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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
Interesting if slow-paced. Largely world-building for the remainder of the series, I think.
3.5 stars. Fun, if a little light. I didn't dislike it and I'm interested in seeing what else the author has written. The prose doesn't approach the quality of Alan Furst, but it's nice seeing a character of nuance regarding the British Empire of the time. I guess it just sorta seemed all over the place. Might have preferred to have just one bad guy rather than several, spread over the course of a long book.
I absolutely raced through this, staying up much too late on a work night to finish it.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect. [bc:Jack of Spies|18404452|Jack of Spies (Jack McColl, #1)|David Downing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393789328l/18404452._SY75_.jpg|25781654].
This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect. [bc:Jack of Spies|18404452|Jack of Spies (Jack McColl, #1)|David Downing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393789328l/18404452._SY75_.jpg|25781654].
This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Being a big historical buff, I enjoyed the setting and exposition of the book. There are a lot of books written about the WWII era but this is one of the few I've read that go into details about the events leading up to WWI.
The reason I didn't give it a higher rating is that the main characters aren't really likable or memorable. I really didn't care what happened to Jack or Caitlin - there wasn't much in the story to make me have any empathy with either of them which takes you out of the overall story. I've seen a lot of people raving about the John Russell series so I'm planning to read Zoo Station next - but I'm not sure I'm going to continue with the Jack McColl series.
The reason I didn't give it a higher rating is that the main characters aren't really likable or memorable. I really didn't care what happened to Jack or Caitlin - there wasn't much in the story to make me have any empathy with either of them which takes you out of the overall story. I've seen a lot of people raving about the John Russell series so I'm planning to read Zoo Station next - but I'm not sure I'm going to continue with the Jack McColl series.
Decent thriller, interesting to see someone learning to be a spy. However, I felt like there were certain anachronisms & failures of language (American words instead of the British ones that would be more natural) that could be irritating at times. & the flat affect wasn't my favorite.
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jack of Spies, David Downing review
4/5, solid read.
I have a particular affinity for early 20th century spy novels, Munich by Robert Harris being one of my all-time favourites, and Jack of Spies was throughly enjoyable.
The main character is pretty likeable and decently easy to empathise with; I never found myself disliking him. The plot is fast, and simple without being overly predictable. Maybe a little more s3xual content than I personally prefer, but not particularly explicit at any point. I would say this book is a good example of writing well represented female characters, while still involving s3x and s3x work as part of the plot.
I found the ending was slightly disappointing, and didn’t fully wrap up the story, but the book is the first in a series so I find this fault forgivable. I might read more of the series at some point, but not right now. Overall an enjoyable book, but nothing sticks out as something I really loved.
I absolutely raced through this, staying up much too late on a work night to finish it.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect. [bc:Jack of Spies|18404452|Jack of Spies (Jack McColl, #1)|David Downing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393789328l/18404452._SY75_.jpg|25781654].
This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.
It's 1913/1914, and there are tensions and talk of war roiling around the world, from the Balkans, to Ireland, to China and India. Jack McColl, a Scotsman, travels the world selling the Maia, a custom luxury British automobile, to the rich, powerful, and status conscious. Jack is also a spy for the fledgling non-military modern Britiish intelligence service. The story opens with Jack on an intelligence gathering side trip in China to Tsingtao, the German colonial port which is seeing a build-up of amarments and navy. Jack is hoping to make being a spy for the Brits a full time job, if only they would recognize the need for one and be willing to pay a salary. Jack is also obsessed with an outspoken Irish American journalist, Caitlin, he encountered in Shanghai just before heading to Tsingtao.
Jack's spy mission is going well, until it doesn't and he barely escapes capture. Back in Shanghai, he manages an introduction to Caitlin, and a love affair starts that endures through the rest of the story, adding greatly to Jack's emotional journey and upping the stakes in his work. You see, Caitlin's family NYC is close to those seeking Irish independence and as Jack's spying takes him across the world from China to the US, down to Mexico, then ultimately to England, the efforts of India and Ireland to independence become interwoven with German policy and action in the months leading up to the start of WWI. The novel ends just weeks after WWI starts and Britain enters the war to defend France.
