Palace of Treason

Starred review from April 27, 2015
Matthews follows 2013’s Red Sparrow, which won both the Edgar and Thriller awards for best first novel, with a sequel that’s every bit as good as his debut. CIA case officer Nate Nash and Capt. Dominika Egorova of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) are still in love, and their relationship threatens to undermine a CIA scheme to sabotage the Iranians’ secret uranium enrichment program. Dominika is a mole within the SVR, providing valuable intel to the Americans, especially after she wins the personal approval of President Vladimir Putin. But Dominika has a jealous rival within the SVR, Col. Alexei Zyuganov, a sadistic psychopath who will do anything to thwart her career. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., a disaffected CIA officer, in retaliation for being passed over for promotion, starts feeding the Russians information that could lead to Dominika’s exposure as a spy for the Americans. Authentic tradecraft, a complex plot that steadily builds tension, and credible heroes and villains on both sides make this a standout. Recipes at the end of each chapter provide some welcome relief from some brutal violence. Seven-city author tour. Agent: Sloan Harris, International Creative Management.

July 27, 2015
Matthews, once again calling on his experience as a 33-year veteran of the CIA, has filled his new espionage thriller with more of his seemingly authentic examples of tradecraft woven into a vivid mixture of international intrigue, violent action, and hard-boiled romance. The focus of the novel is the continuing (after 2013’s Red Sparrow) love affair of CIA agent Nate Nash and Dominika Egorova, a Russian spy as deadly as she is beautiful. Bobb does a splendid job of narrating this globe-trotting misbegotten romance, smoothly switching accents (Russian, French, Viennese, etc.) and pronouncing the names of cities, towns, and streets as if he were a native of each location. In presenting Dominika, Bobb concentrates more on attitude than accent, an approach he uses for another of the novel’s key players, Russian president Vladimir Putin, who conveys a chilling arrogance and ego. Matthews describes one of Putin’s advisors, a steely woman officer, as having a “voice that sounded like melting ice cream.” Bobb’s interpretation is soft and emotionless enough to narrow that down to a frosty vanilla. A Scribner hardcover.