Spy novels come thick and fast with the likes of Mick Herron, Charles Beaumont and I.S. Berry emerging as leading new voices in the past few years. One who has ridden this wave of new authors and established himself among the upper echelons of spy fiction is David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst. His debut novel, Damascus Station, which dealt with the event of the Arab Spring, was an instant sensation. His two follow-ups, Moscow X andThe Seventh Floor are loosely interlinked through some shared characters. Both earned equally strong reviews.
He steps away from the world of the CIA with his hotly anticipated fourth novel, The Persian, still a spy thriller but covering intelligence and counter-intelligence operations between Israeli intelligence outfit Mossad and Iran. As with his first three books, McCloskey’s experience and expertise feel prescient, capturing the real geopolitical turmoil and bringing a sense of realism that the best spy fiction possesses.
We follow Swedish dentist Kamran Esfahan, of Iranian descent (our titular Persian), who is recruited by Mossad handler Arik Glitzman to spy for the Israelis, to help him achieve his dream of moving to California. We witness Kamran’s journey into the world of espionage and his own turning of an asset, while simultaneously charting Glitzman’s own operations and modus operandi.
This is a more ambitious and morally grey novel than McCloskey’s previous work. Glitzman is a compelling, nuanced character, sympathetic in some moments and a stone-cold killer the next. In a series of books with engrossing characters, he is one of the finest McCloskey has written to date.
There may have been concerns that a standalone novel would curtail the momentum that has been built over the past few years, but that is certainly not the case. This is a rich, self-contained world that shows McCloskey is more than capable of telling a compelling story outside of his usual wheelhouse. The moral ambiguity and layered storytelling from multiple perspectives and timelines make this a gripping read that is hard to put down. As the disparate threads begin to unravel, how they intersect is a joy to read.
It further cements McCloskey as one of the leading spy and thriller writers working today and will whet appetites for his fifth book due at some stage in 2027. It is said to be focused on the UK-US alliance so once again tapping into the news agenda. He certainly has a lot to live up to after The Persian but with a four-book run this strong, it’d be a surprise if he didn’t find a way to surpass himself.
Words by Chris Connor
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