With all the political turmoil going on in the world, now is the ideal time to read political thrillers, and as such I was looking forward to Red Agenda, Cameron Poe’s creative new novel.
The plot centers around an international disaster that could have epic consequences. When Kuwaiti government officials seek to end their Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) alliance with neighboring Middle Eastern nations, they swiftly enlist the help of Russian engineers to successfully launch a nuclear missile and ignite war. Unbeknownst to all, a veteran American spy is hot on their trail, striving to remain one step ahead of the conspirators and unravel their plans before conflict erupts in the form of widespread global chaos.
Exploring a range of political conflicts spanning practically every major event in history, the novel has a tendency for info-dumping; dropping almost entire chapters worth of information in one fell swoop, which often ahs the negative affect of disinteresting the reader and breaking up the narrative.
However, despite this Red Agenda manages to just about recover, and the often sparkling dialogue, efficient use of swearing (of which I heartily approve) and vaguely enticing plot. The plot itself, as you’ve probably gathered, isn’t entirely fascinating and often with novels like this there is a tendency for too many twists, which creates serious confusion in the reader. Here the same can be said, but despite this the complex characters and inventive storyline keeps you going just long enough to get to the end.
A solid effort overall, there is nothing exceptional about this novel, but equally it is worth a read if you enjoy a good political thriller. If you like being a know- all and picking apart novels which incorporate numerous real-life scenarios, events and places, then this would also be the perfect book for you, which was my overriding thought as I reached the end. I know a few myself and will definitely be recommending this to them.
The Dorset Book Detective 