Random Things Tours: A Loyal Traitor by Tim Glister

 

All traitors pretend to be loyal to something or someone. Loyalty is just a matter of perspective or desillusion - or rather denial.

As a historian and political scientist that happened to get acquainted with the Cold War more than I wanted to, book set during those times may stir a bit of memories but also look like a familiar place. There are names and circumstances I´ve heard about since my early childhood, although my nostalgia has nothing to do with being happy to be brought again during those - largely unpleasant - times. I am just curious to read interpretations of familiar loci. 

A Loyal Traitor by Tim Glister was for me an interesting read from many points of view. The book is Glister´s second. Characters from Red Corona, his debut, may be present in both books, but personally did not feel any impediment in getting into the story without reading the debut novel. 

The action is set at the end of the 1960s, 13 years after the death of Stalin. The world is about to spin around and around, with Vietnam War just around the corner, and many other conflicts skillfully introduced into the story. Importantly, there are many more details added to the general context, compared to the usual spy novels based during those years. The characters - belonging the usual triad requested by the narrative: USA, Soviet Union and UK - do move a lot alongside the conflict lines of the period: in Rhodesia, during the conflict between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in the separatist movement in Canada. Finally, there is more geographical diversity on the Cold War literary map.

Another aspect of the book that I loved is the fact that the spies do behave like normal people do, all of them, including the KGB Major Rykov, which goes beyond the relative void of humanity of other spies from other, many of them, books on similar topics. Rykov has a sense of humour which does not make him a better person but just a human one. Russians not only have children too, but can be funny in the most genuine way, even if they coordinate a very secretive line of work within the KGB. I consider such an approach more genuine and realistic.

What I really found a bit anachronical was the part regarding the mind-control secret program of the West side of the Cold War - particularly UK and US. First, I´ve thought it makes a lot of sense and the story looked attractive at the first and second sight until I realized that, in fact, we are talking about a novel set at the end of the 1960s. The problems and approach though do resonate more with our video surveillance topics that those of the time. Historically, there were concerns and a program in this respect, the MK-ULTRA, but from the literary point of view, I´ve noticed more than once a familiarity that has to do more with some current era kind of comfort. 

As for the story in itself, there is a fast pace and mysterious - in the very politically-intelligent sense of it - encounters having to do with the mind control and other Cold War related experiments, and there is the super Russian spy The Wolf whose presence moves the story forward. 

A Loyal Traitor satisfies both the modern history buff and the political thriller lover and I can only be happy when there is so much to choose from in terms of likeability and literary skills.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own