Review
Russell Miller s book, The Spy with a Clean Face, follows corporate executive, occasional CIA operative Charlie Connelly through Latin America, Asia and eventually to the dead zone of Chernobyl. Connelly s credentials as an international businessman makes the perfect cover as the CIA utilizes his high sense of patriotism and his ability to travel legitimately to maneuver him as they deem necessary.
Miller s highly descriptive prose combined with a vast knowledge of locations balances his book gracefully between adventure, history and travel guide. It also provides you a glimpse into the treacherous world of espionage without the overly ambitious plots or unbelievable characters found in similar books. Miller s abundant use of impressive descriptions combined with a thinking man s plot will keep you reading. Highly recommended. -- --Tony Lazzarini-Military Writer's Society of America
This book is a tale about Charlie Connelly, whose ties with the Central Intelligence Agency are reconnected after he is unexpectedly approached by his former recruiter, accompanied by an attractive female agent, for assistance in a mission.
During his travels, which take him to Maracaibo, Medellin, Tianjin, Tel Aviv and Kyev, Charlie becomes intertwined with the mysteries that surround his predicament. After suffering a betrayal by the political maneuverings of the agency and being abandoned by his own company, Charlie finds himself working on a an NGO project in Ukraine, where he is contacted by the agency to find and eliminate a defecting American rogue agent near the Chernobyl dead-zone.
At first glance, the reader may notice that the author was inspired by Ian Fleming s James Bond character, However, Mr. Miller s Charlie Connelly prefers Bombay Sapphire gin martinis to Bond s Smirnoff vodka shaken, not stirred martini variety. Also, in all of his adventures, Bond never paid a visit to Ukraine.
Mr. Miller is a resident of La Grange, Ill., and this is his fourth book on Eastern Europe. Mr. Miller has traveled to over 100 countries as an international executive and on NGO projects for the Vienna-based United Nations Industrial Development Organization, United Nations Development Project, the World Bank and the International Executive Service Corps.
Mr. Miller s book Journey to a Closed City, featured in The [Ukrainian] Weekly on March 7, 2004, chronicled his work in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Large print format is also available (ISBN: 978-1-59630-023-3). --The Ukrainian Weekly May 25, 2008
This is Miller's fourth book since he retired.
I previously reviewed his journey to a closed city.
This book's main character is Charlie Connelly who returns to work for the CIA and becomes entangled in foreign intrigue and deception as he travels through Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe in search of a CIA defector.
In his quest to accomplish his mission, Connelly is faced with a moral dilemma,...
Miller catches your interest right away in his prologue.
We're drawn into his former KGB agents in their search for a body in the Ukrainian countryside. We then learn how Connelly was recruited by the CIA, who needed some Midwesterners instead of just the Eastern establishment. But, after going through training and the downsizing of the department, he had to take another job, which also took him to two different countries of the world. The CIA in the person of "Marvin" however always kept Connelly on their radar.
Miller also puts interesting tidbits about the countries and cities Connolly is working in. One such caught my attention. In Bogotá Colombia, the businessmen wear their watches on her left wrist whether or not they are right-handed the reason for this is that when winners are driving their cars they drive along, the watches are easy prey for thieves at stoplights. Connelly's overseas stays and his encounters with many foreign governments and agencies is just the reason why Marvin appears in his life again to recruit him -- in the beginning for just debriefing when he returns from another country and taking pictures with a special watch, then eventually it leads to taking out a rogue CIA agent. We end up in Russia with Marvin and Connelly and missiles being sold to Iran, as well as poisonous gases. There is also a female CIA agent named Karen who plays a pivotal role as Connelly's contact for his assignments throughout South America, Tel Aviv, China and eventually kiev. the endings of stories can let you down or make you want to read more later. And this book's ending makes for a perfect prelude to another father/daughter journey. --Barbara Andrianopoli Senior Connection, June 2008.
Miller s highly descriptive prose combined with a vast knowledge of locations balances his book gracefully between adventure, history and travel guide. It also provides you a glimpse into the treacherous world of espionage without the overly ambitious plots or unbelievable characters found in similar books. Miller s abundant use of impressive descriptions combined with a thinking man s plot will keep you reading. Highly recommended. -- --Tony Lazzarini-Military Writer's Society of America
This book is a tale about Charlie Connelly, whose ties with the Central Intelligence Agency are reconnected after he is unexpectedly approached by his former recruiter, accompanied by an attractive female agent, for assistance in a mission.
