My friend Peter of Detectives Beyond Borders sent me a copy of Walking Back the Cat by Robert Littell. It's the story of a KGB assassin who's been deactivated by virtue of perestroika and glasnost, only to be suddenly called out of his unwilling retirement and sent to kill various people whose threats to Russian security seem marginal at best. After he meets one of his targets, a Gulf War vet (the book was written in 1996, before the current misadventure), he gets suspicious. The two of them combine to determine who it is that is ordering these killings and why, and the result is a wonderfully taut thriller. It takes Littell only 220 pages to do what it took Ludlum 544 pages to do in The Bourne Identity; the plots are very similar.
I unreservedly recommend it.
Posted by Linkmeister at July 10, 2008 12:06 PM | TrackBack"It takes Littell only 220 pages to do what it took Ludlum 544 pages to do in The Bourne Identity; the plots are very similar."
That's a nice assessment. Perhaps I'll find myself a copy of the book.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Peter at July 10, 2008 01:16 PM
It should also be noted that Walking Back the Cat takes place in New Mexico and much of it happens on an Indian Reservation. The Native American themes work surprisingly well given the story is still rooted in Cold War themes.
Posted by: Drew at July 11, 2008 07:51 AM