A Divided Spy

At the start of Cumming’s third Thomas Kell novel, the disillusioned, disgraced ex-British spy is still mourning the death of his paramour, Rachel Wallinger, when a former associate provides him with a way to avenge her murder. Kell convinces his former boss, MI6 chief Amelia Levene, to assist him in a plan to blackmail Russian SVR officer Alexander Minasian, whom Kell holds personally responsible for Rachel’s death. Cumming’s tale—in which Kell’s story is interrupted by chapters focusing on Minasian’s romantic partner, Bernhard Riedle, or marking the progress of ISIS-inspired terrorist Shahid Kahn—is meticulously constructed. And the players are fully developed, underlined by British actor Davies’s nuanced portrayal. His Kell may exhibit grief, anger, and disenchantment with spy life, but never at the cost of his morality or heroism. The other characters sound genuine, but each with a unique hint of mendacity. Davies’s rendition captures all that without closing out the possibility that one or all may be setting Kell up for the kill. [em]A St. Martin’s hardcover. (Feb.) [/em]