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Product Description

thelondonpaper
'Class ... He's dragging the spy novel into the era of Spooks,
Jack Bauer and Daniel Craig's James Bond.'

Daily Mail
'Cracking ... the serpentine twists and the unflaggingly realistic
suspense leave you breathless, but spellbound.'

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The door leading into the hotel is already open and I walk through it into a low, wide lobby. Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(11)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect, 23 Oct 2007

By	Donaldo "Book lover" (Manchester, England) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I think this is the strongest novel Charles Cumming has produced to date. He has matured quite a bit since his first novel, A Spy By Nature. It was a good decision to re-visit the main character from the first novel, Alec Milius, who is now in exile in Madrid, working for a British finance company. He fills his time having an affair with his boss's wife, and being paranoid that enemies from his previous life in Britain working for MI5 are still out to get him. His counter-surveillance measures he carries out partly out of necessity, but also partly because he enjoys the secret life, and hasn't been able to let go of it.

The setting in Madrid is good, a refreshing break from the previous two novels set in London. Alec Milius is asked to explore the possibility of his finance company investing in Basque country, and in the course of various meetings, he spends an evening with a former Basque activist and politician. They get on, and agree to meet up at a later date. But on his way to meet Alec, the politician disappears. Suspecting foul play, Alec cannot help himself but investigate, and in doing so, he gets drawn into Basque politics, ETA, and back into the murky world of espionage.

It's not a perfect thriller, but it's an improvement on his first two novels. The plotting is smoother and more effective. Unlike other reviewers, I would argue that ending is not that good - for me it was a contrivance too far. I couldn't fault anything up to that point. This is mostly because Alex Milius is such a convincing, fascinating creation. Charles Cumming makes a passing reference in the novel to The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, which is a fair comparison. Both Ripley and Milius have tremendous talents, but also the seeds of their own destruction within their character flaws. The espionage theme suggests more Le Carre than Highsmith, and again, I don't think it's an unfair comparison to Le Carre. Good espionage writers understand that the interest is not as much in the plot as in the characters - the kind of people who can carry out ethically dubious activities for a perceived higher cause are by their nature, flawed. This is what fascinates the reader, not which country is plotting against who, how and with what fancy gadgetry.

I can only hope that Alec Milius returns in a new novel, but I think that Charles Cumming was right to let him have a break between novels. Aside from the ending, this is a near perfect espionage thriller.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top Drawer, 7 Feb 2006

By	"demibourdon" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spanish Game (Hardcover)

Was delighted to find out that Alec Milius has returned. Charles Cumming has researched this book superbly and our hero returns a few years older but still paranoid and with the essence of his character still in tact which is refreshing in a sequel. Set in Madrid our hero takes on a foreign city with enthusiasm and too much trust in the wrong people. Alec is caught up with ETA and without giving too much away there are parts that really shake you to the core. This is not for the faint hearted as it has everything you want in a thriller. Intelligently written, well plotted and in true Cumming style a book you will want to tell all your friends about as it will keep you up most of the night. Welcome back Alec Milius.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and gripping. Redefines the contemporary Spy Novel, 13 Feb 2006

By	Philippe Patek (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spanish Game (Hardcover)

I thought A Spy By Nature was good, and looked forward to a solid follow-up. In fact, The Spanish Game is even better. It will be seriously hard for anyone to beat this novel in 2006. Lots of subtlety in the plotting and characterisation. There's nothing predictable, but no bogus dead-ends, or cutesy contrivance.

It's a genuinely original read. Fast-paced without being obvious and packs a punch without being heavy handed.

The hero is a gem and a character that you'll want to see again and again. His literary personality is as identifiable and strong as a Stephen Maturin or a Flashman.

You'll find yourself reading this book sooner or later. My advice is read it sooner.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Thriller: Cannot Stop Listening
This is a really excellent audio book, extremely well read and utterly absorbing and compelling from first to last. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Richard London (Thriller Fan)

3.0 out of 5 stars Come back Le Carr� and Len Deighton
The high rating of this novel by other reviewers both led me to it and isolates me as the odd one out. Overall I would class it as mediocre fare indeed. Read more

Published 3 months ago by A. J. Williams

5.0 out of 5 stars Agree
This i my favorite book by the author, i agree with below that he has matured.
Can't wait for the next book in June.

Published 15 months ago by James Burrell

5.0 out of 5 stars Super book
There is a line late on in this book where our hero muses that "my life has become a Rubik's cube which is simply impossible to solve" and certainly there are enough twists... Read more

Published on 19 Mar 2006

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
I fully expected to be enthralled by this book. The detail is remarkable - but sometimes intrusive. I felt that the plot moved too slowly at the beginning. Read more

Published on 18 Mar 2006 by David A. Green

5.0 out of 5 stars FRESHNESS ON EVERY PAGE AND PARAGRAPH
Alex Milius is tall, lonely and obsessed with his past having loused up his earlier career with S.I.S. Read more

Published on 28 Feb 2006 by Charles Ranald

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding return!
I'm not one to read plot spoils so the return of Alex Milius was a shock, but it was very welcome. Never has a spy been so well crafted for a generation (I'm 32). Read more

Published on 11 Feb 2006 by suoks

5.0 out of 5 stars This boy just gets better and better
Charles Cumming's development as a novelist of subtlety and talent continues apace. The Spanish Game is his best book yet, on several levels. Read more

Published on 3 Feb 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Do believe the hype!
I have to admit I was somewhat sceptical about this book given some of the overblown verbiage suggesting Cumming was the natural successor to Le Carre etc etc(aren't they... Read more

Published on 2 Feb 2006 by stickywings

5.0 out of 5 stars Easily his best book yet
I was a big fan of Charles Cumming's previous two books but The Spanish Game takes him to a different level altogether. Read more

Published on 18 Jan 2006 by hovvermower

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	73% buy the item featured on this page: The Spanish Game 4.7 out of 5 stars (13) �5.99
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The Spanish Game (Paperback)

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