Mark Henshaw (2)Reviews

The 4th novel in the Red Cell grouping by Mark Henshaw, 'The Last Man in Tehran', is a decent thriller but uneven in its plot. Realistic action, good tradecraft, and taut dialogue is too often followed by sequences that just don't pass the smell test, at least to me.

Last Man.... starts off with a 'bang', as terrorists explode a 'dirty bomb' in an Israeli port city. It has all the hallmarks of an Iranian attack, so Israel's Mossad begins to run its playbook of assassinations and broader acts of retribution. Concurrently, a mole within the CIA begins to pass information to the Israelis about previously unknown players in Iran's nuclear program. Iran predictably denies responsibility for the dirty bomb and uncharacteristically tries to pass back-channel messages to the Israelis and its allies about its non-involvement. The Red Cell team begins to investigate the mole issue alongside a hard charging FBI agent and is also engaged in an attempt to stop a major war caused by escalating Mossad actions. The end result at a high level is fine, but getting there involved a few acts that I don't think are very realistic. I'll leave it at that.

Henshaw's writing is fine and his real strength in describing tradecraft and the inner workings of government intelligence and law enforcement agencies shines through. As with his previous novel in this series, though, he too often strays into activities and story lines that seem to be implausible. Last Man... is still a very readable and enjoyable novel, but some of the action is just a bit too far out there for me.

'Cold Shot', the 2nd in Mark Henshaw's Stryker & Burke series, is easily the best of a very good group. In this installment, 2 bad actor states on the international stage conspire to bring a nuke into our neck of the woods. We're fortunate, though, to have Kara & Jon on our side.

The plot seems very believable, as unfortunately does the political machinations in the middle of an international crisis. The writing is again very crisp and propulsive, which is a good match for the overall breakneck pace of the novel. The dialogue is fine, and we're beginning to learn a bit more about the characters, especially Jonathan Burke. The conclusion is exciting and very believable. The action sequences leading to it are very well done- it's difficult for a writer to keep the tension and action at a high level when writing a multi-page sequence like the one that leads to the ending of 'Cold Shot' but Mr. Henshaw succeeds in doing so.

As with the other books in the series, I'm very impressed with the author's knowledge of the procedures and capabilities of our clandestine and military services. The Red Cell series is a fine entry to the spy/thriller genre and I look forward to future additions to it!

I 'discovered' Mark Henshaw with his 'Fall of Moscow Station' novel, which was actually his third in the 'Red Cell' CIA series. That one was pretty good and I liked his approach and subject matter, so I thought I'd cycle back and begin at the beginning. Glad I did!

I loved 'Red Cell', his first in the series. The writing is decent, which was my only quibble with this book, but the plot was great, the pace was intense, and the characters on their way to being well-developed and very likable. The action sequences, particularly those in the conclusion, were exciting and extremely realistic. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of tradecraft as well as the reasoning used by the CIA personnel to interpret past events and predict future ones.

The plot was tricky and involved the triangular relationship between China, Taiwan, and the US. An incident occurs on Taiwan, China decides to use it to escalate tensions, and the US needs to figure out what's going on and make the right choices. Without going into detail, it's quite believable.

If you're into 'spy novels and thrillers', this is a good one..... highly recommended!

The Fall of Moscow Station is the first of the Stryker/Burke series by Mark Henshaw I've read, so I'm out of sequence already. I plan to cycle through the earlier episodes, but I had a few fundamental problems with this novel. I'll get into those later.

Henshaw is a former CIA analyst. As usual with thrillers written by ex-spies, the best part for me is the almost chess-like thinking of several moves ahead, as well as the thought process that goes into interpreting the actions of counterparts on the opposing team. Henshaw does nicely in that regard, and there are numerous opportunities since the action in non-stop. The plot is pretty intricate: a disgruntled CIA spy decides to defect to the Russians at their embassy in Germany. An effort to grab him back before he burns all of the CIA's Russian assets is undertaken by the CIA, and it escalates from there.

The writing is fairly pedestrian. Henshaw is no John LeCarre, Robert Littell, or even Charles Cumming, but he gets the job done. The dialogue is decent and believable, and the plot is action-packed but, in the end, a bit unbelievable. Here are a examples why (SPOILER ALERT!!!!):
- CIA's Kara Stryker talks her way into the Russian embassy and is actually allowed to have a private conversation with the spy who defected. I doubt that would ever happen.
- During her conversation with the defector, she agrees to a plan to communicate his demands to the president of the US and also agrees to a method on how to signal the result of her conversation to the defector. Of course, the Russians electronically overheard the entire conversation. Why 2 experienced CIA employees thought they could have a private conversation in what is probably one of the most electronically engaged facilities in the world is just mind boggling.
- The conclusion is just not very realistic. The good guys win, of course, but how it happened just doesn't pass the smell test.

