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thattheatrekid's review against another edition
Murder mysteries really aren’t my thing but I tried
zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
Our protagonist - Wes - is CIA officer serving jail time in the International War Crime jail. Reason is simple - after one of the actions Wes conducted in the Middle East goes south and well known public persons get killed in process CIA abandons him and lets international public and police try him for war crimes and finally put him in jail.
Book starts with the bang - number of civilians ends up dead in Spain after terrorists execute the bomb attack. This would not worry Wes that much if it weren't the fact that his ex wife ends up dead. And considering that she is also a spy everything looks more and more as an intentional assassination attempt with huge collateral damage. So Wes starts the search and soon finds out.
As is always case with Kevin Wignall protagonists is sort-of-a-anti-hero. He has a special set of skills and these were learned while doing unpopular things to people pointed to him by the government (that is now actively seeking to kill him).
Story is a page-turner, lots of action from Spain to USA and as story progresses it becomes obvious that reason for both Wes incarceration and his wife's death is nothing dramatic but just bureaucrats with guns deciding to do a clean up.
Only thing that seems a little bit deus-ex-machina-like is Wes' connection to the weird, socially awkward daughter of one of the other war-criminals serving time in the same jail with Wes. I know weird things can happen and some people act much differently than the others but this connection that grew in a couple of pages to a friendship was very very strange. But with this Wes ends up with a capable and fearless companion that proves invaluable in solving the puzzle.
All in all good story, excellent thriller. Only if it weren't for this weird "companion" thingy.
Book starts with the bang - number of civilians ends up dead in Spain after terrorists execute the bomb attack. This would not worry Wes that much if it weren't the fact that his ex wife ends up dead. And considering that she is also a spy everything looks more and more as an intentional assassination attempt with huge collateral damage. So Wes starts the search and soon finds out
Spoiler
that his own son (he knew nothing about) was traveling with his ex fiance when she was killed - so search for his wife's killers becomes a desperate search to find his sonAs is always case with Kevin Wignall protagonists is sort-of-a-anti-hero. He has a special set of skills and these were learned while doing unpopular things to people pointed to him by the government (that is now actively seeking to kill him).
Story is a page-turner, lots of action from Spain to USA and as story progresses it becomes obvious that reason for both Wes incarceration and his wife's death is nothing dramatic but just bureaucrats with guns deciding to do a clean up.
Only thing that seems a little bit deus-ex-machina-like is Wes' connection to the weird, socially awkward daughter of one of the other war-criminals serving time in the same jail with Wes. I know weird things can happen and some people act much differently than the others but this connection that grew in a couple of pages to a friendship was very very strange. But with this Wes ends up with a capable and fearless companion that proves invaluable in solving the puzzle.
All in all good story, excellent thriller. Only if it weren't for this weird "companion" thingy.
fotoshopguy52's review
3.0
3.5 stars - engaging and fast-paced, but too unrealistic at times to be even remotely believable.
rick_k's review against another edition
2.0
This doesn't have the hyper-competent lone operator typical of the genre, nor the compelling character we get in some of Kevin Wignall's other efforts. Everything just seems to work out for James Wesley - not due to his training or intelligence, but simply good fortune. The right person drives by, or randomly leaves, or provides just the right information out of left field. There are leaps of logic made and accepted without comment, which immediately prove prescient. I have enjoyed [b:The Traitor's Story|28135372|The Traitor's Story|Kevin Wignall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1463019309l/28135372._SY75_.jpg|48199939], [b:To Die in Vienna|36647212|To Die in Vienna|Kevin Wignall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1523505630l/36647212._SY75_.jpg|58406401], and [b:A Death in Sweden|39212122|A Death in Sweden|Kevin Wignall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520947890l/39212122._SY75_.jpg|45688257] far more, and would guide you to one of those if you are interested in Wignall's work.
teeneil's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
tx2its's review against another edition
2.0
Reading 2020
Book 17: The Names of the Dead by Kevin Wignall
This was one of my Amazon First Reads selections this month. The expected publishing date for the book is sometime in February.
Wes is a disgraced CIA agent in prison for giving the order to shoot down a helicopter full of friendly passengers. He gets early release when his ex-wife is killed in a bombing of a cafe in Spain. A young son, Wes has no idea even existed, is missing. Wes must clear his name, the CIA wants him dead, and find his son once he gets out of prison. Help will come from unlikely places as Wes moves across Spain, Portugal, and other places in Europe.
So this book, hmmmmm. I was ready to abandon it at one point, but stuck it out and finished. The writing was simplistic, easy for me to skip over some of it as not important to the story. I did like Wes and his sidekick Mia, would have liked more about Mia, and that may be what made me finish the book. As far as spy books, or books that involve a kill or be killed theme, this was not close to my favorite, not Jason Bourne or anything (Colin would say "My mum fancies him". Anyone know where this quote comes from?) . My rating 2.5 ⭐️ .
Book 17: The Names of the Dead by Kevin Wignall
This was one of my Amazon First Reads selections this month. The expected publishing date for the book is sometime in February.
Wes is a disgraced CIA agent in prison for giving the order to shoot down a helicopter full of friendly passengers. He gets early release when his ex-wife is killed in a bombing of a cafe in Spain. A young son, Wes has no idea even existed, is missing. Wes must clear his name, the CIA wants him dead, and find his son once he gets out of prison. Help will come from unlikely places as Wes moves across Spain, Portugal, and other places in Europe.
So this book, hmmmmm. I was ready to abandon it at one point, but stuck it out and finished. The writing was simplistic, easy for me to skip over some of it as not important to the story. I did like Wes and his sidekick Mia, would have liked more about Mia, and that may be what made me finish the book. As far as spy books, or books that involve a kill or be killed theme, this was not close to my favorite, not Jason Bourne or anything (Colin would say "My mum fancies him". Anyone know where this quote comes from?) . My rating 2.5 ⭐️ .
sobolevnrm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
hookerkitty's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Blood, Gore, Grief, and War
Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, Child death, Abandonment, Alcohol, Rape, Self harm, Death of parent, and Mental illness