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mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
When an Iranian scientist known only as "Dr. Ali" contacts the CIA with tantalizing information about Iran's covert nuclear program, the chief of Persia House, Harry Pappas, must decide if this is legitimate or an attempt by the Iranian government to dupe the United States. The White House is eager to act and divisions within the CIA ratchet up the urgency and intensity. Pappas reaches out to a British counterpart and friend who offers to assist in the form of a secret British spy team known as "The Increment." The reality of the situation is more complex than Pappas realizes and it soon becomes clear that he may need to betray his own country to learn the truth. The story moves between Iran, Europe, and the U.S., and leaves the reader guessing as the story unfolds. I felt the story was well-paced and found it to be a page-turner from start to finish. My only quibble is with one aspect of the ending that I felt wasn't as developed as it could have been (at least not to me), but it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I used this for the 2017 PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge prompt "an espionage thriller."
gofrisch's review against another edition
5.0
This is only the 2nd Ignatius book I have read. I gave them both 5-stars and now plan to read all of his books. Great insight and inside look of CIA operations.
zare_i's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting book about spies fighting to stop their enemies from developing into nuclear power.
Only downside to the book is the conclusion - prime minister steps out and exposes the entire operation to the media, how they manage to thwart the efforts of their rival state by direct sabotage (even names service responsible) and then state that they will prevent any other nation from further interfering because enemy is now tamed (? I mean come on...) and this does not provoke no reaction from anyone in the world (!?! again, please ...)
Imagine somebody from the government steps out and says that they sabotaged by direct attack their rivals, they disclose it to the world (so it is not just knowledge in the close community) and everybody says - Oh, they blew them ... now gimme that pepper.
These are things conflicts are ignited about. I do not know what the author was thinking about but ending seems childish to say the least and seems like unnatural ending for the novel itself (considering other elements described in it).
Good thriller but ending is deeply flawed.
Only downside to the book is the conclusion - prime minister steps out and exposes the entire operation to the media, how they manage to thwart the efforts of their rival state by direct sabotage (even names service responsible) and then state that they will prevent any other nation from further interfering because enemy is now tamed (? I mean come on...) and this does not provoke no reaction from anyone in the world (!?! again, please ...)
Imagine somebody from the government steps out and says that they sabotaged by direct attack their rivals, they disclose it to the world (so it is not just knowledge in the close community) and everybody says - Oh, they blew them ... now gimme that pepper.
These are things conflicts are ignited about. I do not know what the author was thinking about but ending seems childish to say the least and seems like unnatural ending for the novel itself (considering other elements described in it).
Good thriller but ending is deeply flawed.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
The author is the Foreign Affairs columunist for the Washington Post and his suspense novels always seem realistic and this one is no exception. The plot revolves around the CIA finally getting an asset in the Iran nuclear program and, while the characters were a bit thin, it was a fast suspensful listen that was narrated by Dick Hill.
gbdill's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Ignatius novel and it was indeed an excellent read. The only disappointment is that it took over half of the book before The Increment are first introduced. But, from that point on the action never ended. Full of mystery, espionage, and intrigue... all taking place in a country very foreign to us Westerners. Made for an appealing read, never a dull moment. I look forward to reading more of Dave Ignatius' work in the near future.
jgolomb's review against another edition
4.0
David Ignatius creates and builds upon an engagingly textured environment of spies and third world nuclear threat to create a realistic and fun espionage thriller. While I'd give Ignatius' effort three starts for the intricacies of the fiction as literature, I'd move it to a solid four stars for the well-woven and well-paced plot.
The story revolves around a young Iranian scientist who sends the CIA a subtly coded message exposing Iran's efforts in developing nuclear weapons. His mode of communication is the "contact us" link available on the CIA's public website. Ignatius writes, "...occasionally the strange people who sent anonymous messages to the CIA were for real. They knew secrets; they were angry at their government, or the security service, or maybe just at the boss down the hall." In this case, the message was very real, and this communication becomes the launching point for Ignatius' tautly written novel.
The story bounces between CIA headquarters outside of Washington, D.C., Iran, London and other points in the Middles East. It's in London where we learn the meaning behind the novel's title. The Increment is the informal and off-the-books British force that's pulled into only the highest of security missions, and the only forces that truly have James Bond's legendary 'license to kill'.
The plot hums along, and the characters, while sometimes clichéd, are believable. The main threads of the story follow an aging America CIA agent in charge of operations in Iran. He's grizzled and jaded, and the most morally consistent and clear of all characters in the story. An old friend and colleague is a senior officer in the British spy agency who's brought in to help with the operation as it moves to Tehran. The Iranian scientist is sincere and sad. While not terrifically deep, Ignatius crafts this character strongly enough that the reader will actually care and root for his success and safety. Few characters are exclusively what they seem. They're a little good, and a little bad. Characteristics lean towards one side or the other based on whose side they appear to support. But as the plot develops, it becomes clear that some larger chess pieces are orbiting around the primary characters.
I don't read particularly quickly, but this story I knocked off in only 3 days. At times "The Increment" is more mystery than adventure, and the thrill is in the creation, build up and execution of Ignatius' well though-through plan. He smoothly slams home a twisty, curvy conclusion that I wasn't expecting. All in all this was a satisfying read for what it is: a fun thriller with a very old-school spy vibe. I definitely recommend this read.
The story revolves around a young Iranian scientist who sends the CIA a subtly coded message exposing Iran's efforts in developing nuclear weapons. His mode of communication is the "contact us" link available on the CIA's public website. Ignatius writes, "...occasionally the strange people who sent anonymous messages to the CIA were for real. They knew secrets; they were angry at their government, or the security service, or maybe just at the boss down the hall." In this case, the message was very real, and this communication becomes the launching point for Ignatius' tautly written novel.
The story bounces between CIA headquarters outside of Washington, D.C., Iran, London and other points in the Middles East. It's in London where we learn the meaning behind the novel's title. The Increment is the informal and off-the-books British force that's pulled into only the highest of security missions, and the only forces that truly have James Bond's legendary 'license to kill'.
The plot hums along, and the characters, while sometimes clichéd, are believable. The main threads of the story follow an aging America CIA agent in charge of operations in Iran. He's grizzled and jaded, and the most morally consistent and clear of all characters in the story. An old friend and colleague is a senior officer in the British spy agency who's brought in to help with the operation as it moves to Tehran. The Iranian scientist is sincere and sad. While not terrifically deep, Ignatius crafts this character strongly enough that the reader will actually care and root for his success and safety. Few characters are exclusively what they seem. They're a little good, and a little bad. Characteristics lean towards one side or the other based on whose side they appear to support. But as the plot develops, it becomes clear that some larger chess pieces are orbiting around the primary characters.
I don't read particularly quickly, but this story I knocked off in only 3 days. At times "The Increment" is more mystery than adventure, and the thrill is in the creation, build up and execution of Ignatius' well though-through plan. He smoothly slams home a twisty, curvy conclusion that I wasn't expecting. All in all this was a satisfying read for what it is: a fun thriller with a very old-school spy vibe. I definitely recommend this read.
tommyro's review against another edition
4.0
Solid espionage thriller. If you like spy novels, Ignatius delivers.
craigkocur's review against another edition
4.0
The dialogue was hackneyed (which wasn't helped by the Audible narrator who acted it out too much) and the plot was predictable by the end, but I really enjoyed it. I'm going to find some more books by Ignatius.