The Big Cinch is a supernatural noir adventure by Kathy L. Brown and published by Montag Press.  Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions. . . 

I provided an editorial review of Cold Star: the Cold War Just Got Hotter for Independent Book Review last year. I’m please to share it with my blog readers at this time. A little different than my usual fantasy selections, we all need a change of pace sometimes!

Nerves and sabers rattle in 1960s Morocco as a British agent confronts the brilliant mastermind behind a suspicious port explosion only to discover the stakes for civilization are infinitely higher than a shipping disaster.

A Secret Agent Seeks the Cold Star

Cold Star: The Cold War Just Got Hotter, a spy thriller set during the Cold War, transports readers to a convincing 1960s Casablanca as well as immersing them in a secret agent’s morally ambiguous world. Author Dick Woodgate professes his love of this genre’s classics, and the book adheres to the shadowy spirit of the past’s great spy stories. 

An unnamed British spy referred to as “the agent” investigates a ship explosion in the port of Casablanca. The official reports don’t quite ring true, and the western allies are eternally vigilant for Soviet nuclear weapons threats. With a little snooping and a lot of informant interrogation, the agent quickly determines that something huge and threatening is under constructions out in the Moroccan desert. He meets his match, however, at the facility, facing a number of challenges as he tries and fails to stop the threat. The outcome is in question right to the bitter end.

A Classic Spy Thriller

Successful on a number of levels, Cold Star is a 1960s spy story through and through. The Casablanca setting is unique, interesting, and convincing, and readers are treated to rich detail of the fabled city. “The sun had set about an hour before and the narrow street, densely populated with ancient buildings crowding out the remaining early evening light, provided pocket of deeper shadows which played to his advantage—as did the dark blue paint job on the coachwork of the Maserati.” 

The Cold War ambience and attitudes are communicated well. A 1960s-style secret agent is an entertainment icon, and Cold Star doesn’t disappoint. The agent is a suave young man, savoring life’s sensory pleasures of fast cars, champagne, and luxury hotels. Professionally amoral, he vaguely alludes to some fine point of international law before disposing of his adversary de jour. Yet we do see a bit of introspection as the agent contemplates his future, write large before him in the washed-up, alcoholic station chief who helps with his investigation.

The Cold Star

The villain’s plot is audacious and clever, and his motivation is well thought out. The high stakes and their global importance make the story a true thriller. The narrative arc is strong, and an interesting twist in events at the end generates a force of change for the agent himself, which is a deft touch and elevates the story. 

The book has a clean, clear narrative voice, with just enough clever turn-of-phrase to keep things interesting. For example, the debris at the port after the ship explosion is described: “In the process of cooling, it had now fused to form an extraordinary new structure, looking like a monumental dripping sculpture by Salvador Dali.”

A Man’s World

The 1960s was a man’s world, at least as presented by pop culture. Lately, society has begun to uncover new historical information and hear additional voices. Unfortunately, Cold Star perpetuations the “man’s world” myth to the story’s own detriment. Women characters are few, and the only one with a plot function is Valentina, a beautiful young Russian woman working at the Soviet Consulate in Casablanca. The agent, and more importantly, the book, always referred to her as “the girl.” (She is almost thirty years old.)

After a scene in which the agent actually shares some of his past and Valentina confesses her dashed career hopes to become an astronomer, the reader expects more. Yet, ultimately, she was only in this story to provide clues and give the agent a scene partner. The agent’s minimizing attitude toward her is true to his character, and Valentina’s lack of power is true to the society in which she must function. Yet, if the book voiced insight and perspective, a new level of authenticity might be achieved. And if Valentina had some agency, the story would have more freedom, too. 

Recommendations

Espionage and thriller readers will enjoy the story’s high stakes and villain’s clever threat to humanity. Historical fiction fans interested in the 1960s, the Space Race, and the Cold War will appreciate the level of detail woven into the story. However, the novel has an old-fashioned, dated feel. Emulating the classics is not always in best service to a story, particularly one published in the twenty-first century. 

If you enjoy travel via fiction, check out Black Volta by Pete KJ. My review is here.

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

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