All in all, a decent read if you look past the obvious issues.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I felt that a few of the elements didn't fit together well. The book is different from the previous two in that we the story is more tightly focused on one character. I guess my biggest complaints would be that a few elements seemed sort of ... um ... really? and the last quarter of the book felt a bit rushed.

Another solid entry in the series, this one featuring much more action than the previous book. A bit too much coincidence, but I can live with that when the story remains solid. Some of the political infighting left me a bit cold, but those details mostly worked themselves out. The minor criticisms that I mentioned in my review of Red Cell remain and one really odd new mistake crept in (unless I'm mistaken, the name of a character that played a roll in the first book [the former station chief in Caracas], changed to that of a different character when mentioned in this book ... and changed back when mentioned later or in the third book).

A more serious espionage novel with less focus on action and more on analysis. That being said, the opening action sequence was extremely well done. The good news is that I really enjoyed the story and the characters, enough so that, as soon as I finished this book, I picked up the next title in the series.

I do want to note a few quibbles (that seem to carry through each of the books): First, one of the main characters (Kyra) is quite the tomboy, action hero. That's fine. But many of her characteristics make it seem as if she could have easily been written as a man. I'm not suggesting that I don't enjoy a female protagonist; to the contrary. But I hope, at some point, that Henshaw gives readers a bit more understanding of just why Kyra is the way she is (beyond just "she grew up in the country"). Second, the other main character (Jon) is often described as annoying or dislikable without a sense of humor. But he comes off both as a likeable character who does seem to crack wise from time to time. We're told over and over that people don't like him but I'm not sure that we really see why this is. Third, the author has a bit of trouble with timelines (though not as bad as the Ben Coes books...). As the series progresses, I kept having to re-think when certain events happened (was it 1 year ago or 3? wait, when did the President's term end?). Not major problems, but distracting enough to be ... distracting.

This third book in author Mark Henshaw's The Red Cell series, is a heart-pounding, suspense-filled story of Russian & American covert ops at their finest. When greed tantalizes, corruption often results. This yarn is well spun given Henshaw's imaginative premise and his well honed craft of fine writing. The book's heroine, agent Kyra Stryker, is bold, audacious and brilliant in her role. However, running a solo operation in a foreign country, the language of which you do not know, might not be the brightest career move. Yet, so much hung in the balance. This is fast-paced all the way to the very end leaving the reader with lingering thoughts on the nature of the balance of power and effecting equilibrium in the world.

I am grateful to publisher Touchstone and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone.

An American Naval ship finds the body of a man who was in a life raft. The body shows severe beating and possible radiation exposure.

The CIA comes into the action and Jonathan Burke is sent to investigate. This reads like a story from NCIS with Jonathan Burke as Jethro Gibbs and Burke's assistant, Kyra Stryker (Ellie Bishop).
The agents go to Venezuela and discover a nuclear device. The CIA director meets with the president to take action.

Very good story with fast moving action and a believable plot.

I received this book for my honest review.

I read a lot of CIA thrillers, but "Red Cell" was vastly different than most. Here, we don't have a field agent like Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn) who kicks ass all over the place to get the answers he needs by any means necessary. No, in "Red Cell," we follow a couple of analysts who work out the answers in a non-violent (sort of) way. So you can see, it's different than most books in the genre.

We follow Kyra Stryker, a rookie field agent who had a very bad introductory case, as she gets paired up with Jonathan Burke, a high-level analyst who runs Red Cell, the CIA's think-outside-the box analysis group. Their task is to determine why Chinese security agents have taken down some people in Taiwan. This attack also included the release of a deadly chemical.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Chinese native, but American spy Pioneer, who's high up in the Communist regime. Pioneer feels like he's been identified by his peers as a spy, and is desperately hoping the Americans can help him escape. Stryker and Burke are sent in to do just that.

Finally, we see China invade a small Taiwanese island and military vessel in a curious manner, leading Burke and Stryker to believe China has some technology that the Americans are not aware of.

"Red Cell" is very well written with pretty well-rounded characters. I do think it was a little odd that a rookie field agent would almost immediately catch the eye of CIA Director Kathy Cooke, who assigns her to help Burke in the Red Cell. The spycraft was done well, but I think some of the scenes were a little too coincidental and not realistic.

