We see him struggling with a new wife and a gnarly adolescent son in long domestic scenes set forth in unadorned prose. This matter-of-fact style continues as Alex, who we meet as a burnt-out ex-CIA operative, is persuaded to head off to Russia to help a source of intel get out. Gears shift a bit for the long chase scene that follows, but it’s in the concluding chapters that we see—rather, feel—the emotional effect of all this understatement as all betrayals are revealed. It’s a stunning moment, since readers are invited to bring their long-denied shock and surprise to the scene.
Vidich’s latest superb spy thriller (after Beirut Station) owes more to Charles McCarry than John le Carré, but the message is the same: spies pay for their loyalty in their inability to trust anyone else’s.
Vidich serves up a rare misfire with this action-starved tale ... The narrative’s temperature rarely rises above a low heat, with little genuine suspense on offer. As a protagonist, Matthews lacks spark, and the plot suffers from numerous implausibilities, including a finale involving Matthews’s wife that will leave most readers perplexed. Vidich is capable of much better.
