DECEPTION

A British spy thriller from Magson (Tracers, 2011, etc.).

Harry Tate is a former MI5 (domestic security) officer asked by MI6 (overseas security) to track down Vanessa Tan, an apparent military deserter with access to highly sensitive national secrets. He’d better hurry, because a shadowy group called the Protectory wants her too. They are deserters who specialize in betrayal by selling secrets to foreign powers. If they can locate Lieutenant Tan, they stand to make a great deal of money by turning her over to an agent of the Chinese government. But it’s a dangerous game that is going to leave people dead. Tate knows a former colleague who has probably joined the Protectory and knows just how bad he is. The search for Tan goes deep into Germany and back to Britain as Tate closes in—or does he? The story is well constructed and exciting, with plenty of strong dialogue and plot twists to keep the reader guessing, and probably guessing wrong. The book, however, ends without enough resolution. Yes, the main plot is wrapped up, but major questions remain. At the end, Harry and his colleague could continue their quest for answers, but instead they say the hell with it, let’s go have a drink. In effect, they will lie low until Magson writes his next book.

A solid read, but the ending doesn’t satisfy.