The history here is fascinating. I had absolutely no idea about most of it - how closely allied Ireland and India were in seeking end of British rule, even that Germany had a presence in China and Mexico! In truth, most historical fiction seems to treaat WWII and WWI is practically ignored.
There is a lot of fascinating political and world history here.
I had trouble figuring out how to rate this one. I enjoyed it but also felt it was a tad more convoluted and filled with some excess plot that was not really needed (Jack in Mexico - was it necessary? Interseting and added some action, but necessary to the story?) Jack has a real emotional journey here too, one that includes his maturing a bit too, even though he's in his late 30s and not exactly green and young. I liked that he made mistakes, underestimated the spy business, but never gives up. He's a bit emotionally aloof, but that does start changing. I like that Caitlin is a feisty suffragette and defender of the underprivilege with revolutionary ideas that are often counter to Jack's somewhat stogdy 'defender of Britain' tendencies, and that their relationship isn't obviously one that can develop and survive once initial lust calms. Ultimately, I gave it 3.5 stars bumped to 4 because the cover and title are absolutely perfect. [bc:Jack of Spies|18404452|Jack of Spies (Jack McColl, #1)|David Downing|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393789328l/18404452._SY75_.jpg|25781654].
This is the first of a quartet carrying Jack and Caitlin's story through WWI and the immediate years after. I look forward to exploring more of the history for the first of the Great Wars that changed the world.
I miss Berlin, that wonderfully evoked image of a city at war that was as much a protagonist of Downing's WWII spy novels as John Russell. I don't know if Downing got it all right, but it didn't really matter; I believed in it.
Belief is coming up short with the first book in his news series. Downing's new spy, Jack McColl, romps about on three continents and Downing likes to show off his research, which is at best perfunctory. So we get a lot of info dumps regarding the headlines of the day, tourist trips around the various cities (and he did get a lot wrong in New York), walk-ons by various famous and semi-famous people such as Agnes Smedley and Caresse Crosby (under her maiden name), and including McColl's medic in the Boer War, who was, wait for it, Gandhi, and the love-interest's college roommate, the future Mme. Sun Yat-Sen. Oh, sure. Moreover these are essentially 21st century characters who are supposed to have lived a century ago. Caitlin is unrealistically sexually active and gets a job as an editor at the famously misogynistic New York Times, while the Oxford-educated Jack uses such words as "Yep" and "Nope." In 1914? I think not.
The lazy writing continued with that fallback of hack spy writers, a series of unrelated short adventures and no over-arching plot. I'm giving this two stars only because I suppose the series will get better now that the war has started, if Downing can focus on one arena of action at a time. I'm not sure I'll be along for the ride, however.
Belief is coming up short with the first book in his news series. Downing's new spy, Jack McColl, romps about on three continents and Downing likes to show off his research, which is at best perfunctory. So we get a lot of info dumps regarding the headlines of the day, tourist trips around the various cities (and he did get a lot wrong in New York), walk-ons by various famous and semi-famous people such as Agnes Smedley and Caresse Crosby (under her maiden name), and including McColl's medic in the Boer War, who was, wait for it, Gandhi, and the love-interest's college roommate, the future Mme. Sun Yat-Sen. Oh, sure. Moreover these are essentially 21st century characters who are supposed to have lived a century ago. Caitlin is unrealistically sexually active and gets a job as an editor at the famously misogynistic New York Times, while the Oxford-educated Jack uses such words as "Yep" and "Nope." In 1914? I think not.
The lazy writing continued with that fallback of hack spy writers, a series of unrelated short adventures and no over-arching plot. I'm giving this two stars only because I suppose the series will get better now that the war has started, if Downing can focus on one arena of action at a time. I'm not sure I'll be along for the ride, however.