Spies and Cats

Matthew Dunn (William Morrow, $25.99)

There is something appealing about a spy thriller written by a former spy. After all, it is his experience in the 500 shades of grey universe of espionage that so well informs the plots and characters of John Le Carré. That, of course, and his huge talent as a writer.

Dunn, the book’s jacket copy asserts, is a former MI6 operative. It shows. The knowledge of the “everyday” practice of spycraft all but oozes out of the binding, especially in one long chapter where a target is being trailed through Moscow.

That said, in this chapter and elsewhere in the novel, there are a few notable factual slips regarding Moscow geography and transport. Hopefully these were corrected in the final version, as this review is based on an uncorrected proof.