I liked "Night Heron," but wasn't impressed by this one. ( )

This is a great spy thriller, a worthy successor to the great 'Night Heron' by Adam Brookes. Many of the same characters are involved, the story is complex yet not overly so, and the writing is superb. Unfortunately, Mr. Brookes has no back catalog, so I'm now in the position of anxiously awaiting his next novel, whether another installment of this series or any other sort. Let's go, man!

Seriously, this is an exciting novel full of not only exotic characters but also 'everyman' folk with whom readers can identify. I've tried to think of why I've been so impressed with his two stories, and I think part of it (beyond the excellent writing, great plots, intricate spycraft, and fine character development) is that the key protagonists (Mangan and Patterson) are both people that are pretty normal (especially Mangan), with personal foibles, jobs, etc. They just happen to get caught up in the spy game and, believe me, once that happens in these novels you just can't put the books down. Wonderful stuff! ( )

If you like le Carre you will love Brookes, who pens modern spy stories with traditional style and panache: a former foreign correspondent who spent years in the Far East, Brookes has an air of unmistakable authenticity in his writing.

Spy Games is the sequel to his debut, Night Heron, and continues the story of Philip Mangan, journalist-cum-spy, who has fled from China to the dusty streets of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Espionage is not a game from which you can retire however, as Philip discovers when he is approached by a Chinese agent known as Rocky.

Trish Patterson from the British Secret Service is his handler, and Mangan is soon back in the fray, running Rocky for the British and trying to discover just how deeply Chinese influence extends in Africa. Naturally there are double crosses and nothing ever goes as smoothly as it should, but that’s what makes this book a winner. ( )

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