A Foreign Country (Thomas Kell, #1) in Espionage Aficionados

Aug 27, 2012 Jeffrey rated it liked it

Shelves: espionage, read-in-2012

Charles Cumming has gained a reputation as a successor to the inestimable John Le Carre. His sophisticated plots and knowledge of spycraft are second to none in the current crop of spy novelists. His last novel, “Trinity Six”, a re-imagined and taut look at the British spy scandal of the last century was brilliant.

However, “A Foreign Country” falls a little flat because the plot is a little short of the twists and turns that one wants from a spy novel.

Amelia Levane, the soon to be appointed he Charles Cumming has gained a reputation as a successor to the inestimable John Le Carre. His sophisticated plots and knowledge of spycraft are second to none in the current crop of spy novelists. His last novel, “Trinity Six”, a re-imagined and taut look at the British spy scandal of the last century was brilliant.

However, “A Foreign Country” falls a little flat because the plot is a little short of the twists and turns that one wants from a spy novel.

Amelia Levane, the soon to be appointed head of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, disappears while on vacation in the South of France. Concerned about her disappearance and leery of her new appointment, the current leaders of MI6, send disgraced spy Thomas Kell to France to find Levane. Kell initially suspects foul play, but through spycraft soon discovers that Levane is in Tunisia, and appears to be involved with a young Frenchman named Francois Malot. His masters believe she is in an affair, but Kell soon learns that Malot is Levane’s previously unknown child, who she placed up for adoption years previously.

Kell soon suspects that something is not right about Mr. Malot. A mysterious woman talks to Kell too much in a bar and when he returns to his hotel room it has been searched. Plus Malot acts oddly on a ferry from Tunisia to Marseille, and the Kell is suspicious of that mode of transportation. Then Kell is attacked. The fact that Malot may not be what he seems is predictable in a spy novel, where red herrings and mysterious characters are the hallmarks of the genre.

Unfortunately, the pacing of the novel is very slow. Kell’s back story, the whys of his expulsion from the service takes a while to unfold. More importantly, although the novel moves slowly at times, Kell uncovers the plot against Levane very quickly, and it does not make much sense. Is the operation supposed to harm Levane’s chances of being the head of MI6? Or is the operation to get Malot close to the center of English power. Finally, once the Malot operation is uncovered, the book becomes little more than a cop and robber novel – a good cop and robber novel, but not much of a spy novel.

And when you expect an excellent spy novel, a good cop and robber novel is just not good enough.
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Sep 29, 2012 Philip rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction-standalone, spy-fiction-british, europe, first-person

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Temporary rating: I'm only halfway through, but have been telling myself for 50 pages already "if this doesn't get better soon, I'm outta here." Was somehow lead to believe Cumming is a 21st Century le Carre, but so far this book reads more like Barbara Cartland - all romance and secret affairs with absolutely no action and just the slightest veneer of espionage, and that pretty lame. Protagonist Thomas Kell lies to a hotel receptionist and then can't calm down due to his "adrenaline rush;" late ...more

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May 15, 2013 Sam Reaves rated it liked it

The woman tabbed to head MI6 is the target of an operation designed to discredit her and scotch her appointment; a disgraced officer unfairly tarred by association with dirty business in Afghanistan is brought in from the cold to save the day. The attack is mounted by-- wait for it-- rogue French agents! They are still peeved about some inter-agency sparring during the run-up to the Iraq war. Lots of tradecraft in this one, more tradecraft than drama in fact. Cummings has the mix of high-tech co ...more

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Aug 03, 2015 LM Goodrich rated it really liked it

A well written, fast paced book. Good start to a new series.

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Mar 11, 2014 Patrick Schultheis rated it really liked it

Very well written. Great plot. Decent characters

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Feb 12, 2012 Brian Christy rated it it was amazing

Simply amazing! If you are a lover of a true spy novel, then please take the time to read this. The main character, Kell, is beautifully developed, and you can literally put yourself in all of the places that Cumming takes you. Not only is a fun read, but it is both "old-world" and "new-world" spy fiction at its best. At times, it is plain and simple, and at times it is amazingly complex. Bravo! ...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Francis Valletta rated it liked it

Although there are some plot holes and an ending that is not fully satisfactory (a bit rushed in my view) it is still a good spy thriller. An enjoyable read. Not a John le Carre by any measure though.

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