Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2011.
Description
Hard-up Russia expert Dr. Sam Gaddis finally has a lead for a book that could set his career back on track. He has staggering new information about an unknown sixth member of the infamous Cambridge spy ring -- a man who has evaded detection for his entire life. But when his source suddenly dies, Gaddis is left with just shreds of his investigation, and no idea that he is already in too deep.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Chatterbox
This plain vanilla spy story proves that sometimes the old-fashioned plot ideas make the best rattling good suspense novels. It certainly was enough to keep me up all night reading to get to the end.
In some ways, the plotline of Cumming's latest spy thriller owes a lot to Hitchcock -- an ordinary
There are plenty of great twists and turns in this story -- is the peril that Sam finds himself in really because of a decades-old spy or something altogether more modern-day than that? That is what makes up the suspense in this "thumping good read" -- what is it, exactly, that Sam has stumbled across? This isn't a flawless book -- there are some improbable coincidences and at heart it's really a very familiar kind of story -- but after reading plenty of far less accomplished efforts to produce just this kind of book as well as lots of other noirish, spare, bleak spy stories with far-too convoluted narratives and far too unsympathetic characters, it was a pleasant relief to be able to delve into Cummings's latest. No, Sam Gaddis is no Smiley, but I didn't care. I kept turning the pages and saying "just one more chapter" until suddenly it was 4 a.m. and I was finished.
Rated 4.3 stars, recommending it to anyone looking for a decent spy novel. I have most of the author's other books; with the exception of his most recent, Typhoon, he seems to be struggling to find his voice and focus. If you kind of liked this one, or liked it and are looking for something even better, check out Remembrance by Henry Porter, and then read the rest of that author's excellent thrillers. Both he and Cummings are authors who deserve to be better known.
In some ways, the plotline of Cumming's latest spy thriller owes a lot to Hitchcock -- an ordinary
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guy, a university lecturer in London specializing in Russian history, is under financial pressure from his ex-wife and the Inland Revenue, when an old friend suggests they collaborate on a bestseller about the possible identity of a "Sixth Man" -- another Soviet spy in the group that included Burgess, Maclean and Philby. Then the friend suddenly dies of a heart attack and Sam, picking up the threads of her investigation, realizes that others who have been on the trail of the mysterious Edward Crane have also been found dead. There are plenty of great twists and turns in this story -- is the peril that Sam finds himself in really because of a decades-old spy or something altogether more modern-day than that? That is what makes up the suspense in this "thumping good read" -- what is it, exactly, that Sam has stumbled across? This isn't a flawless book -- there are some improbable coincidences and at heart it's really a very familiar kind of story -- but after reading plenty of far less accomplished efforts to produce just this kind of book as well as lots of other noirish, spare, bleak spy stories with far-too convoluted narratives and far too unsympathetic characters, it was a pleasant relief to be able to delve into Cummings's latest. No, Sam Gaddis is no Smiley, but I didn't care. I kept turning the pages and saying "just one more chapter" until suddenly it was 4 a.m. and I was finished.
Rated 4.3 stars, recommending it to anyone looking for a decent spy novel. I have most of the author's other books; with the exception of his most recent, Typhoon, he seems to be struggling to find his voice and focus. If you kind of liked this one, or liked it and are looking for something even better, check out Remembrance by Henry Porter, and then read the rest of that author's excellent thrillers. Both he and Cummings are authors who deserve to be better known.
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LibraryThing member gmmartz
I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could. The writing is solid, but at times I almost feel like the author was telling a non-fiction story. The prose is pretty dry and straightforward, and nowhere near as gripping as what we've read in his later books. The story is quite interesting and it's tricky to
My real complaint is with some of the actions of the academic 'hero'. They didn't exactly seem to make sense. In some cases, he acts with extreme naivete', especially toward the Russians he ends up encountering, while in others he handles situations with the aplomb you'd expect from a professional spy. Other than that, it's a good story by a writer that I'm really enjoying.
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follow the actions of the various characters, none of whom may be who you (or the protagonist) think they are and all of whom have hidden agendas. I thought the character development was a little light, but based on the roles the individuals had and the already relatively lengthy story I suppose that was understandable.My real complaint is with some of the actions of the academic 'hero'. They didn't exactly seem to make sense. In some cases, he acts with extreme naivete', especially toward the Russians he ends up encountering, while in others he handles situations with the aplomb you'd expect from a professional spy. Other than that, it's a good story by a writer that I'm really enjoying.
