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joyousreads132's review
4.0
There are 200 of these Malko Linge novels, but only three of them have been translated to English so far. Often compared to Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, deVilliers’ Linge features a freelancer CIA agent with hardly the advance technological weaponry of MI5, but has all the suave of a debonaire secret agent. DeVillier has been known to jump ahead of the news. Meaning, he seemed to have the premonition for current world affairs even before it happens. You can tell his journalist roots by reading his stories, and this book gave me the chills simply because it seems so oddly relevant.
The Resurgence of Cold War
In this speculative world, Vladimir Putin is well on his way to reunite USSR. For the last eight years, he’s been quietly working his magic behind the scenes. He rules the country with an iron fist, and have slowly been eliminating organizations and people that could potentially be his enemies (including, Pussy Riot).
First on his agenda is to reestablished a defunct agency within the KGB. So clandestine, in fact, that it does not exist. Wink. Wink. SMERSH is the organization that used to assassinate regime opponents. And the first on the “hit list” is the former kingmaker, Boris Berezovsky. To cut the long story short, Berezovsky made Putin king, but got in his way as he was trying to be, a Russian god. Eight long years later, Putin ordered his assassination.
Matryoshka dolls, Stolichnaya, and radioactive poisons.
The Russian style of assassination is very sophisticated nowadays. Also, very discreet and potently effective. However, they didn’t account for an Austrian-born secret agent to unearth the deep-seated roots of their plans. And just how far Putin’s infiltration has come within the UK. In this world, Putin is in cahoots with England’s Prime Minister. Thus, gaining the protection of MI5 and Scotland Yard. While the assassination of an ogli arch bears no importance with the CIA, it still garnered their attention simply because an alliance with Russia and the UK could change the dynamics of the civilized world as we know it.
Follow Malko as he figure out how exactly did the Russians manage to make the assassination look like suicide. Or how they poison people with substances that leave no evidence or trace in a person’s body.
Why you should read this.
When was the last time you’ve enjoyed an honest-to-goodness, edge-of-your seat, sophisticated spy novel? If you’re like me, probably never.
And what’s a spy novel without a sexy woman in the wings? Much as I hate that Gwyneth Robertson used her sexuality as a tool for gaining information, the former CIA handler was also very cunning. However, aside from the fact that she’s using her feminine whiles to gain Malko’s affection, no one really knows what her game plans are. She’s very successful in what she does, so we know she’s not using her femininity to gain power.
When Random House sent this to me, I had no idea what kind of novel I was in for. It’s quite an experience reading this book. Everything is so garishly new and exciting. I enjoyed learning the insides of cloak and dagger organizations such as CIA, MI5 and even, FSB. I really am excited to read the rest of the novels in this series.
The Resurgence of Cold War
In this speculative world, Vladimir Putin is well on his way to reunite USSR. For the last eight years, he’s been quietly working his magic behind the scenes. He rules the country with an iron fist, and have slowly been eliminating organizations and people that could potentially be his enemies (including, Pussy Riot).
First on his agenda is to reestablished a defunct agency within the KGB. So clandestine, in fact, that it does not exist. Wink. Wink. SMERSH is the organization that used to assassinate regime opponents. And the first on the “hit list” is the former kingmaker, Boris Berezovsky. To cut the long story short, Berezovsky made Putin king, but got in his way as he was trying to be, a Russian god. Eight long years later, Putin ordered his assassination.
Matryoshka dolls, Stolichnaya, and radioactive poisons.
The Russian style of assassination is very sophisticated nowadays. Also, very discreet and potently effective. However, they didn’t account for an Austrian-born secret agent to unearth the deep-seated roots of their plans. And just how far Putin’s infiltration has come within the UK. In this world, Putin is in cahoots with England’s Prime Minister. Thus, gaining the protection of MI5 and Scotland Yard. While the assassination of an ogli arch bears no importance with the CIA, it still garnered their attention simply because an alliance with Russia and the UK could change the dynamics of the civilized world as we know it.
Follow Malko as he figure out how exactly did the Russians manage to make the assassination look like suicide. Or how they poison people with substances that leave no evidence or trace in a person’s body.
Why you should read this.
When was the last time you’ve enjoyed an honest-to-goodness, edge-of-your seat, sophisticated spy novel? If you’re like me, probably never.
