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A Spy by Nature

by Charles Cumming

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Alec Milius (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
4542154,248 (3.35)9
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:

This is what they told me a long time ago.

Only make contact in the event of an emergency.

Only telephone if you believe that your position has been fatally compromised.

Under no circumstances are you to approach us unless it is absolutely necessary in order to preserve the security of the operation.

This is the number.

Alec Milius is young, smart, and ambitious. He also has a talent for deception. He is working in a dead-end job when a chance encounter leads him to MI6, the elite British Secret Intelligence Service, handing him an opportunity to play center stage in a dangerous game of espionage.

In his new line of work, Alec finds that the difference between the truth and a lie can mean the difference between life and death---and he is having trouble telling them apart. Isolated and exposed, he must play a role in which the slightest glance or casual remark can seem heavy with unintended menace. Caught between British and American Intelligence, Alec finds himself threatened and alone, unable to confide in even his closest friend. His life as a spy begins to exact a terrible price, both on himself and on those around him.

Richly atmospheric and chillingly plausible, A Spy by Nature announces the arrival of British author Charles Cumming as heir apparent to masters like John le CarrĂ© and Len Deighton. A bestseller in England, itâ??s the gripping story of a young man driven by ruthless ambition who finds himself chasing not just success but survival.… (more)

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» See also 9 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 21 (next | show all)
Very unusual spy novel in that the protagonist fails in his first effort to become a spy ,,, and things do not go, at all, as he intends when he begins to enter the life he chose. ( )
  RickGeissal | Aug 16, 2023 |
Wannabee Le Carre. Much ado about nothing. ( )
  karatelpek | Jun 30, 2023 |
I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I read it quite quickly, I kept picking it up and reading it, but I'm not quite sure why. The main protagonist is not at all sympathetic. Indeed he is quite dislikeable. None of the other characters are truly compelling. The plot is not incredibly interesting. And yet I kept picking it up and reading it. I'm not sure if I want to read another Alec Milius, but then again I want to find out what it was that I found in this. ( )
  malcrf | Apr 21, 2023 |
A really good read. Gripping without being packed with incident and convincing both in terms of the characters and the spy bits. ( )
  whatmeworry | Apr 9, 2022 |
Spy novel of the anti-James Bond subgenre: post-Cold War, psychological, and no glamour; it gets done via office politics not kung fu.
  annmariegamble | Jan 2, 2021 |
Showing 1-5 of 21 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Charles Cummingprimary authorall editionscalculated
Barnaart, PeterTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:

This is what they told me a long time ago.

Only make contact in the event of an emergency.

Only telephone if you believe that your position has been fatally compromised.

Under no circumstances are you to approach us unless it is absolutely necessary in order to preserve the security of the operation.

This is the number.

Alec Milius is young, smart, and ambitious. He also has a talent for deception. He is working in a dead-end job when a chance encounter leads him to MI6, the elite British Secret Intelligence Service, handing him an opportunity to play center stage in a dangerous game of espionage.

In his new line of work, Alec finds that the difference between the truth and a lie can mean the difference between life and death---and he is having trouble telling them apart. Isolated and exposed, he must play a role in which the slightest glance or casual remark can seem heavy with unintended menace. Caught between British and American Intelligence, Alec finds himself threatened and alone, unable to confide in even his closest friend. His life as a spy begins to exact a terrible price, both on himself and on those around him.

Richly atmospheric and chillingly plausible, A Spy by Nature announces the arrival of British author Charles Cumming as heir apparent to masters like John le CarrĂ© and Len Deighton. A bestseller in England, itâ??s the gripping story of a young man driven by ruthless ambition who finds himself chasing not just success but survival.

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Average: (3.35)
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2 13
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3 40
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4 31
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