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LibraryThing member BeckyJG
The Cambridge Five, as you probably know, was a ring of spies all recruited by the Soviets after having become communists during their years at university in the thirties. Four of the five--Kim Philby, Donald Duart Maclean, Guy Burgess, and Anthony Blunt--have been definitively known since the
Charles Cumming, in his spy thriller The Trinity Six takes the premise a step further by positing a sixth spy, one who was never caught (or defected), and who may still be alive. His novel slants the action differently than most spy novels by making the protagonist not a spy or an intelligence officer, but rather a professor of Russian studies. Sam Gaddis is the fortyish academic, divorced, behind in his mortgage and tax payments and being pressed by his ex-wife for additional child support. When asked by a journalist friend to co-write a book based on interviews she's currently conducting about the possible sixth man, Gaddis jumps at the chance. Days later his friend is dead. As he pursues the leads she had begun to uncover, Gaddis discovers most people unwilling to discuss the subject with him...and those who do seem to end up dead as well.
Cummings has written a tidy (though perhaps a bit coincidence-ridden) thriller which flies along at a satsifyingly brisk clip. Sam Gaddis is mopey and self-centered, but smart and capable as well. The Trinity Six, while not one for the ages, is still a worthy contribution to the spy thriller genre, and well worth a read.
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fifties and early sixties. The presence of a fifth member of the group was long suspected, and many consider John Cairncross to be the likeliest candidate.Charles Cumming, in his spy thriller The Trinity Six takes the premise a step further by positing a sixth spy, one who was never caught (or defected), and who may still be alive. His novel slants the action differently than most spy novels by making the protagonist not a spy or an intelligence officer, but rather a professor of Russian studies. Sam Gaddis is the fortyish academic, divorced, behind in his mortgage and tax payments and being pressed by his ex-wife for additional child support. When asked by a journalist friend to co-write a book based on interviews she's currently conducting about the possible sixth man, Gaddis jumps at the chance. Days later his friend is dead. As he pursues the leads she had begun to uncover, Gaddis discovers most people unwilling to discuss the subject with him...and those who do seem to end up dead as well.
Cummings has written a tidy (though perhaps a bit coincidence-ridden) thriller which flies along at a satsifyingly brisk clip. Sam Gaddis is mopey and self-centered, but smart and capable as well. The Trinity Six, while not one for the ages, is still a worthy contribution to the spy thriller genre, and well worth a read.
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LibraryThing member Unkletom
I love spy thrillers. I love reading late into the night to find out if the double agent is really a good guy or if he can get over the Berlin Wall without getting shot. I love how the fate of the world rests on them revealing this or that secret (or McGuffin, to borrow a term from Alfred
So why does Charles Cummings' Trinity Six leave me out in the cold?
For starters, it advertises itself as a thriller based on the question of whether or not there was a sixth member of the actual Cambridge spy ring that consisted of several 1930s Cambridge classmates who were recruited by the Soviets and then, over the course of the next few decades, worked their way into trusted positions within the government and leaked an enormous amount of sensitive information. This would be an interesting question if the book were set back when these men were young enough and powerful enough to do some damage but it's not. It is set in modern times, where the Soviet Union no longer exists and Russia is run by former president and KGB officer Vladimir Putin, (sorry, Sergei Platov). I spent much of the book wondering how this plotline could segue into something that could possibly be a threat to anyone still living. True, people around protagonist Sam Gaddis are dying at an alarming rate, but why? What possible reason could there be for it?
Perhaps the author felt the same way because about halfway through the book the story takes a 90-degree turn and Gaddis spends the rest of the book running for his life and chasing the McGuffin. The change takes place so dramatically that I almost felt that I'd been the victim of the old bait-and-switch game. Much of what I have just said is a description of the frustration I felt while reading the book. In the end Cummings does answer my questions but I'll leave it up to you to decide if the McGuffin was worth the chase.
John Lee is an excellent choice as narrator for the audio version of Trinity Six. His classic upper-class English accent is as at home in a British spy thriller as an Austin Martin or a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred).
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Hitchcock). So why does Charles Cummings' Trinity Six leave me out in the cold?
