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SUSPENSE
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Kim Philby on the
1990 USSR
commemorative stamp
H.A.R. Philby (1912–1988): high-ranking
member of British intelligence. A socialist, he served as an NKVD and
KGB operative.
In 1963, Philby was revealed as a member of the spy ring now known as
the Cambridge Five.
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A child suffering the effects of severe hunger and malnutrition. The
effects of the blockade. Pictures of the famine caused by Nigerian
blockade garnered sympathy for the Biafrans worldwide.
The Nigerian-Biafran War, (1967 – 1970) was a political conflict caused by the
attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the
self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra.
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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MYSTERY HORROR
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PROFILES
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Free Agent
by Jeremy Duns
Sketchy characterization and scene setting
When a KGB Agent turns up during
the Biafra civil war in Nigeria with information about a double agent
in British Intelligence, agent Paul Dark fears his past will
catch up with him. Twenty-five years ago, Dark was recruited by
MI6, joining his father in a covert, unsanctioned mission to
unofficially execute Nazi war criminals. Now on the run from both
MI6 and the KGB, Paul Dark is determined to protect himself and
find the only woman he has ever loved, a woman he long belived
dead. The Biafra civil war complicates his mission, not only
thwarting his physical movements but highlighting the moral dilemma of
intelligence work itself more and more as the novel races towards the
final shocking resolution.
In his debut espionage thriller FREE
AGENT, Jeremy Duns gives espionage lovers an action-packed novel
with several twists and turns as the boundaries between agent and
double agent collide. The first person narrative aligns the
reader with Paul Dark, allowing the reader to view the events only
through his incomplete knowledge. While this adds an element of
suspense, the reader needs more details to feel drawn into the
story. The backdrop of the Biafra civil war gives an interesting
look into the influence of the superpowers and the intelligence game
itself during this period of time. One wishes the author had
developed this aspect of the story more both in giving more historical
details and simply more space in the current action. In addition,
the 1945 background seems a most promising twist on the story, but
little background is given throughout the story and most details are
saved until the end. As fascinating as the final denouement is,
more background to the past throughout the novel would have built up
the sense of anticipation as well as the depth of the characters.
FREE AGENT would
benefit from more in depth characterization. The characters and
their relationships, both personal and professional, feel
sketchy. Fast paced, action-filled espionage thrillers are great,
but one needs enough characterization to be drawn into caring about the
characters in the first place. The surprise ending fascinates
with its clever twists and subterfuge, and yet, the lack of
characterization leading up to that moment decreases the potential
impact of the ending. FREE
AGENT would have been a better book with more attention to
historical background of the characters and in the scene setting
itself. If it makes the book longer, so be it. More
atmosphere and characterization would produce a more intense,
nail-biting pace because the reader would have had more investment in
the characters and the outcome. The author's mention of the
Philby background and the historical notes at the end fascinated me,
but I would have liked to have seen more of the author's knowledge
interwoven into the story itself. Rather than detracting from the
story's action, this would have built up the significance of the action.
With his potential complexity and history, Paul Dark has potential as
the center of an espionage series. This espionage thriller lover
hopes that in future novels, the author will take the time and page
count necessary to flesh out the story more so that all those twists
and turns have the desired maximum effect. While I enjoyed the
non-stop twists and turns and the nods to history, the sketchiness of
the novel felt more like an undeveloped outline for a great story to be
told.
Publisher: Viking (June 25,
2009)
Author web site
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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