3 out of 4 stars
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The Downing Street Plot: An Agent’s Revenge by Toby Oliver is the author’s latest offering in the series featuring Spencer Hall from the MI5 and Luke Garvan from the Scotland Yard. It is a book in the spy/political thriller genre.
Fifteen years have passed since the victory of the Allies at the devastating World War II. Agent Spencer Hall is now the Head of the British MI5 Security Service, but he prefers being ‘on the field’ rather than his present position where he is commanding from his desk. His desire is fulfilled when he receives unpleasant news from his former colleague, Jack Stein, a top CIA field agent, about a KGB-sponsored plot to assassinate the British Prime Minister. What’s worse is that the assassin might be an ex-British spy and there is good reason to believe that he is a step ahead of them. With little time on his hand, Hall recruits his old mates, Luke Garvan, now head of the Scotland Yard, and Virginia Dudley, a retired wartime spy. With not only the Prime Minister’s life, but their very careers on stake, failure is not an option.
“Espionage was after all about psychological tactics, mind games, and retaining the upper hand.” This one sentence from the novel is an apt description of the plotline. Initially, I was slightly disappointed with the straightforward storyline; however, my interest soared with the succeeding pages. The insightful character development is a huge positive of this book. A good chunk of the story plays out in the minds of the characters, and it is interesting to read about their motivations and how they plan to outmaneuver their opponents. The power struggles and complicated political equations intensify the plot. The author’s portrayal of the slump in the career of wartime spy, with opportunities for actual thrilling work rapidly declining, expressed through a lack of adrenaline rush, is quite impressive.
The author’s superb writing is the primary appeal of this book. The craftily-worded scenes complement the political intrigue and subtle confrontation between the characters in the story, heightening the anticipation level in the book. For instance, I enjoyed the scenes featuring the tussle for control between Spencer Hall, and his immediate boss, the Home Secretary, Stanley Bradshaw.
My only disappointment with the book was the fleeting element of suspense, since like I mentioned before, the plot is pretty straightforward. There are a few plot twists and an action packed climax but these don’t make up for the lack of edginess which could have been injected. That aside, the book makes for an engaging read for people who enjoy this genre. I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars.
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The Downing Street Plot
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