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A review by attytheresa
Jack of Spies by David Downing
4.0
I absolutely raced through this, staying up much too late on a work night to finish it.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect. [bc:Jack of Spies|18404452|Jack of Spies (Jack McColl, #1)|David Downing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393789328l/18404452._SY75_.jpg|25781654].
This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect. [bc:Jack of Spies|18404452|Jack of Spies (Jack McColl, #1)|David Downing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393789328l/18404452._SY75_.jpg|25781654].
This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.