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A review by alex_ellermann
The Director by David Ignatius
3.0
This is weakest of David Ignatius's spy novels. It could have been the best.
'The Director' tells the story of a new CIA director who is determined to shake up the agency. One the one side, his new career is threatened by the old guard, who will do everything in their power to slow-roll change. On the other, the global order is threatened by hackers who will do everything in their power to change world's power structures as quickly as they can.
This is a great setup, and Ignatius makes a terrific story out of it. Loaded with the details that arises from serious research and a longstanding familiarity with the world of intelligence, this is the kind of book one devours in an evening or two.
The problem is that it falls apart at the end. There's a villain move so brazen that it defies belief. There's a megalomaniacal monologue that's out of character for the monologuist. There's a reversal of fortune that includes a villain becoming an ally seemingly out of the blue. There's a resolution that feels profoundly unsatisfying.
Right up to the last fifteen pages, this book was cruising toward four stars. Still, even though Ignatius didn't stick the landing, I recommend this novel for lovers of spy fiction. It's a good ride, even if it does peter out at the end.
'The Director' tells the story of a new CIA director who is determined to shake up the agency. One the one side, his new career is threatened by the old guard, who will do everything in their power to slow-roll change. On the other, the global order is threatened by hackers who will do everything in their power to change world's power structures as quickly as they can.
This is a great setup, and Ignatius makes a terrific story out of it. Loaded with the details that arises from serious research and a longstanding familiarity with the world of intelligence, this is the kind of book one devours in an evening or two.
The problem is that it falls apart at the end. There's a villain move so brazen that it defies belief. There's a megalomaniacal monologue that's out of character for the monologuist. There's a reversal of fortune that includes a villain becoming an ally seemingly out of the blue. There's a resolution that feels profoundly unsatisfying.
Right up to the last fifteen pages, this book was cruising toward four stars. Still, even though Ignatius didn't stick the landing, I recommend this novel for lovers of spy fiction. It's a good ride, even if it does peter out at the end.