow-burn, and a lot of history woven into its basic plot of two men trying to halt a femme-fatale with supernatural shooting skills who is on a killing spree. It obviously lays no claim to the prescience of The Quiet American, but it does use the benefit of hindsight to show that things probably couldn't have turned out very different, given how the dominoes were stacked.

Red and white tracers criss-crossed a few blocks away as loyal and rebel soldiers fired at each other... “Ought a be blue tracers too. That would be appropriate for an American production, don’t you think? I mean, shit, we’ve armed all sides in this cluster-fuck.” This happens close to the end, and many books could have had these lines. This one explains why they make so much sense.

The Red Queen is a fearsome lady sniper. Army CID Sergeants Miser and Robeson are tasked with stopping her. This is how a witness (an American Staff Sergeant) describes her: Drop-dead gorgeous, you might say. Way better looking than my broad. Otherwise typical. No knockers, not much ass. Coal-black hair way past her shoulders. Slender as a sparrow. As it happens, she is a better shot than the investigators, and she has the ability to seemingly strike at will, aided by "a team of hard-code hard asses. Painstaking, careful, disciplined as hell."

There are other books with this set-up: good guys against crazy-assed-superkiller bad man/woman. Jurjevics shines in how he humanises the Red Queen (so named because of the calling cards she leaves with her victims). Even more impressive is the manner in which the narrator acts after his eventual triumph over the Red Queen: "I knew I didn’t want the Red Queen mutilated any further, or ridiculed in defeat."

Among the many things I first read about here was the role Cardinal "Moneybags" Spellman played in stoking fires in Vietnam (see this article in Liberty Magazine). There were also interesing details about the cult of Caodaoism, the offical use of guillotines, and the racketeering that flourished in the lead up to the war. A story about "spies melting into the local population", I thought, could only have come from someone who had really been on the ground in that setting. The details about Madame Nhu included a few that I have not seen elsewhere after reading up about her on the web.

More than the detail, however, it is perspective that makes this a great work -- for those who don't disagree with the perspective. The subtle changes in Miser's viewpoint, as he realises why he seems to have been on shifting sands all the time are done well. In the end, he kind of gets it. "Us, we were useful dog soldiers. Cheap and interchangeable. Sent to far flung shores to protect the empire." He also gets why the importance of the stop-the-killer campaign seemed to wax and wane, as he understands the nature of realpolitik "The broken pieces kaleidoscoped together. In exile, Diem and Counsellor Nhu would be a liability… The pair needed to go. Permanently. And whatever happened to one of them, needed to happen to both." .

The comparison of the fate of negroes (the word used in the book, to be true to the period it is set in) fighting for their rights at the same time in the USA to that of the Buddhists at the hand of the US-supported South Vietnamese regime was a masterful touch. In this moving article in Jujevic's memory, his wife concludes that he came out of his experience in a displaced persons camp with "the tenderest of hearts".

I do think the sex scenes could easily win a couple of bad sex awards... In particular, I must say that the description of a woman on top as a tipsy cobra was a bit of a let-down in an otherwise perfect novel. In the big scheme, I think readers can overlook the couple of such oddities.

Particularly insightful were these few lines spoken by a character who predicted a longer stay for US forces in Vietnam that Miser expected: "See that contractor at the end of the bar? His company is bidding on a job to lay eight-hundered miles of undersea cable between Nha Trang and the Philippines. That sound like any of us are getting booted any time soon?"

I listened to the audio book narrated by Machael Braun.

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst the story begins with the hunt for an experienced unapologetic assassin, who is taking out Americans in broad daylight on the streets of Saigon without a second thought - the story ends with betrayal. She is bold, fearless and is working on a schedule - a plan with consequences. She personifies the lack of gentleman's rule and white man's war game the Viet Cong became famous for - ruthless and anyone can be the enemy.

It's been quite a while since I have read a story about the 'skirmish' in Vietnam that manages to catch it with such accuracy. Jurjevics writes this mystery war crime with the sharp tongue of a social commentary. One of the most contentious periods of the US political interference in foreign countries, which was never officially deemed as something on par with other wars, hence the word skirmish, despite the losses and trauma it left in its wake. It also opened up a controversy on homeland soil the likes of which the US is still recovering from and still apologising to its veterans for. Rightly so.

