Spy Games

Brookes’s intricately plotted sequel to 2014’s Night Heron finds Philip Mangan, foreign correspondent and part-time spy, in Ethiopia looking into a story about how the Chinese are influencing African politics. Shortly after he’s almost killed in a cafe bombing, Mangan receives secret intelligence information from a Chinese traitor. When he turns this over to the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service, the SIS welcomes Mangan’s help, and he’s given new training and the job of running the valuable Chinese agent. At first the operation goes well, with Mangan getting info on a secret fighter aircraft and new laser weapons, but infighting among the leaders of the Chinese government, a flurry of double and triple crosses, and perfidy among those he considers friends lead to disaster. The not always convincing conflict between competing Chinese factions slows the action in places, but Brookes shows that his impressive debut was no fluke, and readers will look forward to Mangan’s next adventure. Agent: Catherine Clarke, Felicity Bryan Associates. (July)