After a disappointing movie on the first book, I was hoping for a comeback with the final saga of the Red Sparrow trilogy. And Jason Matthews did not disappoint. This highly anticipated sequel delivers as expected and more. The usual team of Forsyth, Nate, Gable and Benford is back with an even more vehemence as they attempt to uncover a surreptitiously placed mole holding the power to one day run the CIA.
The Russian hand in deriding CIA's operations is synonymous with present times, yet it is not biased against any of the real world tomfoolery. The depth of the trade-craft is explored from multiple angles, as we also have North Korean and Chinese intelligence enter the scene. The venues are multiple, the visual imagery of Putin's dacha and his holiday home/harem is breathtaking, and the number of recipes at the end of each chapter has grown more diverse. Is Jason Matthews a good chef?
The ending will not be for everyone, but if you look closely, we have already guessed how this can end. There is only way to go for a spy, who is embroiled in such epic proportions of counter intelligence.
Even after being a very open minded reader who is hardly shaken by moving scenes, I was disconcerted with some of the episodes with Nate's torture, Putin's forcing himself on Domi, and the death/s of a few important characters.
I feel like reading this over again because I do not know when and what next series of such class will be delivered by Mr. Matthews