And what’s a spy novel without a sexy woman in the wings? Much as I hate that Gwyneth Robertson used her sexuality as a tool for gaining information, the former CIA handler was also very cunning. However, aside from the fact that she’s using her feminine whiles to gain Malko’s affection, no one really knows what her game plans are. She’s very successful in what she does, so we know she’s not using her femininity to gain power.
When Random House sent this to me, I had no idea what kind of novel I was in for. It’s quite an experience reading this book. Everything is so garishly new and exciting. I enjoyed learning the insides of cloak and dagger organizations such as CIA, MI5 and even, FSB. I really am excited to read the rest of the novels in this series.
usbsticky's review
4.0
This is my 3rd Malko Linge book. I like them because they're quick as easy to read, no fluff, no boring parts. They're almost like novellas, nothing deep, nothing major, almost like a surgical spy operation, in and out quickly. Great for an airport wait or a long flight.
This one deals with a Russian oligarch assassination. The Russian oligarch is now in England but killed anyway. Linge is tasked with finding the killer. The plot is based on the real FSB agent Litvinenko who was poisoned in England and the real Boris Berezovsky.
Cons of this story: The ending is a bit meh and there are a lot of dead end side trips and gratuitous sex. The side trips are ok as I can accept that there are a lot of dead ends when doing investigations and it shows how things aren't straightforward. I guess the sex is part of Linge's character.
This one deals with a Russian oligarch assassination. The Russian oligarch is now in England but killed anyway. Linge is tasked with finding the killer. The plot is based on the real FSB agent Litvinenko who was poisoned in England and the real Boris Berezovsky.
Cons of this story: The ending is a bit meh and there are a lot of dead end side trips and gratuitous sex. The side trips are ok as I can accept that there are a lot of dead ends when doing investigations and it shows how things aren't straightforward. I guess the sex is part of Linge's character.
chalicotherex's review
2.0
It wasn't very imaginative or well written or anything, but I liked the 'plucked from the headlines' concept of investigating the Berezovsky killing. And to think de Villiers was pumping five of these out per year at one point! Apparently they're fairly accurate, too, in the sense of the author doing his homework. Evidently he predicted the assassinations of Anwar al Sadat and Indira Gandhi, plus he once accidentally outed the CIA's Madagascar station chief and the fact that he worked from the the fourth floor of the embassy? He'd meant to change the character's name but forgot to do so. So this probably would've been more interesting if I had more interest invested in the Berezovsky killing. Might read his Benghazi book at some point, if I can track it down.
kayoreads's review
1.0
I read this book for a class I'm currently in, The Cold War and the Spy Novel. This is the last of 14 books we read, and I was looking forward to it as the only book that mixed contemporary politics with espionage. The book features Vladimir Putin, and the very real death of businessman Boris Berezovsky.
However, I was supremely disappointed. Even though this was the most recently written book featured on the class syllabus, it was the most sexist of them all. Pretty much half the book is devoted to super vulgar, overly-detailed, entirely unnecessary sex scenes. The book is chock full of lines that will make you gag and roll your eyes before tossing the book out of the window, as he describes one character's "f**k-me look" like a "she-cat in heat." Gross. Besides that, the plot has a few holes: the CIA says they're looking into the boyfriend of Berezovsky's lover and then never mention him again, one of Malko Linge's lovers & helpers dies and Linge never even acknowledges this, Linge's fiance takes up half a page and never shows up again. It just makes you wonder, what the f*** is the point of all this?! Probably 2/3 of this book is superfluous.
However, I was supremely disappointed. Even though this was the most recently written book featured on the class syllabus, it was the most sexist of them all. Pretty much half the book is devoted to super vulgar, overly-detailed, entirely unnecessary sex scenes. The book is chock full of lines that will make you gag and roll your eyes before tossing the book out of the window, as he describes one character's "f**k-me look" like a "she-cat in heat." Gross. Besides that, the plot has a few holes: the CIA says they're looking into the boyfriend of Berezovsky's lover and then never mention him again, one of Malko Linge's lovers & helpers dies and Linge never even acknowledges this, Linge's fiance takes up half a page and never shows up again. It just makes you wonder, what the f*** is the point of all this?! Probably 2/3 of this book is superfluous.
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