Judas 62

Starred review from September 19, 2022
The main action of Cumming’s ambitious sequel to 2021’s Box 88 opens with the assassination in Connecticut of 77-year-old Saul Kaszeta, a former Russian general. Kaszeta “had been a source for BOX 88, a top-secret Anglo-American spy agency, for the final nine years of his military career.” To Lachlan Kite, a career BOX 88 agent, this appears to be a reprisal hit carried out by the FSB, and it brings up a highly personal memory for Kite—his successful 1993 exfiltration of Yuri Aranov, a bioweapons scientist. Flashbacks provide a gripping account of Aranov’s exfiltration, which launched Kite’s BOX 88 career and earned him a lifelong enemy, Mikhail Gromik, a Russian intelligence officer who tried to prevent Aranov’s defection. Kite realizes that both he and Aranov are in danger—their names are on the JUDAS list, “targeted for reprisal assassinations by Moscow.” In a tour de force of tradecraft and suspense set in Dubai, the book’s second half follows an intricate plan to ensure Aranov’s safety and neutralize Gromik. Cumming does a superb job creating portraits of people, eras, and places. This powerful spy thriller should win the talented author new fans. Agent: Luke Janklow, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

February 1, 2023

Cumming provides listeners with a brilliant second installment in the series that started with Box 88. Thirty years after attempting to exfiltrate a Russian chemical weapons scientist from the Ukraine, Lachlan Kite, current head of the top-secret spy agency BOX 88, is targeted for assassination. Lachlan learns that Russian intelligence is tracking down individuals who appear on the "JUDAS" hit list. Most of the targets are Russian dissidents, but Lachlan's past work has earned him a place on the list, too. Cumming essentially gives listeners two novels for the price of one--one set in 1993, the other in 2022. The characters, narrated with pitch-perfect accents by Elliot Fitzpatrick, ring true--not one-dimensional caricatures, but complex, flawed individuals. Listeners will be on the edge of their seats, immersed in Cumming's high-stakes action, which Fitzpatrick delivers with just the right amount of tension. VERDICT Cumming's latest, combining the best of old-fashioned Cold War intrigue with realistic situations and modern technology, will be a hit with spy-novel fans. Listeners will be eager for the next installment in this top-notch series.--Scott DiMarco

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