During his travels, which take him to Maracaibo, Medellin, Tianjin, Tel Aviv and Kyev, Charlie becomes intertwined with the mysteries that surround his predicament. After suffering a betrayal by the political maneuverings of the agency and being abandoned by his own company, Charlie finds himself working on a an NGO project in Ukraine, where he is contacted by the agency to find and eliminate a defecting American rogue agent near the Chernobyl dead-zone.
At first glance, the reader may notice that the author was inspired by Ian Fleming s James Bond character, However, Mr. Miller s Charlie Connelly prefers Bombay Sapphire gin martinis to Bond s Smirnoff vodka shaken, not stirred martini variety. Also, in all of his adventures, Bond never paid a visit to Ukraine.
Mr. Miller is a resident of La Grange, Ill., and this is his fourth book on Eastern Europe. Mr. Miller has traveled to over 100 countries as an international executive and on NGO projects for the Vienna-based United Nations Industrial Development Organization, United Nations Development Project, the World Bank and the International Executive Service Corps.
Mr. Miller s book Journey to a Closed City, featured in The [Ukrainian] Weekly on March 7, 2004, chronicled his work in Ivano-Frankivsk.
Large print format is also available (ISBN: 978-1-59630-023-3). --The Ukrainian Weekly May 25, 2008
This is Miller's fourth book since he retired.
I previously reviewed his journey to a closed city.
This book's main character is Charlie Connelly who returns to work for the CIA and becomes entangled in foreign intrigue and deception as he travels through Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe in search of a CIA defector.
In his quest to accomplish his mission, Connelly is faced with a moral dilemma,...
Miller catches your interest right away in his prologue.
We're drawn into his former KGB agents in their search for a body in the Ukrainian countryside. We then learn how Connelly was recruited by the CIA, who needed some Midwesterners instead of just the Eastern establishment. But, after going through training and the downsizing of the department, he had to take another job, which also took him to two different countries of the world. The CIA in the person of "Marvin" however always kept Connelly on their radar.
Miller also puts interesting tidbits about the countries and cities Connolly is working in. One such caught my attention. In Bogotá Colombia, the businessmen wear their watches on her left wrist whether or not they are right-handed the reason for this is that when winners are driving their cars they drive along, the watches are easy prey for thieves at stoplights. Connelly's overseas stays and his encounters with many foreign governments and agencies is just the reason why Marvin appears in his life again to recruit him -- in the beginning for just debriefing when he returns from another country and taking pictures with a special watch, then eventually it leads to taking out a rogue CIA agent. We end up in Russia with Marvin and Connelly and missiles being sold to Iran, as well as poisonous gases. There is also a female CIA agent named Karen who plays a pivotal role as Connelly's contact for his assignments throughout South America, Tel Aviv, China and eventually kiev. the endings of stories can let you down or make you want to read more later. And this book's ending makes for a perfect prelude to another father/daughter journey. --Barbara Andrianopoli Senior Connection, June 2008.
Product Description
--Popular paperback, American Authors Association Silver Quill Award Winner--
Also available in paperback as the BeachHouse Books Edition, ISBN 978596300316, and the MacroPrintBooks Edition (large print) ISBN 9781596300323.
Charlie Connelly is an average corporate executive, with three children and a home in the suburbs as well as almost forgotten ties to the Central Intelligence Agency. He suddenly finds himself working on a NGO project in recently independent Ukraine during the Orange Revolution. Once there, he is again contacted by the Agency, and tasked to locate and eliminate a defecting American spy before he can conclude the sale to Iran of Ukrainian owned missiles.
Check out the first chapter at the ukrainianspy website or BeachHouseBooks.
Also available in paperback as the BeachHouse Books Edition, ISBN 978596300316, and the MacroPrintBooks Edition (large print) ISBN 9781596300323.
Charlie Connelly is an average corporate executive, with three children and a home in the suburbs as well as almost forgotten ties to the Central Intelligence Agency. He suddenly finds himself working on a NGO project in recently independent Ukraine during the Orange Revolution. Once there, he is again contacted by the Agency, and tasked to locate and eliminate a defecting American spy before he can conclude the sale to Iran of Ukrainian owned missiles.
Check out the first chapter at the ukrainianspy website or BeachHouseBooks.
