The Spanish Game (Alec Milius 2)
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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
Daily Mail
'Cracking ... the serpentine twists and the unflaggingly realistic
suspense leave you breathless, but spellbound.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
suspense leave you breathless, but spellbound.' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
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.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
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.
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.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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 2 months ago by Blue in Washington
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 2 months ago by Mrs. K. A. P. Wright
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 3 months ago by EmmaC
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 21 months ago by The Wanderer
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
I liked it
Good plot, nice twists and surprises. Good spying part. A good read.
I liked it. And recommend for those who look for some mystery in reading.
I liked it. And recommend for those who look for some mystery in reading.
Published on 22 April 2010 by Rafal Gruszczynski
Enjoyable.
I read A Spy By Nature first, and although I found it a bit slow going in the first half, did enjoy the book - I next read The Hidden Man a few months later and found it much... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2010 by McColl
Basque stuff all wrong
I hated this novel. I'm no spy novels' fan. I read this one because I'm Basque, and I was interested to see how an English writer would see the Basque problem. Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2009 by A Reader
Quite Readable
I bought The Spanish Game as I will be visiting Madrid and wanted to get a feel for the locality. The book was very easy to read and quite a 'page turner'; it also fulfilled my... Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2009 by Karen Boxall
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 on 3 May 2009 by Richard London (Thriller Fan)
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