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The Spanish Game (Alec Milius 2) [Paperback]

Charles Cumming (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 29 Mar 2012 | Series: Alec Milius 2

A vivid and gripping novel from ‘the master of the modern spy thriller’ (Mail on Sunday) which sees Alec Milius coaxed back into the secret world to face the uncontainable danger of 21st century terrorism…

For six years, Alec Milius has escaped the past. In Madrid, he has rebuilt his life, but remains in exile and in danger.

Slightly older, and much wiser, than the young spy who first impressed MI6, he has kept his fatal attraction to secrets. So when a prominent politician mysteriously disappears, Alec is lured back into the spying game.

Only this time he operates without the protection of any official agency – isolated and expendable, with nobody to turn to if things go wrong. And they soon do.

But when Alec is confronted with the nightmare of modern terrorism, he is given one last chance for redemption…

Frequently Bought Together

The Spanish Game (Alec Milius 2) + A Spy by Nature (Alec Milius 1) + The Trinity Six
Price For All Three: £17.57

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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (29 Mar 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0007416938
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007416936
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 12,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

'A cracking good spy thriller… the serprentine twists and the unflaggingly realistic suspense leave you breathless, but spellbound’ Daily Mail

'The Man who most successfully gets under the skin of Britain's intelligence agencies' The Times

'From the first page to the last it has the ring of absolute authenticity. Tautly written, cleverly plotted…it reminded me strongly of the early books of John le Carré' Robert Harris, author of Fatherland and The Ghost

'A wholly compelling and sophisticated spy novel – vivid and disturbing – immaculately researched and full of harrowing contemporary relevance' William Boyd, author of Restless

‘Terrific…vividly realised…as strong on emotional literacy as it is on spycraft’ New Statesman

About the Author

Charles Cumming was born in Scotland in 1971. He was educated at Eton and graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1994 with First Class Honours in English Literature. The Observer has described him as "the best of the new generation of British spy writers who are taking over where John le Carré and Len Deighton left off". In the summer of 1995, Charles was approached for recruitment by the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). A year later he moved to Montreal where he began working on a novel based on his experiences with MI6. A Spy By Nature was published in the UK in 2001. This is his fifth novel.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Drawer 7 Feb 2006
By Aggieandco
Format: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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10 of 10 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
Format: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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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect 23 Oct 2007
By Donaldo
Format:Paperback
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars The Spanish Game
It was written in a style that sustained my interest from start to finish. As did the first Alec Milius book.
Published 2 months ago by derek couzens
2.0 out of 5 stars So Disappointing......yawn!!!
Having really enjoyed the first one, I was so disappointed with this one...it never got going for me and I gave up halfway through, which is very unusual for me. Read more
Published 3 months ago by David Hume
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I had hoped
After reading Typhoon by Cumming I was excited at the prospect of an equally enthralling spy thriller. I soon realised that this book was very different. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Jonathan Ryan
4.0 out of 5 stars Spanish spy thriller
Enjoyed this book.Good background info re Spanish lifestyle and Spanish cities etc A real change for a spy novel to be set in Spain.Delivery of book from Amazon. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Senorita jacqui
4.0 out of 5 stars The Spanish Game
This book is in the "Le Carre" mode with a certain insight into the British secret service. Very well written with attention to detail I found it difficult to put the book down.
Published 10 months ago by Sam
3.0 out of 5 stars Dangerous exile for a failed spy
Alec Milius, protagonist of "The Spanish Game," is a British expat who has been living in Madrid for five years after a short-lived career as an agent for the MI-5. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Blue in Washington
4.0 out of 5 stars A tough game but worth it in the end.
Of the Charles Cumming books I have read (The Trinity Six, A Spy by Nature and A Foreign Country) The Spanish Game is the most difficult to tackle. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mrs. K. A. P. Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars Great second installment
Very good follow-up to the first Alec Milius book. I found I enjoyed this one more than the first, the protagonist has some meat on his bones. Read more
Published 15 months ago by EmmaC
4.0 out of 5 stars A pacy, involving and well-constructed spy thriller
"The Spanish Game" is the third novel by Charles Cumming, and the sequel to "A Spy by Nature". Ex-MI6 agent Alec Milius has spent the last six years in exile in Madrid after a... Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2010 by The Wanderer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not great
Firstly, I just loved A spy by nature, I highly recommend it. The Spanish game was good, but not quiet as excellent. Read more
Published on 29 April 2010 by M. Double
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