As the story leads the reader into the above events it's important to add a footnote that warfare against the VC was something the westerners were completely unprepared for and they experienced a completely different thought and tactical processes that cost many lives, killed many and left survivors with lifelong trauma and some never returned at all.

Vietnam Veteran is a word bandied about without a lot of thought, but it's important to remember that they didn't and still don't receive the accolades survivors of other wars did and do. People find it really hard to separate the concept - soldiers act on orders and are not the ones making the decisions - the top brass and upper echelon does.

I think a great writing talent has been lost where Juris Jurjevics is concerned, but readers can take solace that he left a fantastic body of work in his wake. His books are infused with a stark sense of realism, due to his own experiences, which always gives the reader a different kind of experience. This book is one of those.
*I received a courtesy copy*

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vietnam, 1963, a female Viet Cong assassin is gunning down US servicemen on the streets of Saigon. Firing from a moving scooter and at some distance, she demonstrates remarkable skill and accuracy with a pistol and has disappeared into traffic before anyone has any chance to react. Tasked with hunting the Red Queen down and bringing her string of killings to an end are Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson, two US army investigators.

The Vietnam War is a conflict that has produced a large canon of literature and movies. I chanced upon a previous novel by the author, Juris Jurjevics, completely by chance and loved it. Red Flags told the story of a US army investigator who happened upon corruption amongst Green Berets advising Montagnards and South Vietnamese government officials and it was a brilliant book, so I couldn’t wait to read this.

Once again, corruption is the real villain in this novel, and as Miser and Robeson investigate the Red Queen murders they discover just how venal the South Vietnamese state really is. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the author himself served in the Vietnam War and was a US Army investigator, and as corruption is the focus of both his Vietnam novels (he also wrote one non-Vietnam novel) I can only assume that this was something he discovered in real life.

I really wanted to like Play The Red Queen, because as I say, I loved Red Flags. Alas, while this title was good, I didn’t feel it had the magic of the previous title. Red Flags explored a little told story – the Green Beret units who mentored ethnic Montagnard soldiers and were stationed in remote outposts – and it had a real atmosphere, and the stakes were high. While Play The Red Queen does a good job with its Saigon setting it just can’t compete with the author’s previous title.

That said, this remains a strong title and is well worth a read.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Jurjevic's first Vietnam-set novel, Red Flags, and the protagonist from that is back as a minor character in this 1963-set one. The story follows Army Criminal Investigation Division officers Miser and Robeson, as they are tasked with finding and stopping a scooter-riding Viet Cong hit woman in Saigon. They're a semi-odd couple (one white, one African-American, one poor, one wealthy, etc...) and their contrast helps pull the story along.  However, the hit woman is really just a McGuffin for the real story that Jurevics wants to tell, namely, about the corrupt Diem presidency and the 1963 coup that deposed him. 

Ambassador Lodge and CIA station chief Lucien Conein are key figures in the book's plot, with Lodge being a major character. The to-and-fro of the coup is incredibly complex, involving multiple different factions, false plots, American cash, tons of players (including the Chinese mafia and Catholic Church), and it all gets a bit hard to follow here. Those with an interest in the history are probably better served reading one of the many non-fiction books about the coup. It does all manage to get pulled together in the end, but it felt a bit forced. Ultimately, the underlying theme of Vietnamese corruption and double-dealing is very similar to Red Flags, which is set in the highlands.

On the whole, the book is very reminiscent of Martin Limon's 15+ book series about two Army CID investigators set in Korea in the 1970s (a series published by Jurjevics's company). Really the best thing about it is the immersive sights, sounds, smells, and tension of Saigon in the weeks leading up to the coup. Jurjevics was an MP in Vietnam for 14 months, and that on-the-ground experience comes through on the page. 

