Red Sparrow: A Novel (1) (The Red Sparrow Trilogy)

I'm thrilled to share my experience with Red Sparrow, a gripping spy thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. As a fan of espionage novels, I was hooked from the very first page. Red Sparrow is a masterclass in storytelling, with a complex and intricate plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. The author's writing is superb, with vivid descriptions and well-developed characters that leap off the page. What I love most about this book is its authenticity. The author's research is impeccable, and the attention to detail is stunning. The story is full of twists and turns, with surprises at every corner. The characters are multidimensional and nuanced, with motivations that are both relatable and terrifying. The protagonist, Dominika Egorova, is a fascinating and complex character. Her transformation from a ballerina to a spy is both captivating and believable. The chemistry between Dominika and Nate Nash, the CIA agent, is palpable and adds an extra layer of tension to the story. I'm so impressed with the quality of this book, and I can tell it will stay with me for a long time. Red Sparrow is a must-read for fans of espionage thrillers, and I highly recommend it. **Pros:** * Gripping and suspenseful plot with plenty of twists and turns * Well-developed and nuanced characters * Authentic and well-researched * Captivating and believable storyline * A must-read for fans of espionage thrillers **Cons:** None! I hope this review helps others discover the benefits of this amazing book!

I enjoy good spy fiction; I read 8-10 spy novels each year. I think of spy fiction as represented by a spectrum with Vince Flynn and Lee Child at one end, and Le Carre at the other. Le Carre stories are very character driven with strong political opinions clearly stated. The prose is always excellent, very descriptive, the story builds very slowly, the climax is always satisfying but sometimes disappointing, the characters are often anti-heroes, and there is only one climax. At the opposing end (Flynn et al), the stories are very plot driven with lots of action and the protagonists are out to save the globe; there are multiple climaxes. Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews fits somewhere in the middle. It mostly feels authentic - Matthews is former CIA - and the book has been well researched. Whether the scenes take place in Athens or at a border crossing in Estonia, you feel that Matthews has been there and is describing what he has seen. The story revolves around a young CIA agent who has had some field successes but still has some maturing to do. We concurrently follow a young woman, Dominika, on the Russian side who is on a fast track up the spy ladder; she is very reminiscent of one of Flynn's and Child's superagents. Each is assigned the task of recruiting the other. The first half of the story is fairly slow and it gradually becomes more interesting. I often had the feeling I could see where this story was going but on occasion it turned in an unexpected direction. There were a few aspects of the plot and characters I didn't particularly care for. To avoid spoilers, I will list only a few. Domi has a special sense, not like a 6th sense, more like a 7th; the author makes the case that though rare it is real. Perhaps, but I thought it a bit silly and distracting. One of the characters speaks very insubordinately to officers in the military hierarchy and though this is explained I did not feel it credible. A "canary" trick is employed to fool the opposition; I would have thought that went out in the 60's. It seemed to be that the author, more than once, took advantage of this book, to take some heart felt shots at the FBI, even to the point of ridicule. And why are there recipes for a food item mentioned in the book at the end of everyone of the 40 or so chapters?? And finally, I thought the climax was a bit too much, no subtlety. Remember "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold"? One climax, a twist, all wrapped up in one. It felt real all the way; this didn't. I am sure there will be a series here. Will I read #2? Maybe, maybe not. I think this is 3 1/2 stars, but I'll round up on the Amazon scale.

This book will hold you in its grip. Jason Matthews rivals the masters of the genre, I cannot remember ever being so riveted by the characters in a spy story as they get pulled deeper into a terrifying series of concentric events. The twists leading up to the most magnificent turn, which is a pivotal yet deceptively simple idea that unfolds throughout the third act, are elegantly choreographed, yet while reading I wasn't thinking about technical or structural expertise, just totally immersed in the story, which deftly shifts back and forth between the humanity of the characters, the incessant tradecraft and counterespionage, and the intense and shocking violence inherent in the most crucial of conspiracies, with huge stakes and an ever-expanding web of motivated operatives. It's all there, travel to dozens of exotic locations around the world, taste the food, see the sights, witness the exchange of violence and deception between intelligence services, and get completely wrapped up in the astounding love story embedded in the midst of ruthless treachery and radical choices that leave the participants in the spy game a dwindling set of unpalatable options. Hero and heroine are put to the test time and again, it was all I could do not to read the whole book in one sitting, I finished the final eighty pages at eight in the morning and can't wait for time to pass so I can read it again. The women in this story erupt from the pages in fully-realized passionate motivation to take charge of engineering intricate plots, there is often a freakish, scary, next-level psychopathic killer waiting around the corner, unpredictable and plausible in the extreme. Beautifully written, yet the author lets his expertise yield to the control of the characters, the book takes on its own life, the artistry and humility of a lifetime career in the service of national security enable him to deliver the goods without making himself visible. An organic and seductive story with relentless intrigue, immensely compelling characters and a multi-faceted heroine that will break your heart as you yearn for more.

