Quick Review: JUDAS 62 by Charles Cumming (Harper)

September 28, 2021 Civilian Reader Review Box 88, Charles Cumming, Espionage, Harper, Judas 62, Most Anticipated 2021, Must Read 2021, Mystery, Thriller

The (excellent) second Lachlan Kite novel

A spy in one of the most dangerous places on Earth…

1993: Student Lachlan Kite is sent to post-Soviet Russia in the guise of a language teacher. In reality, he is there as a spy. Top secret intelligence agency BOX 88 has ordered Kite to extract a chemical weapons scientist before his groundbreaking research falls into the wrong hands. But Kite’s mission soon goes wrong and he is left stranded in a hostile city with a former KGB officer on his trail.

An old enemy looking for revenge…

2020: Now the director of BOX 88 operations in the UK, Kite discovers he has been placed on the ‘JUDAS’ list – a record of enemies of Russia who have been targeted for assassination. Kite’s fight for survival takes him to Dubai, where he must confront the Russian secret state head on…

Who will come out on top in this deadly game of cat and mouse?

The announcement of this novel was a very nice surprise — it arrived much sooner than expected after the release of the first book, BOX 88. A long-time fan of Cumming’s novels, I eagerly sought out a review copy and was lucky enough to get my mitts on one. I’m happy to report that it lived up to my high expectations. Another excellent novel from a modern master of spy fiction. Continue reading →

New Books (July-August)

August 27, 2021October 6, 2021 Civilian Reader New Books Adrian Tchaikovsky, Anita Kopacz, Carmelo Anthony, Charles Cumming, Dan Shaughnessy, Defne Suman, Devin Madson, James Rollins, Joe Abercrombie, Joe Mungo Reed, John Higgins, John Sandford, Lavie Tidhar, Matthew Ward, Michael Carroll, Richard Kadrey, RJ Barker, Scott Eyman, Scotto Moore, Shane Anderson, Stevie Van Zandt, Tade Thompson, William McIlvanney

Featuring: Joe Abercrombie, Shane Anderson, Carmelo Anthony, RJ Barker, Nicholas Bowling, Michael Carroll, Charles Cumming, Scott Eyman, John Higgins, Richard Kadrey, Anita Kopacz, Devin Madson, William McIlvanney, Premee Mohamed, Scotto Moore, Abir Mukherjee, Ian Rankin, Joe Mungo Reed, James Rollins, John Sandford, Dan Shaughnessy, Defne Suman, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tade Thompson, Lavie Tidhar, Stevie Van Zandt, Matthew Ward, D. Watkins

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Quick Review: BOX 88 by Charles Cumming (Harper)

September 17, 2020May 12, 2021 Civilian Reader Review Box 88, Charles Cumming, Espionage, Harper Collins, Most Anticipated 2020, Must Read 2020, Mystery, Thriller

An excellent espionage thriller

An organisation that doesn’t exist.

A spy that can’t be caught.

Years ago, a spy was born…

1989: The Cold War will soon be over, but for BOX 88, a top secret spying agency, the espionage game is heating up. Lachlan Kite, recruited from an elite boarding school, is sent to France, tasked with gathering intelligence on an enigmatic Iranian businessman implicated in the Lockerbie bombing. But what Kite uncovers is more terrifying than anyone expected…

Now he faces the deadliest decision of his life…

2020: MI5 hear rumours of BOX 88’s existence and go after Kite – but Iranian intelligence have got to him first. Taken captive and brutally tortured, Kite has a choice: reveal the truth about what happened in France thirty years earlier – or watch his family die.

In a battle unlike anything he has faced before, Kite must use all his skills to stay alive.

Long time readers of CR will know that I am a big fan of Charles Cumming’s spy thrillers. Ever since Typhoon, I’ve eagerly anticipated each new novel from the author. Box 88 was no different, and I’m very happy to report that it lived up to my high expectations. Really enjoyed this. Continue reading →

New Books (June-July)

July 18, 2020May 12, 2021 Civilian Reader New Books Aliette de Bodard, Andrea Hairston, Andrea Stewart, Brian Naslund, Charles Cumming, Chuck Hogan, CS Malerich, CT Rwizi, Guillermo Del Toro, Jackson Ford, Jeremy Szal, Jonathan Lethem, Katie Hill, Ken Kwapis, Kimberly Unger, KJ Parker, Mark de Jager, Megan O'Keefe, Michael Wood, Patrick Hoffman, Robert Draper, Robert Jackson Bennett, SA Hunt, Sarah Andersen, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Stan Parish, Thilde Kold Holdt

Featuring: Dan Abnett, Sarah Andersen, Tiffani Angus, Robert Jackson Bennett, Charles Cumming, Aliette de Bodard, Mark de Jager, Guillermo del Toro, Robert Draper, Jackson Ford, Andrea Hairston, Katie Hill, Patrick Hoffman, Chuck Hogan, Thilde Kold Holdt, S.A. Hunt, Ken Kwapis, C.S. Malerich, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Brian Naslund, Megan E. O’Keefe, Christopher Paolini, Stan Parish, K.J. Parker, C.T. Rwizi, Ethan Sherwood Strauss, Andrea Stewart, Jeremy Szal, Kimberly Unger, Michael Wood