[Chris Wharton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this. Set as historical fiction in 1963 Saigon (with scenes elsewhere in South Vietnam as well) on the eve of the Diem assassination, there are certainly some evocative descriptions of city and country locations with excellent atmospherics and scene setting and also insights into the historical grounding and clashing cultures, motives, tensions, and real personalities (Vietnamese and American). Unfortunately, I found the plot involving two US soldiers (who are fairly strong and entertaining characters) from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division investigating a dashingly romantic Viet Cong assassin attacking Americans on the Saigon streets (and plotting higher targets in the US Embassy and South Vietnamese government) a bit plodding and convoluted, well described but sort of hiding behind Asian “inscrutability.” Perhaps as a liberty of historical fiction, sometimes in the background the US military came across (to me anyway, who was never there, so I could be misreading it) as a larger presence fighting a more active war than I think was true at the time. There were also a couple of side stories I found distracting. But most irksome to me were several long sections where various characters discuss, long-windedly and in very unrealistic fashion, the political and social complexities underlying all the internecine plotting, conniving, and corruption driving the unrest. I found this an unconvincing way to bring the reader in on these issues and tedious to read, often skipping through pages.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not easy to make a review of this book, not because I didn’t like it, but because the background is so real that it’s difficult not to make any spoiler while talking about the story.
I don’t know much about the Vietnam war or its history, I wasn’t born during the Vietnam war so all the elements told in the book are totally new for me. But this doesn’t make the story less painful or bitter, in a country where the political tension is manifesting everywhere, a young Vietnamese who is killing American military officials can start a war. The story is centered with the two detectives that will have to try to catch the mysterious “Red Queen” while showing the reader a corrupt country full of dark holes and political wars.
Let’s be honest, you will not read this book for the mystery but for the background and realism of the story, because it will make your blood boil of rage to know how the US influenced the instability of the country before and after starting the war.
I really think that this is an amazing read, it’s a little bit difficult at the beginning of the book to enter the story, so many new names and places that are strange, but once you enter the story it’s impossible to stop turning pages. And after finishing it, searching for the story of Vietnam and to know which parts are true, sadly too many, it made me angry and sad of how humanity works. Money is always more important than life, sadly but true.
Ready to “Play The Red Queen”?

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offered a look at a period of time I had not explored much before, or even really knew much about: that of Vietnam, and in particular Saigon, in the early 1960s, before the Vietnam War really began, when the U.S. military stationed there was working in an advisory capacity rather than a combat one. It was so interesting to read from the perspective of Army personnel who had worked there in both an advisory and an investigative capacity, to see a snapshot of the city, the culture, the food...it made me want to look up further pictures and information about it, led to further reading of many articles during the course of this book. I know that it's fiction, but it's clearly based on reality to some extent, given the contributions of people who had been there, and the contributions of the author's own experiences in Vietnam. The most staggering part of the novel was the level of corruption, and even the level of knowledge and awareness of the corruption by many of the players involved. It really made me think about the U.S.'s involvement in that war. Overall, this was a very good read, and I look forward to reading the other two novels by Juris Jurjevics.

[Chloe 'hichlochu' · Rating 5 out of 5]

Play the Red Queen takes place in war ravaged Vietnam, with writing that feels so accurate and true only a veteran could of written. Juris does a fantastic job of enveloping the reader into the realities of our past, capturing their attention and dragging then into the shadows of a deadly hunt.

I throughly enjoyed this book from the start. It had a way of pulling you deep into the story. A story full of Suspense, action and drama. Play the Red Queen follows the hunt for the identity of an unknown assassin of American troops, one who is only know by her description and a nickname they are trying to keep from the press. A fem-fatale character with the quality of an experienced hunter and the face too young for the blood she’s shed. The power of the unknown female sold the book to me, I just had to read on.

I do have to say, the story was superb and its atmospheric thrills left you craving more. It was entertaining, deadly and down-right breathtaking. I can’t wait to out more from this author. I suggest adding it to your TBR as well.

