The Mulberry Bush (edició 2015)

Too confusing, with the layers of turncoat and spies. The protagonist starts off as a intelligent maverick who is going to pull a fast one on the Bureau but spends the rest of the book as a pawn relating messgaes. Oh, and having crazy wild sex with his wife ALL THE TIME. Right. And not at all relevant. ( )

Terrific spy thriller of the le Carré, Ludlum type. A most enjoyable read! ( )

I can't believe I've been a fan of spy thrillers for decades and had never heard of Charles McCarry. I came across a review of one of his older novels a short time ago, sought it out, and picked a different one off the stack at the local library since my original target wasn't available. If the rest of his catalog is as well-done as 'The Mulberry Bush', I think I've discovered a writer that'll keep me busy for awhile.

As you might expect in a book written by an ex-CIA field operative, the spycraft in Mulberry Bush seems impeccable and the actions of the characters are realistic. The plot, which involves the intent of the son of a disgraced CIA agent to exact revenge on the agency, is complex, many-layered, sexy, and exciting. The dialogue is crisp and very realistic and the conclusion may or may not be what you expect. It's an interesting way to wrap things up, no matter what.

I've read many, many spy novels through the years, many of which were written by ex-practitioners, and am constantly struck by a few things: these guys and gals are really smart, everyone has an agenda, there are endless physical and mental challenges, and I could never handle the stress. There are certainly black and white areas in their type of work, but the largest acreage is gray and it takes special types of people to excel.

I can't even describe how excited I am to start exploring the rest of McCarry's work! ( )

A cyinical, compelling story about generations of spies and revolutionaries. The past, present, and future is interwoven in a ceaseless game ultimately controlled by Washington and Moscow. Damaged men and women are sent out to win whatever game is currently in play; principles are left home with mothers and children. Some hold grudges for their entire lives having lost. Violence and murder take place just often enough to make fear and paranoia constant. Adding to the foul mix is the hope of revenge, which is toxic to loyalty and institutional identity. The ending is both appropriate, on one level, and confusing and unsatisfying on another. The book calls into question why anyone sane would ever cede his or her life to such amorality. ( )

Charles McCarry is not for me. I have read a few of his books, and my reaction has been mixed. It seems to me he is trying too hard to write a cerebral spy novel. Mulberry Bush is a bit different because it adds South America of all places into the mix of the usual USA v Russia wrestling match. The first third is quite good, a nice set-up. Our hero is the son of a failed CIA operative, a brilliant guy who pranked the wrong people in the Agency. He pays for it big time.

Junior is a brilliant guy also who has an ear for languages and knows just about every tongue spoken in the Middle East and the suburbs, and he's well educated, smart, handsome etc. etc. Planning to get his revenge for his Dad's forced separation from the CIA, he worms his way into the Agency and is very successful in his Middle East assignments, meaning he doesn't get killed and he handles his agents well. But he goes through a rough patch and is assigned as a contact for a low level, but gorgeous Argentinian government employee, Luz. Soon they are having sex 5 or 6 times a day (I kid you not), and then he meets her family. And some Russians.

And things start to slow down - not for our hero, rather for the reader. He meets some interesting characters including a retired agent, and rather coincidentally his father's former boss, and a Russian priest with whom he has long walks on Roosevelt Island in the Potomac. And Luz's "guardian" . And all of a sudden the story is about events that took place years ago in the revolutionary days. Was Luz's Mom really thrown out of an airplane because Dad wouldn't reveal the names of members of his gang of terrorists/revolutionaries? And eventually there is a very long climactic explanation of What Really Happened.. Though there are four brief action scenes with gunfire, explosions, knifing, and a grenade, a lot more than I recall from previous McCarry books, the bottomline is that I got to about the 75% point in the book and just wanted it to end so I could read something else. I just didn't care at all what happened in Argentina 20 years ago. The plot seemed rather silly - the son's career ambitions are to embarrass the Agency for the punishment doled out to his father 20 years ago. Get over it. And the characters were all very sad and empty to me, as dead on the inside as many of the victims in the story past and present. ( )