My assumption is that author Mark Henshaw is looking to create a series out of Stryker and Burke and I think he can succeed once Stryker, especially, gets a little more experience under her belt.½

Nothing too outstanding here. Kyra Stryker is a CIA agent whose failed mission,in Venezuela has left her wounded and transferred back to the US. She's been placed in Intelligence and is working with Jonathon Burke, a brilliant analyst who rubs people the wrong way for always being right. Trouble is brewing between Taiwan and China which could cause another war the US doesn't want to be in. It's up to the intelligence to determine what is going on and to stop it before things escalate.½

Kyra, an interesting name for a natural clandestine operative, albeit a rookie and a frustrated one at that. But she gets her chance. Red Cell takes us from South America through CIA Hq then to the PRC (China) and Taiwan. I thoughly enjoyed Mr. Henshaw's debut novel and look forward to many more. He is gifted with his prose, able to design an enjoyable plot and execute the story in an interesting fashion.

A fast paced thriller, The author seems to know the CIA from the "inside". Packed full of technical information. The plot is going full tilt from the beginning with twists and turns that keep you tuning the page. An impressive first novel and I look forward to more.½

The author definitely knows what he is writing about and that makes it very interesting read. Started a little slow but picked up the speed later. Loved the description of covert work in China.½

Publisher's synopsis:

From the Tom Clancy for a new generation, a debut thriller following two CIA outcasts who must race to stop a secret Chinese weapon that threatens to provoke a world war After her first assignment in Venezuela goes disastrously awry, rookie case officer Kyra Stryker is brought back to Langley to work in the Red Cell, the CIA’s out-of-the-box think tank. There she’s paired with Jonathan Burke, a straitlaced analyst who has alienated his colleagues with his unorthodox methods and a knack for always being right, political consequences be damned. When a raid on Chinese spies in Taiwan ends in a shoot-out and the release of a deadly chemical, CIA director Kathy Cooke turns to the Red Cell to figure out why China is ready to invade the island nation without any fear of reprisal from the US Navy. Stryker and Burke’s only lead is the top CIA asset in China, code named Pioneer. But when Pioneer reports that Chinese security has him under surveillance, Stryker is offered a chance for redemption with a highly dangerous mission: extract Pioneer from China before he’s arrested and executed. The answers he holds could mean the difference between peace in the Pacific or another world war. From CIA headquarters to the White House to a Navy carrier in the South China Sea and the dark alleyways of Beijing, Red Cell takes readers on a whirlwind race against time as Stryker and Burke work to save Pioneer and discover the hidden threat to America’s power: China’s top-secret weapon. CIA analyst Mark Henshaw infuses expert knowledge of the intelligence world into a pulse-pounding plot to create a fascinating, authentic, and unforgettable read.

My thoughts:

Let me ask a question...Mark Henshaw, did you write RED CELL just for me? Because you must have already known exactly what I love in a thriller and what types of characters I want to read about and that I love attention to plot details, and authors that allow their characters to think a bit outside of the usual "character box of tricks." So, I guess you don't have to answer my question, because I just did! THANK YOU MARK!!

No kidding people, RED CELL opens with newbie officer Kyra Stryker along side the Guaire River in Venezuela, on a foot bridge, attempting to meet an asset. Then the worst thing that can happen to any agent happens. It's a trap and there's no one to help her. WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?

Within the first five pages, to use a scary term, I became Mark Henshaw's biggest fan!

RED CELL opens with action that keeps building as Kyra, severely wounded, makes her way to a "safe" house. Or is it?

Page after page after page Henshaw builds the tension and then gives the reader a bit of a rest. But, don't be fooled. Within the pages where normal actions and interactions of agency people, on all sides, take place, don't be fooled, don't skim a paragraph or skip a page. You never know where Henshaw has buried a detail that you'll need to know later.

Henshaw's written RED CELL rather like a ride on a great old roller coaster, he knows when to turn you on your side to bank a curve and when to let the action be calm for a bit, because you know you're about to dive head first on a free fall into a whole different arena.

I loved this book! So much so that I don't want to tell you much more. Really, I don't need to tell you much more other than, go buy it. Download it. Whatever you like to do when you read. But a word of warning, don't start RED CELL thinking that you'll just read a few pages to get started...not gonna happen. Too late. You're already hooked.

Boy howdy, I sure hope we see Stryker and her team again soon! Can you say "series"? I hope so!

Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil has optioned this one, and I hope they've locked in Henshaw to work on the screenplay, he sure has the chops to produce a white-knuckle fantastic thriller of a screenplay. Ill be first in line at the box office to buy a ticket.

* This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.