The Spanish Game

Some people don't like Alec Milius. He has his flaws, but it's always interesting to me that he doesn't exactly fit the unbeatable British spy who can handle himself at any turn like Bond. Instead, he has to claw and dig at solving situations. They don't have an automatic solution. In The Spanish Game, he is pulled back into his former life. While in Madrid, a politician tied to the Basque Separatist movement vanishes, forcing Milius to get back in the game.

I'm so glad that I went back and re-read "A Spy By Nature" before I started this sequel. You need to understand the reasons for his paranoia to be able to get into this story. As another reviewer commented, I wouldn't want to know Alec Milius, but in this book, I did have some sympathy for him.
It is, I think, better written than its predecessor, particularly in terms of sustaining the pace, despite a lot of interesting exposition about the Basque struggle. It twists and turns and, like Alec, you begin to suspect everyone, and you are right to!
I have already picked up the rest of Cummings' oeuvre and look forward to reading them over the coming weeks with pleasureable expectation

This is a follow up to A Spy By Nature, which I haven't read & maybe should for bits & pieces of this book to make more sense to me.

Lots of people think this guy is the next Le Carre, but I'm not one of them. There are plenty of twists & turns in this & the writing is clean & effective, but ultimately I couldn't manage to care about the main character & in this book that was a problem for me.

Cumming plots well, keeping the pieces of his puzzle in play quite easily. He writes fairly vividly of Madrid & of the Basque country, although I wished for a bit more information on ETA & the general conflict. I suspect our hero could've used this information, too & maybe that's part of the point.

Our hero seems convinced that he's Philby & the show more world is out to get him, but comes off as rather self-important so by the time various people DO get him I was rather relieved &, frankly, on their side. show less

Set in Spain in 2003, this taut, fast-paced second novel featuring Alec Milius, who has been trying for five years to keep out of the sight of MI6 and the CIA after an operation in which he was involved went wrong. But Alec finds life tame after working for MI6 and longs to return. In a plot that twists and turns and keeps you glued to the page, Alec who is living in Madrid becomes involved with the terrorist group, ETA, whose goal is Basque independence. Initially, starting his own investigation into the disappearance of a Basque councillor and ETA supporter, Alec is reunited with the intelligence services. But as he digs deeper, nothing is quite as it seems.

Enjoyed the Madrid setting and it moved right along in good thriller fashion.

A fast paced sequel to Cumming's 'A spy by Nature. The Madrid setting is well done, the action fast paced and Milius saves the day.

Enjoyed the Madrid setting and it moved right along in good thriller fashion.