For starters, it advertises itself as a thriller based on the question of whether or not there was a sixth member of the actual Cambridge spy ring that consisted of several 1930s Cambridge classmates who were recruited by the Soviets and then, over the course of the next few decades, worked their way into trusted positions within the government and leaked an enormous amount of sensitive information. This would be an interesting question if the book were set back when these men were young enough and powerful enough to do some damage but it's not. It is set in modern times, where the Soviet Union no longer exists and Russia is run by former president and KGB officer Vladimir Putin, (sorry, Sergei Platov). I spent much of the book wondering how this plotline could segue into something that could possibly be a threat to anyone still living. True, people around protagonist Sam Gaddis are dying at an alarming rate, but why? What possible reason could there be for it?
Perhaps the author felt the same way because about halfway through the book the story takes a 90-degree turn and Gaddis spends the rest of the book running for his life and chasing the McGuffin. The change takes place so dramatically that I almost felt that I'd been the victim of the old bait-and-switch game. Much of what I have just said is a description of the frustration I felt while reading the book. In the end Cummings does answer my questions but I'll leave it up to you to decide if the McGuffin was worth the chase.
John Lee is an excellent choice as narrator for the audio version of Trinity Six. His classic upper-class English accent is as at home in a British spy thriller as an Austin Martin or a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred).
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LibraryThing member neddludd
Cumming draws on real British spy history in linking his tale to Burgess, Maclean, Blunt, Philby et. al. His hero is a Russian history scholar, Dr. Sam Gaddis, who has just published a book comparing Putin to Peter the Great. A journalist friend gives him a hint a a blockbuster story she is working
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on...and then dies. He figures out the basics of the story, but as he begins researching the tale other people die. Slowly, it dawns on him that he is going down a forbidden road, and that is the main problem with the book. Sam is a bit of a dolt. He is constantly being surprised as thugs in both the British and Russian secret services play a dirty game of keeping him, or trying to keep him, in the dark. He is saved by his persistence and a 20-something female operative who is as competent and street-smart as he is not. Stieg Larsson has, with Lisbeth Salander, provided a template for many writers these days to create young, tough, and jaded female heroines who save their men. Cumming gets the atmospherics down perfectly, and the history is interesting. But it would have been a better book if Dr. Sam Gaddis was a stronger, more capable, more aware individual. Show Less
LibraryThing member goose114
Sam Gaddis has stumbled upon a story of a lifetime; a story that could damage two national governments and put lives in jeopardy. Gaddis is faced with writing a book that exposes a sixth member of the Cambridge Five. As he begins exploring and contacting people who might know information on the
This book moved quickly and the story continued to twist and turn. There were times when I wished a tiny bit of information wasn’t revealed and was just discovered by the reader, but things unfolded nicely in the story. The historical aspect of the book was woven perfectly into the fictional story. There were times when my heart was pounding while reading this and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good espionage thriller.
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elusive Edward Crane he becomes sucked into a secret and dangerous world between two intelligence organizations. As the story of the sixth member unfolds, Gaddis uncovers an even more dangerous and threatening fact, that two governments are willing to kill over in order to keep it a secret.This book moved quickly and the story continued to twist and turn. There were times when I wished a tiny bit of information wasn’t revealed and was just discovered by the reader, but things unfolded nicely in the story. The historical aspect of the book was woven perfectly into the fictional story. There were times when my heart was pounding while reading this and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good espionage thriller.
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LibraryThing member Wings3496
A spy novel of the mediocre variety, The Trinity Six is the story of Sam Gaddis, a British historian who through a series of coincidences finds himself investigating an espionage mystery of the Cold War. While the description may sound exciting, the author does his best to keep the tension to a
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bare minimum, constantly ruining each potential "Aha!" moment with half-hearted and mistimed reveals. It actually might be a stretch to say that the main character "investigates" much of anything, as the secondary characters of the novel lead him by the hand the entire way. In addition, the author seems to have difficulty writing realistic representations of adult relationships, and each interaction Sam Gaddis has with a member of the opposite sex is portrayed awkwardly at best. The novel culminates with a typically cliché espionage-novel conclusion, which is certain to disappoint nearly every reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member KLTMD
The Trinity Six
After a slow beginning (for me, a senior citizen) bringing younger readers up to date with the extraordinary and true spy ring which began at Cambridge in the 1930s, this strory picks up speed and considerable interest. The author, Charles Cumming, manages to draft an exciting and
After a slow beginning (for me, a senior citizen) bringing younger readers up to date with the extraordinary and true spy ring which began at Cambridge in the 1930s, this strory picks up speed and considerable interest. The author, Charles Cumming, manages to draft an exciting and
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well written yarn (an old word, well deserved) that holds ones interest to the end with a lovely suggestion of a sequel. The history is right on as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member viking2917
Imagine if the head of counter-intelligence for the CIA were unmasked to be a Soviet agent. Seems inconceivable, doesn't it? Yet Britain underwent precisely that in the '50s and '60s as Kim Philby was revealed to be a Soviet double agent, along with his college friends, Burgess, Maclean, Blunt and
Trinity Six is based on the premise that the so-called Cambridge Five were in fact the Trinity Six, to include a sixth man they met as undergraduates at Trinity. Sam Gaddis is an academic who studies Russian, and seems to have stumbled into evidence about the sixth man. Gaddis is a not-entirely-sympathetic divorced professor with womanizing instincts, trying to run the sixth man to ground.