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Upcoming: BOX 88 by Charles Cumming (Harper Collins)

June 30, 2020 Civilian Reader Upcoming Box 88, Charles Cumming, Espionage, Harper Collins, Most Anticipated 2020, Thriller

CummingC-BoxUKUK I started reading Charles Cumming‘s novels back in 2009, when Typhoon was released. Since then, each new novel of his has been a must-read of the given year — and I have thus-far never been disappointed. This October, he has a new novel out — Box 88 — with a new protagonist and an intriguing premise:

An organisation that doesn’t exist.

A spy that can’t be caught.

1989: The fall of the Berlin Wall is imminent and the Cold War will soon be over. But for BOX 88, a top secret spying agency known only to an inner circle of MI6 and CIA operatives, the espionage game is heating up.

Lachlan Kite, recruited straight from an elite boarding school, is sent to France – the frontline of a new secret war. Kite is tasked with gathering intelligence on a mysterious Iranian businessman implicated in the tragic Lockerbie bombing. But what he uncovers is even more deadly…

2020: MI5 hear rumours of BOX 88’s existence and go after Kite – only for Iranian intelligence to get to him first. Taken captive and subjected to torture, Kite is presented with a simple choice: reveal the truth about what happened in France thirty years earlier – or watch his family die.

Past and present merge, as MI5 and BOX 88 are caught up in a race against time to save Kite.

I learned about this novel when Damian Lewis (Billions, Band of Brothers, and many more) Tweeted about the cover reveal earlier today. Can’t wait to read this! Charles Cumming’s Box 88 is due to be published by Harper Collins in the UK, on October 1st, 2020. (Not sure about North American publisher/dates, but some of his recent novels have been published recently by St. Martin’s Press, so… maybe?)

Also on CR: Interview/Guest Post “A Colder War Mole Hunt”; Reviews of Typhoon, The Trinity Six, A Foreign Country, A Colder War, and The Man Between

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Twitter

Quick Review: THE MAN BETWEEN by Charles Cumming (Harper Collins)

September 10, 2018 Civilian Reader Review Charles Cumming, Espionage, Harper Collins, Man Between, Most Anticipated 2018, Must Read 2018, Mystery, St Martin's Press, The Moroccan Girl, Thriller

A spy novelist finds himself recruited into the world of espionage…

He risked it all to become a spy. Now he must pay the price.

One simple task for British Intelligence takes him into a world of danger.

Successful novelist Kit Carradine has grown restless. So when British Intelligence invites him to enter the secret world of espionage, he willingly takes a leap into the unknown.

But the glamour of being a spy is soon tainted by fear and betrayal, as Carradine finds himself in Morocco on the trail of Lara Bartok a mysterious fugitive with links to international terrorism.

Bartok is a leading figure in Resurrection, a violent revolutionary movement whose brutal attacks on prominent right-wing politicians have spread hatred and violence throughout the West.

As the coils of a ruthless plot tighten around him, Carradine finds himself drawn to Lara. Caught between competing intelligence services who want her dead, he soon faces an awful choice: to abandon Lara to her fate or to risk everything trying to save her.

Charles Cumming is one of my favourite thriller authors. It’s becoming almost cliché to compare him to le Carré, but he remains the best comparator. Cumming writes intelligent, engaging and interesting espionage thrillers. In his latest novel — The Man Between in the UK, and The Moroccan Girl in North America — he takes a premise that is very interesting and possibly something many thriller authors think/fantasize about frequently: what if an author of the genre was recruited by a secret service to aid them in an investigation? I really enjoyed this novel. Continue reading →

New Books (June-July)

July 21, 2018August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books A.M. Khalifa, Adam Roberts, Alex Thomson, Anthony Ryan, Bryan Reardon, Caroline Kepnes, Charlaine Harris, Charles Cumming, Chris Wraight, Dan Pfeiffer, Darius Hinks, David S Heidler, Ellie Kemper, Jack Whyte, Jaine Fenn, James Shepherd, Jeanne T Heidler, Jonathan French, Josh Reynolds, Lavie Tidhar, Mason Cross, Matt Goldman, Mirah Bolender, Nicolás Obregón, Rebecca Makkai, Robert Bickers, Robert Jackson Bennett, Sean Grigsby, Snowden Wright, Terry Brooks, Tessa Hadley

Featuring: Robert Jackson Bennett, Robert Bickers, Mirah Bolender, Terry Brooks, Mason Cross, Charles Cumming, Jaine Fenn, Jonathan French, Matt Goldman, Sean Grigsby, Tessa Hadley, Charlaine Harris, David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler, Darius Hinks, Ellie Kemper, Caroline Kepnes, A.M. Khalifa, Rebecca Makkai, Nicolás Obregón, Dan Pfeiffer, Bryan Reardon, Josh Reynolds, Adam Roberts, Anthony Ryan, Alex Thomson, Lavie Tidhar, Jack Whyte, Chris Wraight, Snowden Wright

