Red Sparrow

The first in a series, this espionage thriller was written by a former CIA spymaster who uses his experience to tell the story of a Russian seductress targeting US officials. I was drawn in by the multi-layered protagonist, while the little details of spycraft enrich the plot and its authenticity.

Jason Matthews is the real deal, a 30-year-veteran of the CIA’s Operations Directorate and he gives the reader a ringside seat both into the Agency’s operations as well as Putin’s vast spy network and advanced training programs that recruits beautiful young woman to seduce and exterminate foreign assets.

This is one of the steamiest spy novels ever produced.

A great thriller that introduces us to the ‘Sparrow School’ – a Russian training centre where attractive women are taught how to deploy their feminine charms to compromise western intelligence operations.

Matthews’ CIA background comes to the fore in the Tradecraft and Asset-handling passages that, while exciting and thrilling, are also realistic.

Complex characters and nefarious double-dealing are the order of the day in this brilliant novel that kicks off The Red Sparrow trilogy.

This is a tremendously exciting thriller, the first of a trilogy, again with a wonderful female protagonist. It is written by a former CIA agent who brings real knowledge and authenticity to the book. The heroine, Dominika Egorova, is a KGB officer tasked to compomise a young CIA operative—but she has her own moral compass and her own agenda. She also has an uncanny ability to see colors associated with people. Putin appears as a malevolent presence and the book is also a warning of the danger posed by Russia to the West. This book features wonderful meals in each… show more.

Talented and clever, Dominika is compelled to become a Sparrow and use her body to serve Mother Russia. Justifiably angry, she becomes a double agent for the CIA—and in the process, finds love. Red Sparrow is an excellent example of the Lady Spy genre and Cold War espionage from the Russian side of things. More importantly, it highlights a woman’s struggle to matter in a world that doesn’t care about anything more than her gender. Red Sparrow served as a guide for creating Ms. Adelaide DeMarcy. Like Dominika, she is a talented agent and a formidable fighter but lives in… show more.