To anyone interested in espionage or espionage fiction, the premise is promising. Yet the novel, while somewhat enjoyable, is proof that writing a great espionage novel is much harder than it looks. Trinity Six struggles to figure out what kind of novel it is - is it going to be a modern-day Robert Ludlum action adventure story, with only a veneer of historicity? Or is it going to be a le Carre study in character? Or a quasi-historical view into MI6 a la Robert Littell? Unfortunately in the end, it ends up being mostly a Ludlum-style adventure, crashing from incident to incident. The historical premise of the Cambridge Five is mostly wasted. There's no disclosure of any hidden historical mysteries. The plotting is often clumsy, and Gaddis often doesn't realize things that are obvious. Ever watched a horror movie where everyone but the main character knows there's a killer underneath the bed? That's how Trinity Six feels about once per chapter.
Trinity Six also struggles with what is supposed to be known, and not known - things are revealed early on that shouldn't be, and other things not revealed that should be. Is the identity of the sixth man supposed to be known to the reader or not? Hard to tell - the book often seems to accidentally disclose things. And virtually every other page, some character says something that just feels wrong, and jars your sense that what is happening is believable.
My advice? If you're stuck on a plane and you have Trinity Six, it will pass the time. But if you have a choice, pick up any of Robert Littell's novels (say, Legends), or an old le Carre novel you haven't read - a much better investment of your time. Or, if you want something a little different, Declare by Tim Powers (a fantastical story with roots in the legend of Kim Philby).
(I received a copy of The Trinity Six through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program - thanks LibraryThing!)
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Cairncross, who've come to be known as the Cambridge Five. Their decades-long betrayal of Britain was devastating. Trinity Six is based on the premise that the so-called Cambridge Five were in fact the Trinity Six, to include a sixth man they met as undergraduates at Trinity. Sam Gaddis is an academic who studies Russian, and seems to have stumbled into evidence about the sixth man. Gaddis is a not-entirely-sympathetic divorced professor with womanizing instincts, trying to run the sixth man to ground.
To anyone interested in espionage or espionage fiction, the premise is promising. Yet the novel, while somewhat enjoyable, is proof that writing a great espionage novel is much harder than it looks. Trinity Six struggles to figure out what kind of novel it is - is it going to be a modern-day Robert Ludlum action adventure story, with only a veneer of historicity? Or is it going to be a le Carre study in character? Or a quasi-historical view into MI6 a la Robert Littell? Unfortunately in the end, it ends up being mostly a Ludlum-style adventure, crashing from incident to incident. The historical premise of the Cambridge Five is mostly wasted. There's no disclosure of any hidden historical mysteries. The plotting is often clumsy, and Gaddis often doesn't realize things that are obvious. Ever watched a horror movie where everyone but the main character knows there's a killer underneath the bed? That's how Trinity Six feels about once per chapter.
Trinity Six also struggles with what is supposed to be known, and not known - things are revealed early on that shouldn't be, and other things not revealed that should be. Is the identity of the sixth man supposed to be known to the reader or not? Hard to tell - the book often seems to accidentally disclose things. And virtually every other page, some character says something that just feels wrong, and jars your sense that what is happening is believable.
My advice? If you're stuck on a plane and you have Trinity Six, it will pass the time. But if you have a choice, pick up any of Robert Littell's novels (say, Legends), or an old le Carre novel you haven't read - a much better investment of your time. Or, if you want something a little different, Declare by Tim Powers (a fantastical story with roots in the legend of Kim Philby).
(I received a copy of The Trinity Six through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program - thanks LibraryThing!)
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LibraryThing member ricksbooks
It sounds trite, but I must say I had a very difficult time putting this book down. Cumming maintains a brisk tempo, with crisp chapters and limited distractions. As an espionage novel, it has an appropriate number of enjoyable plot twists, with an orientation toward deception and intrigue to move
Obligatory disclaimer: read a free ARC via LT ER.