[Joe Stamber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juris Jurjevics final book, published after his death, is a fascinating read, but somewhat lacking in the entertainment stakes. It can't decide whether it wants to be a buddy tale about two army investigators on the trail of an assassin in 1963 Saigon, or an insight into the corruption that was rife at the time. It ends up leaning towards the latter. With all the names to remember, the author's penchant for describing every scene in great detail, and the constant details of corruption, it tends to drag as a story. The investigation makes an appearance every now and then, but it often feels like a vehicle for Jurjevics to get his point across. When Miser and Robeson are allowed to get on with it, the writing style is fun and enjoyable, with Miser as first person narrator. It's certainly fascinating, but bogged down by too many details, and I was never desperate to pick up again once I'd put it down. Worth it for readers interested in this piece of history.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story line was a bit slow or maybe I have read too many books on the war in Vietnam, 3.5 stars. Corruption and duplicity was rife, as the USA were determined to stave off the threat of communism, even if it meant destroying the country. The USA picked the Presidents and frequently were behind their removal. President Ngo Dinh Diem was Catholic and a zealot in a Buddhist country. His family especially his sister in law were greed personified and hated! It was always going to end badly and Ambassador Lodge was the man with political ambition determined to make his mark. The Vietnamese people fought the Chinese, the French, Japanese, each other and the Americans. How they have suffered. A short story in the long history of Vietnam.

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction about the coup dislodging the Diem brothers as heads of the Saigon government. This story sticks close to the historical facts of this coup --- probably understating the role of the US government in encouraging and approving the coup -- adding some on the ground color to the task of tracking down a Vietnamese assassin known as the Red Queen.

The fiction parts of this story are entertaining, but the novel is burdened by Jurjevics need to include too many historical players and locations. Still, a fun read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book I've read by this author and, sadly, the last as he died before publication. Jurjevics was in Vietnam as a young soldier and the book reflects his memories, observations and knowledge - though it is in no way a memoir. This is Vietnam and Saigon before the US troops arrived, when the US was there as "advisors." The massive corruption is the centerpiece of the novel, as is the relationships between the representatives of the US and the Diem regime - which is shortly to be overthrown. Well written, interesting characters, very well worth a read.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s Saigon during the 60s at a time of unrest and war; Jurjevics’ historical fiction novel is set in a backdrop of political unrest, brutality and social distraction and frames a story of an assassin, a lady of death: the Red Queen. The reader follows two military CID investigators tasked with the uncovering the Red Queen assassin before she strikes again. The task is far from simple and the challenges are seemingly unsurmountable at times creating narrative interest and drive for the reader.

I enjoyed the investigator aspect of the book, even if all the pieces didn’t fuse together completely for me; the backdrop is both a fascinating and terrible time of a country trapped through war and I found this quite fascinating. The writing was often immersive, and I enjoyed the atmosphere Jurjevics creates; there’s clearly a great deal of research behind the narrative of a torn and breaking land with it’s politically charged themes.

A meticulously plotted thriller, with a deeply readable historical setting and a thriller plot to capture a shifty, highly trained assassin – this is a recommended read for those who enjoy historical settings and political thrillers.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a (Vietnamese) history lesson than a novel - maybe a bit too factual for me. There was the potential for an interesting and involved detective story but this fizzled out into a lot a recounting of events which led up to the end of the Diem rule of Vietnam. Has the potential to be a good screenplay if it could be beefed up a bit. Book is just a bit too wordy for me. So many players and details but I did like the main characters, and as I said, I can visualise their story on the big screen.

[Simon Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first 5-star review. Unmissable. This is superb. A fantastic evocation of time and place - Vietnam, 1963, the build up to war. The sights, smells, noise, heat, humidity, feel of Saigon are completely immersive. Characters and a story that you really come to care about. Social history and a thriller that doesn’t shy away from the corruption and brutality of civil war, but is never gratuitous.

Tragically this was only the author’s third, but last book. It’s a masterpiece. I’ll certainly read his others. What a loss.

[Osvaldo Querin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An atmospheric Vietnam war crime and suspence thriller

A very well written 1963 Vietnam war historical thriller. It intertwines real historical figures with a plot to kill someone important, with two investigators trying to find the killer before she strikes again. It is very atmospheric and authentic. If I could I woud give it 3.5 stars . My only issue is that there are perhaps a few loose ends towards the end. But nevertheless a very interesting story about a very troubled period in world history.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well done crime novel set in Vietnam before the cold war in that company got really hot. American officials involved in USAID and South Vietnamese officials are being assassinated by a Viet Cong woman on the back of a Vespa. Two hapless American sergeants are given the job of tracking her down amid a back drop of corruption and political upheaval. This is the first book I have read by Jurjevics and one I thoroughly enjoyed.