Or perhaps you prefer reading about the criminal exploits of a more junior MI6 agent with a ‘licence to kill’ or even the glowing obituaries to spy turned premier espionage writer, John le Carré, who died just as Israel nominated its next Mossad chief and even as traitorous former US naval intelligence agent Jonathan Pollard prepared for a hero’s welcome on Israeli soil.
All this was happening while I read To Catch a Spy and Traitor **, the latest novel by popular UK indie author, Toby Oliver, a former civil servant with a degree in politics and a slew of similar stories under his belt.
As a Cold War thriller, this tale shows a painstaking attention to the details of period firearms, motor vehicles and light aircraft. There is also a vivid description of a 1960s-style ‘safe room’ so Oliver may be interested to know that sleeker, modern versions have been a requisite of new built Israeli homes following the 1991 Gulf War.
That aside, I recommend Oliver decides whether he intended to produce an Ian Fleming-style glitz’n’glamour thriller or a serious, political drama. This story – which needs stern editing and proof-reading – falls between the twin genres - often reads like a black comedy and ends with less of a bang than a whimper.
** To Catch a Spy and Traitor is available on Amazon on Kindle and in paperback.
© Natalie Wood (02 January 2021)
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