Before I review this book, let me remind you that there’s still time to enter the giveaway for the Nordic thriller Sister by Kjell Ola Dahl. But hurry, the deadline is tonight (April 30, 2020) at 11:59 p.m. CDT (Chicago time). Thanks to everyone who’s entered!
Thanks to W.W. Norton Publishers and Netgalley for a copy of The Paladin by David Ignatius in exchange for an honest review.
The Paladin by David Ignatius
Genre: Spy thriller
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Blurb
When a daring, high-tech CIA operation goes wrong and is disavowed, Michael Dunne sets out for revenge.
CIA operations officer Michael Dunne is tasked with infiltrating an Italian news organization that smells like a front for an enemy intelligence service. Headed by an American journalist, the self- styled “people’s bandits” run a cyber operation unlike anything the CIA has seen before. Fast, slick and indiscriminate, they steal secrets from everywhere and anyone, and exploit them in ways the CIA can neither understand nor stop.
Dunne knows it’s illegal to run a covert op on an American citizen or journalist, but he has never refused an assignment and his boss has assured his protection. Soon after Dunne infiltrates the organization, however, his cover disintegrates. When news of the operation breaks and someone leaks that Dunne had an extramarital affair while on the job, the CIA leaves him to take the fall. Now a year later, fresh out of jail, Dunne sets out to hunt down and take vengeance on the people who destroyed his life. (from Goodreads blurb of The Paladin)
My thoughts
If you’re looking for a spy thriller, this is one to put on your to-be-read list!
Plot
The story alternates between 2016 (when the operation takes places) and 2018 (when Dunne tries to destroy his destroyers). Tension and suspense fill this well-developed plot. A few of the big “reveals” underwhelmed me, though, and there were a few lucky breaks that felt too convenient. It also felt strange that some of Dunne’s former colleagues are willing to help him, even if they have to side-step legal issues to do this.
But the storyline spins so steadily, slowly rising toward the explosive climax, that I barely noticed. I was spun deeper into this web of deceit along with Dunne. So much feels real about this story: privacy violated, photos altered, whistleblowers-slash-traitors alternately applauded or condemned by others. Reality and fiction mingle in the novel until it is hard to know the difference.
Ignatius includes lots of insider details about the CIA. I can’t confirm whether gauging a person’s response to stressful questions is almost as reliable as a polygraph test. Or that a “Lemon Squeezer” used to be someone specializing in secret writing. Or how the class system of the CIA compares with a typical suburban high school (!) All I know is that Ignatius sounds convincing. Since he covered the CIA for the Washington Post for three decades, he knows more than the average person.
Characterization
The Paladin isn’t as heavy on the character development as I like. Besides Michael Dunne, few of the characters feel “real” to me. For example, his Afro-Brazilian wife feels like a 2D figure included to raise the emotional stakes, rather than a vital part of the story. What Dunne’s betrayers do devastates her in many ways. (One part was particularly gut-wrenching.)
Fake vs. Real
But as a look at the sophisticated ways technology influences our world, this book fascinates me. Videos and photos can be faked until it’s impossible to tell the difference between the real and unreal. This is frightening, especially if people use it to provoke outrage or violence. In the book, those behind the fraudulent photos/videos exploit real issues (for example, anti-Semitism or racial violence) to further their agenda. “Seeing is believing” is no longer a safe option when what we see is unreal.
Recommended, especially for those who love spy thrillers.
If you’re looking for more books about espionage, I have a list of five great spy thrillers. Also check out my reviews for last year’s The Beijing Conspiracy by Shamini Flint or indie novel Death of a Young Lieutenant by B.R. Stateham. Add your favorites to the comments, so I can put them on the list. Enjoy!
Have you read any of David Ignatius’s books before? Which one should I read next?
Talk to me! What do you think?