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the action, rather than blunt violence. While the book takes place in the present-day, Cumming does a solid job of making the story almost a sort of historical fiction by having his characters relate what we perceive as history in a manner that is, to them, personal experience. I'd suspect that (in the right hands) this would make a solid movie. This was the first book I've read by Cumming; I'll be looking to pick up others.Obligatory disclaimer: read a free ARC via LT ER.
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LibraryThing member lwhitmill
A very good read that slowly gives you information that will lead you to the conclusion but not until the very end do you get the final piece. If you enjoy a trying to determine the end before you get there then you will enjoy this book but you will not guess the ending. Well worth the time
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invested. Show Less
LibraryThing member jessie_40
the Cambridge Five, a ring of British Spies during WW11,recruited at Trinity College were said to have had a sixth member. Sam Gaddis a professor who is in debt desperatly needs a good book. His journalist friend Charlotte tells him that there was a sixth man. Charlotte is murdered and Sam is on
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the trail to find the sixth man. I liked the book however for me I didn't think that Sam was exciting enough and I had a bit of trouble getting through the book. All in all if you like John LaCarre I think you will like this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member bacreads
I had not read Charles Cumming before "The Trinity Six" but it will not be the last book of his that I will read. I enjoy spy thrillers and this no exception. It is not a constant action page turner but rather a "make you think and try to figure out" plot. Just when you think you know where it is
At first the plot seemed a bit draggy. I vaguely remember Kim Philby when he was "outed" as a spy but had never really heard of the Magnificent Five so I wasn't immediately pulled in to find a sixth man. But I did a bit of research on the subject and once I had some background information the seriousness seemed to make a bit more sense. But after a while the search for the 6th man stood up by itself and I got to a place in my reading where I just did not want to put the book down but then I wanted to slow my reading because I did not want the connection with Sam to end. I thought the ending quite clever and would like to know if Eddie was able to meet with the TV personality.
If you are a fan of Len Deighton, John LeCarre or same genre authors, you will like this nove.
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going, it goes in another direction. Not being British there were some references not familiar to me but I just researched them and [hopefully] added a bit to my knowledge and vocabulary. Sam engaged me almost immediately and I liked that he was not a superman but someone who would act on emotions and not always do the what would seem to be sensible. The one thing I did have a problem with is that although he had severe financial problems he could fly to New Zealand or Spain on a moments notice. Also, he seemed to be able to be away from his work without anyone complaining or looking for him. Perhaps I missed that he was on a sort of sabbatical. I liked that he really loved his daughter with more than just lip service. At first the plot seemed a bit draggy. I vaguely remember Kim Philby when he was "outed" as a spy but had never really heard of the Magnificent Five so I wasn't immediately pulled in to find a sixth man. But I did a bit of research on the subject and once I had some background information the seriousness seemed to make a bit more sense. But after a while the search for the 6th man stood up by itself and I got to a place in my reading where I just did not want to put the book down but then I wanted to slow my reading because I did not want the connection with Sam to end. I thought the ending quite clever and would like to know if Eddie was able to meet with the TV personality.
If you are a fan of Len Deighton, John LeCarre or same genre authors, you will like this nove.
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LibraryThing member btuckertx
"The Trinity Six", by Charles Cumming, posits there was indeed a sixth member of the Cambridge Five - British agents who spied for the Russians. Sam Gaddis, 40-ish professor of Russian history at a British college, meets and beds a young, beautiful actress, who just happens to have a trove of
In some ways, this was a pretty good book, in the style of Le Carre. In others, it was a slight disappointment. Sam Gaddis is believable as a character. His reactions, as a civilian in a world of violence and secrecy, ring fairly true. The plot is taut, and the action pretty much non-stop. But, as my wife observed, he is the luckiest SOB in the world. Considering all that goes on around him, he should have died several times.
As an "easy read" example of spy thrillers, I liked it. If you take too much time to think, though, you might find yourself saying, "Hey, wait just a minute!" just a little too often. Having said that, sometimes I need a book like this one, and I plan on looking into other books by the author.
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documents obtained by her now-dead mother, leading him to become involved on a quest to solve a deadly mystery. In some ways, this was a pretty good book, in the style of Le Carre. In others, it was a slight disappointment. Sam Gaddis is believable as a character. His reactions, as a civilian in a world of violence and secrecy, ring fairly true. The plot is taut, and the action pretty much non-stop. But, as my wife observed, he is the luckiest SOB in the world. Considering all that goes on around him, he should have died several times.
