Tim Glister – A Loyal Traitor

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for A Loyal Traitor by Tim Glister. Thank you to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours and

Duty or honour. Which would you betray?

It’s 1966. London is swinging, and the Cold War is spiralling.
Clear cut lines have faded to grey areas. Whispers of conspiracies are everywhere. Spies on both sides of the iron curtain are runninn[&g in circles, chasing constant plots and counterplots. And MI5 agent Richard Knox is tired of all of it.
But when Abey Bennett, his CIA comrade in arms, appears in London with a ghost from Knox’s past and a terrifying warning that could change the balance of power in the Cold War for good, he has to fight to save the future.
He must also face an agonising choice: who will he believe, and who will he betray – his duty to his country or his loyalty to his friends?

The setting of the 1960s and the Cold War with Russia is well done. All the small details really help to give the reader that sense of place. I was there, with no issues about anything or anyone interrupting.

I do enjoy an espionage thriller, and I found this one such an immersive experience. It is the second in a series, but I read this as a standalone and had no issues with keeping up.

The main character, Richard Knox, finds his loyalty tested when someone he believed had died returns into his life, mentally and physically broken. The first half of the story is almost like a jigsaw puzzle, with all the pieces being laid out in front of the reader. In the form of secrets, misdirection, red herrings, and everything that makes this an exciting and thrilling read. The second half of the book is when every puzzle piece begins to slot into place.

Tim Glister has written a thriller that questions loyalty and faith. The faith in the country you work to protect and how you cope when your country breaks that faith. How far do you take loyalty to your friends? Both hard questions to answer, but the author takes the reader by the side of Richard Knox, down that path.

This is a fast-moving story that never slows. It may be an espionage thriller, and there is a lot going on, but I never got lost or confused while reading. I did question everyone and wasn’t sure who to trust as the plot unfolded. The tension from not knowing builds really well, and the drama keeps the story so interesting.

All in all, this is a top notch espionage thriller that keeps you turning the pages so fast as you try to work it all out as you go. Highly recommended read.