It’s SPECTRE (or KAOS) all over again....drawn from the sunset of the USSR and, as you can read elsewhere, from a cabal of nasty fellows. Our hero stops the massive destruction...yawn! If you suspend disbelief, you may enjoy this intricately plotted thriller, but I didn't. I liked some of the characters, but didn’t really connect with them. I actually lost interest halfway through and was happy when it was over. ( )

I really enjoyed this espionage thriller, which, like the best of the genre, weave the elements of the novel into real life events. This book does the weaving exceptionally well, with the key plot elements dealing with plausible current time implications of Stalin's death. No quite Charles McCarry or John LeCarre, but very promising.

This is Joseph Finder's first book and I still find it amazingly good (just re-read it about 3 months ago). Word on the street has it that the book will be back in print just before Christmas 2012. I have almost all of Finder's books and while I enjoy the Nick Heller series there is something about an author's first book that can capture a reader's attention. This is a well researched, complex thriller about a U.S. Soviet Studies specialist names Charles Stone who finds himself caught up in a web of intrigue as he hops across three continents trying to unravel a complex espionage plot involving the Soviets and U.S.

Finder, a former intelligence officer, has created a fast paced, complex, thriller loaded with historical and political tidbits pertaining to the Cold War era. Some reviewers say this book is too "heavy" and too long (over 500 pages) or that the plot is unbelievable and superficial. I disagree! This is exactly the type of story I find enticing. The story line is intricate, the characters developed and likable, and the story line is good (remember this is the author's first novel). In ways it reminds me of another of my favorite books, The Power Of The Dog by Don Winslow (a well researched, complex, fact heavy novel with great characters and excellent writing).

If you like thrillers with a fast pace, well developed characters, and a multilayer plot I encourage you to check out Joseph Finder's first novel, The Moscow Club! ( )

NIL