Who Is Spying On Whom? By Bob Gelms Jason Mathews has joined a very exclusive club of former real-live-in-the-flesh-honest-to-God spies who have come to write about espionage as fiction just like John le Carre, Ian Fleming and Graham Greene, to name a few you might have heard of. Mathews is an ex CIA spy of some 33 years and you can tell he’s experienced in real live spy craft just by reading a few pages of his first novel, Red Sparrow. I became totally convinced while reading the novel that real spies acted just like Mr. Mathews’ characters in the book. He’s very, very good. The book tells the story of the hauntingly beautiful Dominika Egorova. She starts out as the prima ballerina in a Russian dance company. Owing to an incident involving a jealous rival in the company, Dominika can no longer dance and she is set adrift until her beloved father passes away. It is then that her somewhat wicked uncle gets her involved with the Russian clandestine service. She is eventually enrolled in a school that teaches beautiful girls how to seduce vulnerable spies into becoming double agents for the Russians. The girls who graduate from this school are called Red Sparrows. The training is quite explicit. Since there is a Russian high up on the food chain who is spying for the Americans, Dominika is sent to Helsinki to seduce an American spy named Nathaniel Nash to see if she can find out who the double agent is. Nash is the double agent’s case officer. Not to be outdone, the Russians have a double agent high up on the political food chain in America spying for them. You almost need a scorecard to keep track on who is spying for whom. The plot becomes very involved but Mr. Mathews keeps the reader informed and abreast of the situation so it’s not hard to follow what’s happening. The book is filled with tradecraft, as they call it in the spy biz, and there were a few things that surprised me. The spy agencies on both sides eventually identify the spies who are working against them. There is an unwritten understanding that death will not be visited upon the opposition. But the spies still have to go to unbelievable lengths to lose the people following them. This can take up to 10 hours and is especially exhausting and exasperating when they often only get a few fleeting minutes with their contact. The spies on both sides are unusually good at their jobs. It is very much like a three-dimensional game of chess being played in the dark. I’m sure I wouldn’t want to be a spy but it sure is a lot of fun reading about them. You move to counter a move you think is three moves down the line happening in another part of the world. These spies need special brains to hold all the subplots apart in their minds. It’s thrilling. Dominika, in addition to being very beautiful, is exceptionally smart and good at reading people. She has a leg up on this facility of hers because she has synesthesia, a real neurological condition that manifests itself in a variety of ways almost always involving colors. She can see the color of the aura surrounding everyone around her. Different colors mean different things and she uses this ability to great effect. Even to the point of saving her life. She also has, and I’m struggling with how to put this without revealing too much, a physically violent temper. When she gets angry sometimes people get hurt…a lot! Vladimir Putin has been ruling Russia as president or prime minister for the last 16 years. It would seem he has a stranglehold, almost literally, on the office for as long as he wants it. Red Sparrow seems to indicate that modern Russia is not much of a communist state. It has, in fact, more in common with the czars in Russia’s past than with Lenin or Stalin. It is a modern version of an old fashion oligarchy with the rich ruling as they see fit and the Russian mobsters acting as their enforcement arm. It is in this milieu that the novel lives and breathes. Red Sparrow is the first installment of a series featuring the exploits of Dominika Egorova and Nate Nash. If you like novels of espionage don’t miss this one. It is a must read. The second installment, Palace of Treason, is a humdinger. I’ll write about that one in the next issue. Dasvidaniya!

I am usually pretty hesitant about writing book reviews but I did notice a couple things I wanted to mention about this book. First off, it is an interesting read. The author did do a great amount of research into Russia, the SVR, intelligence operation and counterintelligence which was all fascinating to read about. The character development and description is quite good and the story line develops at a solid pace. That being said I did feel like there were quite a few very unnecessary references to one of the lead characters, Dominika, body parts and their shapes. Some of it was necessary as she was recruited first as an SVR operative but then a "Sparrow" and taught seduction as a tool. My main problem is the author took way to many liberties describing her bust, legs, butt and overall looks when it wasn't necessary. It reads more like a way to belittle a very important, brilliant main character by focusing more on her sexual desirability as opposed to all the other amazing things that make her such a brilliant operative. One example, which actually comes from the second book but is a perfect example of what is done throughout this trilogy, is when she is doing push ups. He describes in detail how, when she comes close to the floor her breasts flatten out (obviously because they are so ample and voluptuous). He has already asserted that she is a beautiful woman with a lovely, curvy body but he regularly pauses in the story to remind you how large her breasts are, round her bottom is, etc. etc. ad nauseam. Another example is when she meets a fellow operative"- her character is not insecure or one to compare herself to other women yet, when this other woman's robe falls open and she sees part of her breast the author has her think to herself "my breasts are bigger than hers." Honestly? This totally breaks from her character and goes mainly into boyish fantasy realm. This oversexualization of her character really took away from the books for me and honestly creeped me out more than a little. This book is about espionage and our intelligence and the Russian intelligence agencies as well as how women are completely used and thrown away like trash. The unfortunate thing is that the author tends to treat Dominika's character with this same one track mind which detracts from the story for me. A good read but a bit too much "fantasy" on his own part for my liking.

