Customer Reviews

Triple Identity (Dan Gordon Intelligence Thriller)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After finishing the fourth Dan Brown (Davinci Code author) book, I had gone to Barnes and Noble to find something of the same vane. Upon asking one of the employees, I was pointed to Triple Identity, or what he referred to as "a book as entertaining and thrilling as the Davinci code yet Carmon actually has both an IQ and something worthwhile to write about."

Dan Gordon, the character Carmon has created, is more realistic and edgy than Bourne, Bauer, and Bond combined. Triple Identity is a triple threat of excitement, realism, and intelligence. If you want to read a book, buy this. If you want to read two books, buy this twice. The sequel, The Red Syndrome, should be arriving at my doorstep next week.

In a thriller grounded in reality and simplicity, the plot revolves around a missing person who has apparently atleast three identities. Different groups of people, agencies are after this person for various reasons. Additional details of the plot is not provided in this review, for obvious reasons. The most remarkable component of the writing style and plot development is the narration of the plot through events and characters that are grounded in reality. Mixing fact and fiction throughout the novel amplifies that characteristic of the writing style. You will get all the thrill of a "Bourne"-type novel without losing touch with reality. A good read. This is author's first book and is a worthy effort. One will have to eagerly await his second book on bioterrorism.

I enjoyed Triple Identity immensely. I'm an international businessman who has spent a lot of time overseas, some in the same locales that Carmon uses as background, so that made the book even more fun for me. But overall I found it fast-paced, entertaining and extremely readable -- unlike so many first novels I have read. In fact, despite recent eye surgery I found myself continually wanting to get back to the book to see what was going to happen next -- even tho I could only read in short doses. I look forward to following future adventures of Dan Gordon and his friends.

Wow.

The three letters above summarize the intensity and ferociousness with which this book leapt out at me, as I read it within 48 hours. I've read my fair share of Grisham, Cussler and Brown (but everyone's read Brown), and out of all of these, Triple Identity was by far the most enjoyable.

Originally written in Hebrew, this Dirty Harry-esque chase through Europe follows Dan Gordon, an ex-Israeli intelligence (Mossad) operative working for the Justice Department, tracking money people owe to the American gov't. In Triple Identity, Gordon, a character partially based on author Haggai Carmon's own experiences, (sorry for all the commas) chases Raymond DeLouise, a banker with a bankrupt bank and 90 million dollars in debt, through DeLouise's shady past, a pursuit that eventually involves multiple countries, several intellegence agencies and at least one "big-breasted" secretary.

The catch? DeLouise is dead on Page 1. Set to the background of the first Cold War and the collapse of Soviet Russia, Triple Identity is an experience worth going through. Lovers of spy novels, thrillers and casual readers alike will enjoy the complexity of Carmon's multiple-layered plots and the games his characters play.

In short, buy this book. Right now.

With a very enticing, clever and smart plot, that makes the reader tick from the very beginning, and carefully worked out with alluring elements for lovers of spy novels like Israel Mossad operational recruitment procedures and operational tricks, ruthless Iranians agents making shady deals to obtain components to make the A bomb, greedy European bank executives and the CIA intervention, the author conceives a very attractive fiction novel based on his own life experiences

However there are some features, that in my opinion he must work hard to improve for future spy novels.

It is clear that Mr Carmon is not a professional writer and it shows, as the language he employs is plain and simple as the one you may find in the World section of any English language newspaper.

He also makes a second mistake as an apprentice, and that is, to unveil the whole scheme of the plot in the last 20 pages, reeling off names, places, bay guys, situations and events, one right after the other overwhelming the mind of the reader instead of making breathtaking twists and turns every step of the way.

Reading this book gave me the feel of a jigsaw puzzle coming together. The pieces are bits of plot and character swirling about the investigator Dan Gordon as he tries to juggle them into a coherent image. And as in all good jigsaw puzzles, the empty spaces hint at shapes still out there, clues to hunt down and bring home. The story is driven by this hunt for the missing pieces, and the logic that holds them all together. Along the way - between murder, abduction, and money laundry schemes - there is shoptalk about the business of intelligence and espionage. I learned when it is proper to classify a document top secret or confidential, how to evaluate the reliability of a piece of information, how a deadbolt works, and even a little bit on the physics of nuclear fuels. It's also a timely book, centered on Iran's quest for the bomb, and the nuclear supermarket that the former Soviet Union may have become.

Absolutely loved this book! I read a lot of espionage/thriller books and this one was by far one of the best I've read. From the dialogue to the descriptions of locales and operations, the reader is led along a most interesting journey with characters that hold your attention. Finally, the book is very believable--no "Dan Brown suspensions of disbelief" in this one. Can hardly wait for more Dan Gordon novels!

This book is exceptionally well-written and interesting. Great insight into the CIA and Mossad.

After all the favorable reviews, I'd been waiting to dive into this series for a while. The book starts with a Foreward by an anonymous member of the Intelligence community and a Preface by a former DoJ official, both praising the 'realism' of the book. OK, so it's a bit of a hardsell --- I'll blame it on the publishers.

If you have credibility, it speaks for itself. No ham-handed tactics are required.

Starting the book, I'm immediately assaulted by too many clever modifiers and all-around clumsy prose. Then my intelligence gets really insulted when 2-1/2 of the first 10 pages are spent on the overexplanation of a super-duper "spy trick". Oh yeah, the ol' hair-across-the-door*-to-alert-spyguy-of-visitors-in-his-absence trick (*in this case a hotel safe). How many times have you seen that one --- outside a 1960s TV show that is?

Constructively, I think the book could have benefitted from a third person POV, as opposed to first. First is very very hard to pull off, and unfortunately it's way too self-conscious in its utilization here.

I very rarely put a book down, once I start. This was one of those times. As I said, I opened the book ready to like it, but far too much 'not-to-like' hit me too soon.

I moved immediately to David Stone's The Echelon Vendetta, first in the series featuring CIA cleaner (not what you think) Micah Dalton --- now THIS is the stuff. Spy meets serial killer thriller that keeps you guessing.

There is a good story inside the pages of Triple Identity, but you have to read a lot of extra material to find the narrative thrust. The main character is a good one with a background in the Mossad and the USA Department of Justice. Unfortunately, and it might be due to the translation from the original Hebrew, the narrative is a muddy thing that deadens pace and action scenes alike. It took a lot of effort to keep reading, but there is enough here to make it worthwhile. I can't say I'll even pick up another Dan Gordon thriller however.