From the author of the best-selling Body of Lies and The Increment: in a tragedy of revenge, the CIA falls victim to its own daring operation in the Middle East.Someone in Pakistan is killing the members of a new CIA intelligence unit that is trying to buy peace with America's enemies. It falls to Sophie Marx, a young CIA officer with a big chip on her shoulder, to figureFrom the author of the best-selling Body of Lies and The Increment: in a tragedy of revenge, the CIA falls victim to its own daring operation in the Middle East.Someone in Pakistan is killing the members of a new CIA intelligence unit that is trying to buy peace with America's enemies. It falls to Sophie Marx, a young CIA officer with a big chip on her shoulder, to figure out who's doing the killing and why. Her starting point is Alphabet Capital, the London hedge fund that has been providing cover for this secret operation, but the investigation soon widens to include the capitals of the Middle East and the cruel hills of South Waziristan.Sophie thinks she has the backing of her hard-nosed boss, Jeffrey Gertz, and his genial mentor at headquarters, Cyril Hoffman. In addition, she gets help from the well-mannered lieutenant general heading Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. But the closer Sophie gets to her quarry, the more she realizes that nothing in this gallery of mirrors is quite what it seems. This is a theater of violence and retribution, in which the last act is one that Sophie could not have imagined.David Ignatius has written a disturbing and compelling novel where the price of unchecked government is paid in blood, and peace can be bought only through betrayal.
Somebody is killing the most secretly placed agents in other countries, but how are they being found out? This is what Sophie Marx, a CIA operative must find out. As the title state, is it all about money? The author takes current political climate and wraps them into a thriller that is disturbing (and I don’t mean bad, but one that makes you think). It’s a political power play for the characters that control the operatives, but the money involved.
A secret group inside Afghanistan is funded by bank arbitrage and insider trading. This book is very pat, trying to maximize everything from our digust with Wall Street to the mysteries of our conflicts overseas. It's entertaining, when you are stuck in a long commute, but otherwise pretty forgettable.
Slightly unbelievable characters with a slightly unrealistic and simplistic plot though he did get South Asians quite well -- The head of the ISI is quite astutely sketched.
Wow, it took me forever to read this book. And that's not a good thing. Wannabe-LeCarre-eqsue ending. Meh.
Great setting and very plausible plot marred by extremely bland (like blander than mayo) characters, clunky - almost sophomoric - writing and a hamfisted love story. Sophie Marx, ostensibly the protagonist, is clueless most of the time and pretty much stumbles onto the truth. Ignatius is clearly very knowledgeable about the complex geopolitical dynamics between Pakistan and USA and that shows.
Another great read from David Ignatius! If you're looking for shoot-em-up spy thriller, then this may not be the book for you. It is however thoughtfully written and intriguing. It represents what I assume is the real spy game carried out by spy agencies all over the world.
A pleasant yarnThe seamy side of clandestine operations, but not an impossible situation. An interesting take on the alternative world of espionage.
Great characters, a complicated plot, and a multi-faceted story. I enjoyed it.
A good modern spy story.