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Upcoming: THE MAN BETWEEN by Charles Cumming (Harper)

March 19, 2018March 19, 2018 Civilian Reader Upcoming Charles Cumming, Espionage, Harper, Harper Collins, Man Between, Most Anticipated 2018, Mystery, Spy Fiction, Thriller

The cover for Charles Cumming‘s upcoming new novel has been unveiled! The Man Between is due to be published in June by Harper (UK). I’m a big fan of Cumming’s novels, and have read every one of his novels since 2009’s Typhoon. If you’re a fan of spy fiction, then you really need to read Cumming’s books. Here’s the synopsis for The Man Between, one of my most-anticipated novels of the year:

He risked it all to become a spy. Now he must pay the price.

One simple task for British Intelligence takes him into a world of danger.

Successful novelist Kit Carradine has grown restless. So when British Intelligence invite him to enter the secret world of espionage, he willingly takes a leap into the unknown.

But the glamour of being a spy is soon tainted by fear and betrayal, as Carradine finds himself in Morocco on the trail of Lara Bartok a mysterious fugitive with links to international terrorism.

Bartok is a leading figure in Resurrection, a violent revolutionary movement whose brutal attacks on prominent right-wing politicians have spread hatred and violence throughout the West.

No news of an American publisher at the time of writing, but some of his previous novels have been published by St. Martin’s Press.

Also on CR: Guest Post on “A Colder War”; Reviews of Typhoon, The Trinity Six, A Foreign Country and A Colder War

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Twitter

Upcoming in 2017… St. Martin’s Press, Flatiron Books, Minotaur (Macmillan)

January 9, 2017 Civilian Reader Upcoming Anthony Franze, Ben Sanders, Brad Abraham, Charles Cumming, Christopher Golden, Flatiron Books, Graeme Simsion, Grant Ginder, Jack Grimwood, Jay Hosking, Joseph Helmreich, Kimberley Tait, Lee Matthew Goldberg, Liza Palmer, M.L. Rio, Minotaur Books, Most Anticipated 2017, Rio Youers, Robert Kroese, Sarah Pinborough, St Martin's Press, Thomas Dunne Books

Here is a small selection of anticipated novels coming from St. Martin’s Press, Thomas Dunne Books, Flatiron Books, and a couple other Macmillan imprints. (I’d recommend checking out their non-fiction lists, too. They have a great, broad range of books on the way.)

Featuring: Brad Abraham, Charles Cumming, Anthony Franze, Grant Ginder, Lee Matthew Goldberg, Christopher Golden, Jack Grimwood, Joseph Helmreich, Jay Hosking, Robert Kroese, Liza Palmer, Sarah Pinborough, M.L. Rio, Ben Sanders, Graeme Simsion, Kimberley Tait, Rio Youers

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New Books (October)

October 29, 2016August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books A.J. Smith, Adam Roberts, Annie Hauxwell, Becky Chambers, Ben Aaronovitch, Benjamin Percy, Brent Weeks, Charles Cumming, Daniel Pyne, David Dalglish, Douglas Coupland, Elan Mastai, Ezekiel Boone, Gav Thorpe, Gavin Extence, George Saunders, Ian Tregillis, J.D. Oswald, James Islington, James Rollins, Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Jilly Gagnon, John Grisham, John Sandford, Joseph Knox, K.B. Wagers, Laura Hickman, Laurell K Hamilton, Laurence Scott, Liz Harmer, Marcus Sedgwick, Michael Harvey, Mur Lafferty, Nnedi Okorafor, Noah Richler, Oliver Harris, Paulette Jiles, Plutarch, Reed Karaim, Roger Zelazny, Ron Chernow, Ronald Wright, Scott Reardon, Tana French, Tracy Hickman, Will McIntosh, William C Dietz

Featuring: Ben Aaronovitch, Ray Bradbury, Ron Chernow, Douglas Coupland, Charles Cumming, David Dalglish, William C. Dietz, Gavin Extence, Tana French, Jilly Gagnon, John Grisham, Laurell K. Hamilton, Liz Harmer, Oliver Harris, Michael Harvey, Annie Hauxwell, Tracy & Laura Hickman, James Islington, Paulette Jiles, Reed Karaim, Joseph Knox, Mur Lafferty, Mike MacDonald, Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Elan Mastai, Will McIntosh, Nnedi Okorafor, J.D. Oswald, Benjamin Percy, Plutarch, Daniel Pyne, Scott Reardon, Noah Richler, Adam Roberts, James Rollins, John Sandford, George Saunders, Laurence Scott, Marcus Sedgwick, A.J. Smith, Gerard Stembridge, Gav Thorpe, Ian Tregillis, K.B. Wagers, Brent Weeks, Ronald Wright, Roger Zelazny

Above Image: Cover Crop of Bunker #19 (Oni Press)

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