As an "easy read" example of spy thrillers, I liked it. If you take too much time to think, though, you might find yourself saying, "Hey, wait just a minute!" just a little too often. Having said that, sometimes I need a book like this one, and I plan on looking into other books by the author.
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LibraryThing member andster01
I liked this book. It's easy to read, fast-paced, and enjoyable. Basically, once I started to read it, I couldn't stop. BUT...it's also forgettable. I couldn't empathize with any of the characters. And the ending seemed a little bit pat. If you want a mystery book that makes you think, you might
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want to try something else. This is a book to read while at the beach. Show Less
LibraryThing member joliekerenick
This is a book that I won as part of an early reviewers giveaway. I loved it. It was very well written, and the characters were well developed. It was exciting and it kept me captivated throughout the entire book (to the point that my children were late to school one day because I couldn't put it
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down). I have not read many books from this genre, nor do I know much about the intricacies of the cold war or espionage so I can not claim to be an authority, but at no time did the story seem far fetched to me. I would reccomend this one to anyone who likes to be drawn in and held captive by a book that is full of adventure and suspense. Show Less
LibraryThing member jenngv
I gave this to my husband to read and he did in one day. He really enjoyed it, good writing, great story, and engrossing.
LibraryThing member williammilton
I liked it. Held my interest throughout. Espionage.
LibraryThing member hoosiers80
This book was very entertaining. Having it not read many novels lately, this book held my attention and kept me interested throughout. The characters were well done. With this being an espionage novel, it was important to keep the readers guessing what would happen next. This book succeeded in
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keeping my guessing from beginning to end. Even after the sixth spy is revealed, the plot keeps you guessing what will happen next. Not a homerun, but definitely a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnFallows
I thought this book was great. It does shift and twist a bit from what I thought would be a book mainly about a sixth member of the Cambridge Five and his exploits. But the twist is interesting and entertaining. It leaves one to wonder if perhaps the current Russian leaders may have similar
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skeletons in their collective closets. Show Less
LibraryThing member brianunc1
This was a pretty good story. Once I started reading, it was hard to stop. Unfortunately, parts of the book were just not believable. As others have said, the main character was extremely lucky. This sometimes kept me from getting caught up on the story. The novel was entertaining and I'll try
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something else by Charles Cummings, but the lack of believability keeps me from giving it a higher rating. Show Less
LibraryThing member erin1
A spy thriller set in England, author Charles Cumming weaves a complicated, but engrossing, story line that takes the main character, a British academic, to Russia, Austria and Germany in chase of the sixth man of the Cambridge Spy Ring. The book was very reminiscent of Le Carre, I practically had
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to take notes to keep all the double agents and various plots from becoming a confusing mess. At times, it was difficult to keep everything and everyone straight, but the writing is well done and convincing enough to have you believe that a spy game like this could take place. I look forward to reading what Mr. Cumming comes up with next. Show Less
LibraryThing member drlord
This book is a slow starter but once it gets going it gets really good. Having never been to Europe, I found that the author did an outstanding job bringing me there and immersing me into the culture of places I've dreamed of being. And in the end, Charles Cumming held the best parts for the end.
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It's a James Bond movie in 300+ pages...and you're right there watching it while it happens. Show Less
LibraryThing member jsoos
Charles Cumming has written a great espionage novel in "The Trinity Six". The premise is that there was a sixth man associated with the Trinity Five (British spies working for Russia). The novel keeps moving at a pretty good pace, has enough historical detail to be believable, and keeps the reader
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engaged with little twists along the way. This one is a must for anyone who enjoys espionage novels! Show Less
LibraryThing member unluckycharms13
"Trinity Six' is a novel of intrigue and government cover-ups. Sam Gaddis is a British professor of Russian history facing money and family troubles. When a close friend and colleague unexpectedly dies after offering Gaddis a solution for his problems, Gaddis picks up where her research left off,
The characters of this novel carry the story, and leaves the reader wondering which one they are really rooting for. There is enough intrigue and surprise to keep the story interesting, although the plot is a bit far-fetched.
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revealing a mystery about a British government cover-up of double agents during the Cold War. The characters of this novel carry the story, and leaves the reader wondering which one they are really rooting for. There is enough intrigue and surprise to keep the story interesting, although the plot is a bit far-fetched.
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Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2011-03
ISBN
0312675291 / 9780312675295