The Kremlin's Candidate: A Novel (3) (The Red Sparrow Trilogy) Hardcover – February 13, 2018

An absolutely superb ending (?) to this trilogy of novels about Dominika a CIA mole in Putin's modern day Russia, and her handlers at CIA. (Note, like the author, I use the phraseology of "at CIA", rather than the uninformed terminology "at the CIA" - one of the ways one can tell the informed versus the uninformed).As this is the third novel in the series, I appreciated the brief references to what the author had written in the first two novels, just enough to cause the reader to remember the details. However, this author (thankfully) did not completely rehash the action of those first two books, and thus take up the entire first third or half of the book trying to bring the reader back up to speed. One of my pet peeves - if the reader is so short of data in his memory banks, he can go back and reread those, there is no sense wasting the time of the rest of us that only need a brief mention here and there to bring those actions back into focus. (A trait that always has me wondering if those other authors are being paid by the word.)Again, as a former operations officer of CIA, the author brings a "feel" for the work to his novels, which seems to be missing from most novels on the subject. Also, the author is not shy about letting his feelings about how the intelligence business of the US has been hampered by the political maneuvers of some really first class idiots over the last “x" decades. As one whose feet were on the ground, he shows his disdain for those arm chair warriors that staff much of the bureaucracy in the US government. He also does a decent job of showing the faults in the kleptocracy that is the current government in Russia, as well as taking some well-aimed shots at Putin.Matthews writes for a more informed reader, one who is conversant with international relations and keeps up with current events, as well as history. I feel I have an excellent vocabulary, but this author even sent me to the dictionary a couple of times to determine the exact meaning of a specific word.There was on grammatical error, which I spotted - on page 384 the author has Dominika and Agnes at "Putin's Palace" on the Black Sea and he has Dominika say "Bring that name back to Benford.” who is located in Langley. Proper English would have been for her to say "Take that name back to Benford." One "brings" towards oneself, and "takes” to another location. I know - petty, and could be chalked up to Dominika not being a native English speaker, but, still jarring, when it did not need to be.This book is superbly written, and I am sure the folks at CIA's Publication Review Board, enjoyed the book as much as I did - well, assuming they have some CIA operations in their backgrounds.Buy this book - but read the entire trilogy - and for the most enjoyment - read them in order - Red Sparrow first, then Palace of Treason and lastly this book. I do hope the author continues to write and not just retire on the laurels he has earned with this trilogy.

This is the third book in a series of three, preceded by the original Red Sparrow and the follow-up Palace of Treason. They were written by a guy who spent many years working for the CIA in real life, and the books absolutely reek of authenticity and insight into the spy world. The first I described as the best espionage novel I have ever read, and the second was at least as good. This one, however, doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by the first two.The cast from the two earlier books returns, including CIA officer Nathan, a young guy entering the prime of his spy career, and Dominika, the Russian secret agent who by this time has risen to lofty heights within her country’s turbulent, vicious, highly effective intelligence system. Other characters return as well, likeable, lovable, and despicable, including veteran CIA officers, plotting and ruthless FSB operatives, and government leaders from both countries. Also returning is none other than Vlad Putin, Russia’s self-proclaimed restorer of Russian greatness and, through subterfuge, coercion, and sanctioned murder, Russia’s ‘elected president for life’. Also present in this book is a collection of senators, congressmen, and others who are lacking in scruples, one of whom will become “The Kremlin’s Candidate”.In this book, Putin hatches a plot to identify an American who is likely to be selected as the next director of the CIA. After finding three likely candidates, at least one is approached and compromised by skilled, sneaky Russian secret agents.The story progresses on many levels. We see Russian agents working diligently in America, and vice versa. We see the workings of the FSB, with insight into how they go about their business of spying, how they recruit agents, how they perceive their duty, and how they fight amongst themselves (apparently just like any government organization that has ever existed). We see into the personal lives of the three candidates, learning their motivations and weaknesses, and understanding how they may be compromised. We watch Nate as he furthers his career in the CIA in various assignments; we see Dominika as she leads the dual life of Russian spymaster and American spy; and we watch as she and Nate pursue their improbable, fiery, apparently doomed love affair. We also spend time with the likeable, experienced, highly competent officers we have followed from the first book.A lot of things are going on in this book, but the central story is the effort on both sides of the ocean to discover the plot and to interrupt it. We watch the efforts of people who are risking their lives to foil the plot, and we meet people who surprisingly want the plot to succeed. Nate and Dominika’s relationship is strained to the breaking point, and at the end things turn out very differently from what you expect. Dramatically different.Like the others, this book is very well written, with accurate, literate, readable prose. The author’s experience is reflected in the superb amount of detail about spy operations, and his unique writing style is entertaining in itself. However, while reading this book you get the recurring impression that it was written perhaps in too much of a hurry, or perhaps to fill a contract requirement. Although it is highly readable, and much better than a lot of the drivel out there, it isn’t as highly polished as the first two books. The banter between the operatives, an enjoyable part of previous books, is not present to the same degree. Some of the missions performed by the operatives are not integral to the story, and one ends in a way that seems to be unnecessary and present only for ‘shock value’. The pursuit of the ‘candidates’ is not explored as deeply as it could have been, and the final disposition of the one who becomes compromised is largely ignored. The ending comes abruptly and is not at all satisfactory. The book goes on and on and on, and then suddenly it resolves in the last few pages, and bang it’s over.And then there is the author’s preoccupation with food. I think I covered that sufficiently in my review of book two.Still, this is a readable book, and you have to read it to finish the series. Unfortunately, while the first two left you clamoring for more, this one ends on a note that makes you feel “enough is enough”.