eldiente's review against another edition
4.0
Audio - very enjoyable trip through Europe in post-cold war era using plot lines and "tributes" to many other spy novels from other authors. The plot weakened towards the end, but overall was adequate.
grs909's review against another edition
3.0
Danger, intrigue and spies lurking around every corner. A good read with a nice appendix list of many other espionage novels/authors.
kimu's review against another edition
3.0
I made it though about half this book before I finally admitted I just wasn't enjoying it. Perhaps if I were a fan of Cold War era mystery/spy novels, I would have felt more connected to this book. Instead, it was just a big yawn for me, not enough mystery or puzzle to keep me going.
stacyslap's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoy spy novels and this one was ok. The premise was good but the story became a very drug out affair for me. I did have an issue with keeping up with which character he was talking to or about at times. There was a lot of information to remember and keep straight. As far as knowing his spy novels, Dan Fesperman is expert level and I really did like the idea of a hunt based on quotes and passages of books. I wrote down the list of books referenced for further reading.
jeregenest's review against another edition
3.0
This is not a great spy novel but it is a great book about spy novels and will be greatly enjoyed by fans of the genre for that. As a celebration of the genre I highly recommend it to folks.
mmichellemoore's review against another edition
1.0
I heard about this book on "Books on the Nightstand" and was excited to read a thriller of a book about books but I don't have enough of a background in spy novels to get much out of it. I have it 100 pages and couldn't get into it....
whatandreawrote's review against another edition
3.0
Washington Post reporter Bill Cage gets drawn into the spy world of his Le Carre-esque idol Lemaster in a very unexpected way. Years after an interview in which Lemaster admits that he considered working as a double agent for the Soviets, Cage receives a note - composed of cutouts from his favorite classic spy novels - telling him to find out what really happened. I'm not a Cold War buff, but I thoroughly enjoyed this homage to Le Carre and the other Cold War novelist greats.
chipinabag842's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mavisjoy's review against another edition
4.0
A gripping tale which held my attention right to the final page
jbdunn's review against another edition
4.0
A clever plot, honoring the entire spy genre. There were a few unanswered questions at the end but that is also typical of the genre. Good read.