The Poet's Game

"On the surface, the setup is classic espionage. A senior CIA source in Moscow claims to have kompromat on the American president and wants out before Russia does what Russia has a habit of doing, nothing pleasant. He’ll only speak to one man: Alex Matthews, his former CIA handler, long retired from the Agency and now a successful businessman with deep ties to Moscow. Matthews left under challenging circumstances, but he’s still trusted by the people who matter and is trusted enough to be asked for one last favour. But as the blurb says, “Something, though, is off about the whole operation from the start. The Russians seem one step ahead and the CIA suspects there is a traitor in the agency. Alex realises that by getting back into the game, he has risked everything he has worked for in his new marriage, his family’s safety, and his firm.” So the stakes are high. Paul’s literary hero is Graham Greene and stylistically, they are very similar. Despite being American, Vidich writes in what we once called the British style of espionage fiction. However, with the likes of writers such as David McCloskey, Dan Fesperman, I.S. Berry and Michael Idov following suit, I am not sure we can continue to use that term anymore. Vidich’s real strength is authenticity. The tradecraft feels right. The bureaucracy feels painfully familiar. And most importantly, the characters feel real. Matthews is an excellent protagonist: a former Moscow station chief still affected by the death of his first wife, struggling with a resentful teenage son, and increasingly unsure whether his second marriage is as solid as he hoped. But it’s not just about writing believable characters; Vidich’s novels are rich in atmosphere. In The Poet’s Game , Vidich captures modern Russia superbly. I felt like I was walking down the streets of Moscow."