Not believable. ( )

A worthy successor to "Once a Spy." Good mix of action, characterization and dry humor. I hope Thompson will write more, but not necessarily on this same arc, although the end does leave open the possibility of another sequel. "Thrice a Spy" anyone? ( )

Drummond and his son Charlie are back at another fast paced action adventure this time not only running from the people who want to kill them but also having to rescue Alice. The payment is they have to find a WMD in a washing machine that Drummond used as a cover. Not knowing when Drummonds mind would remember or who were their friends was driving Charlie crazy. If you don't know who Charlie, Drummond, or Alice are then you haven't read the first book Once A Spy. Do yourself a favor and start at the beginning with the first book. That way you can appreciate Twice A Spy. I can't wait for the next installment. ( )

Ex-spy Drummond Clark and his son Charlie are back with another adventure in Twice a Spy.

After successfully eluding CIA agents intent on neutralizing them, they are now hiding out in Switzerland where Drummond is receiving experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Just when they think they might get some rest and relaxation, Charlie’s girlfriend, Alice is kidnapped by a group of bad guys who want Drummond to provide the location of a nuclear device they think he has hidden in Martinique. Meanwhile the CIA is still searching for them and they are now facing criminal charges if they go back to America.

This is the sequel to Once a Spy which I reviewed last month. It’s not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one. The author does a nice job inserting background information when needed. Simply put, Drummond Clark, a retired appliance salesman, was a CIA spy who possesses sensitive information that could be deadly if it falls into the wrong hands. A group within the CIA feels he can’t be trusted due to his failing memory and wants to eliminate him and also his son, Charlie.

This book is a quick, enjoyable read with short chapters, and non-stop action. As in the first book there are lots of things blowing up, car chases, boat chases (we end up in the Caribbean) and shots fired. More a satire than a serious thriller, this book is a lot of fun and would make a good summer read. ( )

I can be a sucker for a thriller/spy novel and when I was contacted about reviewing this one, I agreed. It has been a good minute since I read a book like this and I do try to step out of my comfort zone when possible.

Charlie Clark is a gambler, a wiz with math but he still can’t win with the horses, so he goes on the run with his girlfriend Alice, who just happens to a NSA agent, and his father Drummond Clark who in fact was a spy but is now suffering from Alzheimer’s. The interesting thing about Drummond is that when necessary, he can recall his old spy skills which help them get out of a few situations that would have left anyone but Drummond Clark dead. In Twice a Spy, the plot revolves around a washing machine which is actually a nuclear bomb and a group of terrorists trying to get their hands on it.

This is the second book in an obvious much larger series waiting to happen. I didn’t read Once a Spy, the precursor, so at times I did feel slightly lost but not because of the story which is easy enough to follow but because I didn’t feel as though I knew these characters well enough. There’s an interesting camaraderie going on between Charlie and his father but I felt there might have been more about that in the first book. It transferred well enough but since I’m the type of person that likes to read books in order, it could very well have been my sub-conscience being annoyed at me for not reading the first.

Drummond is a particularly interesting character though and I enjoyed seeing him pull up spy tactics as if he were watching a movie. The plot, while there, is thin but that’s all right. It’s a book about terrorist and a bomb so it has all the elements and it moves. And I mean it moves fast. The chapters are short. Dialogue is short. It’s pretty much non-stop action which is what you expect in a book of this nature. I don’t know if it’s a series I would continue with, but I thought this installment was a good fast read.

This book was sent to me by the publisher for review. ( )