A Gentleman's Game

I love this series, and this book is an excellent addition. It does a great job balancing the typical spy action with the political maneuvering behind the scenes, making the latter just as interesting as the former.

Greg Rucka is the writer of the comic series Queen and Country, which my husband enjoys. It was on his recommendation that I decided to read A Gentleman’s Game.

Mr. Rucka brings his comic characters into the world of the novel, offering a wider range of readers a view of the British Special Operations Section of MI6. Tara Chace is Minder One, the top of three Minders who are basically the British assassination team. Tara is assigned to assassinate the terrorist being held responsible for the triple bombing attack on the London Underground, which killed over 300 people. Tara is met with the usual government politics, which stand to get in her way and challenge her every move.

A Gentleman’s Game is a fast paced and adrenaline raising show more spy novel. As a person who has never read the comic series, I found that this book stood alone very well. I had no problem getting to know the various characters and understanding what was going on. This is a novel that feeds into the current American public’s hunger for books about terrorism and the Middle East. It was well crafted, exciting and impossible to put down. show less

This was one of the best straightforward espionage thrillers that I've read in a long time. The best way to describe the style of the story would be a cross between James Bond and Quiller (I know that doesn't make much sense, but trust me...). Tara Chase is a terrific new heroine in the espionage genre and both the "world" in which she operates and the missions themselves, felt much more accurate and real than many (most?) other espionage thrillers. The story is more serious in tone than many Bond stories (hence the comparison to Quiller), but Chace has many foibles that remind me a bit of Bond. Highly recommended.

Tara Chace is a kick-ass protagonist. I'd call this series of novels a must read if you enjoyed the comics. And if comics aren't your thing, and you love spy/action stories, then this series is going to make you sit up. I found the complex politics enlightening.

I'm completely hooked. When I got to the last page, I actually checked the back of the end pages making sure I hadn't missed anything; I just did not want this to end. Especially not the devastating way it did. If you haven't read any of Rucka's wonderful comic/graphic novel series Queen & Country, you'd still be able to enjoy this novel as a stand alone. Some of the histories between the characters might seem a little vague, so if you like reading stories with pictures, don't hesitate to read Q&C. This is a highly sensitive story that starts with a terrorist attack on the London Underground. The counterstrike leads to unexpected consequences for Tara Chace, Minder One for the Special Section of the SIS. And that's all you're getting show more because any more would be telling. show less

If you like classic espionage, this may be for you. Reminded me of the UK television drama Spooks - and has about as much realism (which is to say, very little indeed) - but perfectly serviceable entertainment.

Decent spy thriller with some serious inter agency turf wars. Topic is terrorism and the Saudis do not come out looking very good. Plot is a little hard to swallow but still makes a good yarn. Recommended for old school spy thriller addicts looking for a new author.