Firstly, is it just me, or are spy novels less fashionable nowadays? I love spy books, so I wanted to absolutely enjoy this book. It came endorsed by the great and unfortunately late Vince Flynn, it was written by a former CIA agent, the summary advertised sexy espionage with a twisty-turvy plot! For the most part it delivered. Nate and also the Russian bad guys were all a little cliche, and some convenient plot “twists” were a tad predictable. I got somewhat annoyed while we endured learning about the sexiest sexy lady ever and every page described her utter sexiness. (And she even gets sent to sex school to learn how to sex more sexily!) I mean she’s already easy to love, I enjoyed reading about her arc, even if somewhat predictable. When she struggled with her passion and her nationalism I was right there with her, enjoying the character development. She’s got some fancy synesthesia which was cool in concept but sometimes unnecessary, and every chapter ends with a recipe that ties back culinarily into the story, which was pretty neat but after a while, I admittedly skipped them. The pace of this book started slow, and the middle began to lose my interest, but the last third flew by in a flurry of action that left me with an overall positive taste in my mouth. When we weren’t reading about cooking escapades or passionate lovemaking (both are good, mind you, just not always in excess), it was filled with fun spy craft, Russian angst, agent handling, mole-hunting, and political tension. It led me to believe that, even after all of the beet soup and sexual shenanigans, the sequel might be very fun- and this would probably make a for a delightful movie. The high-octane action, pretty people, and super sleuthy spy stuff would look great on the big screen. All in all, I remember more positive than negative and I would definitely pick up the sequel.

First, let me start by saying if my review seems to lack details it's because I do not want to give away anything in this book in case you are planning on reading it. Red Sparrow is a spy thriller which centers around Nate and Dominika both spys, but for different countries who are assigned the job of finding a mole within a security agency. Their paths cross resulting is a super good read. When I started reading this book, I thought OH MY , why all the hype, it seems like it was 50 Shades of Grey meets Jack Reacher but I kept reading and very soon I was thinking WOW , I am so glad I did, it just took off and I could not put it down, I even read this book in bed with a flashlight (so not to disturb my "other" who was sleeping). One nice touch about this book is that for example when someone is sitting at a table in a cafe and they order dinner, the recipe appears at the end of the chapter. It flows, it's an easy read, the characters are well developed, Matthews brings you inside their heads, and you understand the reasons for certain actions, he takes you into the world of covert operations and sometimes it is not pretty. I don't understand the negative reviews even though there are only a couple because this is the one of the best books I've read in years, and I do a alot of reading. Highly recommend it, I'm praying for a sequel, and sure hope they make it into a movie. Short Review: Great Storyline + Great suspense + Great Character Development = A MUST READ for both men and women!

I read this book before the movie was made, and was disappointed that Jennifer Lawrence was cast as the main character. Nothing against her, but if you read the book, you will find that she doesn't exactly fit the description of Dominika. Anyway, this is probably the best spy novel I have ever read. It excels in nearly every way. The writing is top notch, and even if the writer were telling a boring story (which this is not), his style and composure would make it interesting. The characters, both good guys and bad guys, are explored in great depth, and you feel like you know them well in no time. The action scenes are completely believable, with no over-the-top, impossible super hero secret agent crap like you get with other writers such as Mark Greaney. Although I was never a spy, I can say that the technical detail is very realistic and makes you feel like you are reading something from an insider (which apparently you are). The story line flows nicely, and there are plenty of surprises, subplots, reflections on Russian culture and politics, and interesting tidbits. When you finally finish the book, you will feel like you lived it as much as read it, and you will want more. Fortunately there are two more books in the series. Some minor irritating details that I personally find distracting, but do not detract from the book: Do all spies dwell on food as much as these guys do? Are all spies vegetarian (except apparently the Russians)? Do we need the characters' [dead or alive] favorite recipes? Those recipes at the end of every chapter become boring very quickly, and after the first ten or so I had to just skip over them. So, read the book, skip the culinary diversions, and you will be very satisfied.