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What Members Thought
A highly enjoyable cold war spy novel, that takes us from a divided Berlin (pre-wall), to the Finnish- Russian border and onto the Prague Spring.
The story begins with cross-border smuggling, a racket on the side but gradually a wider story of cold war espionage and diplomacy emerges.
The initial pace is relatively slow, not in a frustrating way, but in the manner of Furst with depth of detail that gradually builds a satisfying web of narrative across time and place. In the end the pace picks up, ...more
The story begins with cross-border smuggling, a racket on the side but gradually a wider story of cold war espionage and diplomacy emerges.
The initial pace is relatively slow, not in a frustrating way, but in the manner of Furst with depth of detail that gradually builds a satisfying web of narrative across time and place. In the end the pace picks up, ...more
Loved this one. The black-market thief turned spy Holderness is married with children but still addicted to trouble--good trouble. This one is set in Finland, Czechoslovakia, Dublin, and Berlin--all well rendered. Lots of great detail about mid-60s Cold War politics and brewing revolution in Prague. Smart, well paced, poignant, and funny.
Nov 18, 2019
Steve Anderson
marked it as to-read
May 27, 2023
Patrick Schultheis
marked it as to-read
Aug 30, 2023
Michael Martz
marked it as library
