What happens when a spy novelist gets recruited to be an actual spy? This novel explores what might happen in such a scenario. I quite liked the character of Kit and enjoyed reading about how he got started in the espionage world. The character of Bartok felt a tiny bit tired to me, like I've read this kind of character before and there's not much new here. However, THE MOROCCAN GIRL is adeptly plotted and well written with a nice vintage feel to it. If you enjoy what some might call "old fashioned" or "classic" spy novels, you would probably enjoy this one. Perhaps it has slightly less action but it's certainly very entertaining. I like the way Cumming leaves open the possibility for a sequel.

The idea behind the book sounded really good when I read the blurb.
Yet when it came time to read it - with so many expectations of this. Yet I was sadly disappointed- just couldn’t get into it- to me it lacked depth, weak characters.
Thank you to both NetGalley and St Martin Press for my eARC. This was in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Another twisty, compelling and fiercely timely espionage novel from a young master of the genre, this time with a tantalizing love story at the heart of it.

A fantastic modern day spy tale that fits in so well with what is happening in the western world. Conspiracy theorists will have a great time with this offering comparing it to what they hear/see in the news. I enjoyed the story and the author/amateur untrained spy showed a lot of moxie and raw courage in order to complete his assigned task.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Very good read! I was highly impressed with the writing style of Charles Cumming. The plot was great and I definitely think it was awesome! The characters are impressive as well. Go for it and read!

Successful British spy novelist "Kit" Carradine is presented with an opportunity of a lifetime. A chance to join the lofty ranks of writers who also served as spies ... the likes of Graham Greene, Frederick Forsyth and Ian Fleming. On the streets of London, Kit is approached by Robert Mantis who claims to be a fan of his books. Quickly Kit is lurred into the prospect of helping Queen and country. He is attending a literary festival in Morocco and is scheduled to participate in a panel and asked to perform a couple of "easy" tasks .... merely pass off some cash to one of Mantis's associates and "keep an eye out" for a young woman named Lara Bartok. Mantis suggests if he finds her to pass off a package ... the contents and necessity are not important for him to know.
Unbeknownst to Kit, this beautiful woman has had an intimate link to the revolutionary group, "Resurrection" ... the ideological group that has devolved and been hijacked by forces of violence, responsible for kidnapping and killing right wing "targets".
Cumming provides a complex and convoluted narrative that implicates the "warring" intelligence operations of Britain, America and Russia. Our twisted journey takes us through the perilous and exotic streets of Marrakesh ... while Carradine tries to understand who he is actually working for and fears that he is out of his depth during multiple confrontations with "real" spies. Kit by chance crosses paths with the beautiful and alluring Lara Bartok and the intrigue begins.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this engaging novel in exchange for an honest review

Mr Cumming's novel is a throwback (and a welcome one) to the spy and espionage stories of the near term past. Kit Carradine is an author who's forte is writing well received spy novels. He is known for researching locales for the books he writes. He is also known for being bored with his sedentary life and envies the spies he creates for their extremely active existences Instead of writing about them he would really enjoy being one of them. And that is where he is taken.
Kit is approached by an officer in MI6 who he has never met before with a proposition. He is asked to travel to Morocco and find a woman MI6 wants and just point her out to that officer. She has last been seen in the city of Marrakesh. ​Kit is offered a large sum of money for the job which is indicated as being one with no real danger involved. He jumps to take it and journeys to Morocco. Upon arrival he quickly is made aware that the woman: Lara Bartok, is actually a fugitive with ties to international terrorism. She is apparently a member of the "Resurrection" terror group that has attacked persons and places all over the world with murder as part of the scenario.
The author depicts Kit traveling all over Morocco after arriving in Casablanca as well as other cities in that country in order to locate Lara. The action is typical of the stories and happenings in many of the best spy novels of the past. Danger; a lot of it with other spy agencies as well as "Resurrection" relentlessly after Lara.
There is a vast difference between Kit and other principals involved in spy and espionage tales. He is not infallible, he can be hurt, is bewildered by the actions of the different groups after Lara. He does have moments when he responds to a situation as many people would do if confronted with it showing strength and bravery. All and all Mr Cumming gives us a good picture of a real heroically in others. Charles Cumming has created a real person moving into the world of spies and agents and coming to grips with it as realistically as most of us might do in a like situation.
I am like most people in expecting leading characters in spy novels to behave like supermen. But certainly the change in pace depicted in "The Moroccan Girl" is a welcome one. The reader is of course faced with the question of what would they expect in a future novel about Kit Caradine in a situation again involved with spying and espionage. The ability of the author to create a book that is concerned with a situation involving spy-craft leads me to think that he would have Kit adapt to situations as they arrive; again as a normal individual, but with more real experience under his belt.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
When Kit Carradine, a successful spy novelist, is asked to look for a woman by an MI6 agent. The woman, Lara Bartok, is a shadowy, beautiful member of Resurrection, a group who tries to bring down the wealthy, the aristocrats, in short: the elite. Kit, of course, ends up in love and eventually has to choose to either save her, putting his own life at peril, or abandon her.
The premise of the story and the setting of Morocco was what appealed to me in the book, but somehow it didn't grab me enough: I couldn't quite like Kit, nor Lara, so didn't feel invested in the read. I enjoyed it enough to give it 3 stars, but felt a bit flat after finishing.

It has been ages since I've read a spy vs. spy book---a genuine page-turning "thriller." The Moroccan Girl was that book and it was enjoyable from start to finish.

I loved the conceit of a novelist accidentally falling in to spy craft. It had a vintage Hickcockian irony to it that I enjoyed. And, I aways enjoy books about writers. The protagonist in this book often second-guessed what was happening to himself because he was trained to look at situations through the lens of make-believe. How could he distinguish the reality he was living from the fiction he was writing ? Fun to contemplate . . . . .

The narrative was occasionally a little difficult to follow because the story was told in third-person and switched from the situations our hero was facing to another point in time when others were discussing him and the situations he faced.

I am not a reader who tries to second-guess the storyline, or needs to solve the puzzle before the author chooses to reveal it--but THE MOROCCAN GIRL unfolded in such a surprising way that I would never have guessed its outcome in any circumstances.

NetGalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very captivating. I was hooked from the first chapter. Five starts. I enjoyed the characters and the story so very much.

The Moroccan Girl is a story of romance and espionage. Christopher "Kit" Carradine is a renowned author who writes spy stories. When he's approached by Robert Mantis - an MI6 agent who asks him to deliver a package to Lara Bartok and an envelope containing cash to Abdulla Aziz, Kit's happiness knows no bounds. He dreams of being the next Somerset Maugham, Graham Green or Frederick Forsyth. But things take a turn for good when he meets Yassine and Hulse, and Kit's services are no longer required. Kit opens the package he's supposed to deliver to Bartok and finds a warning note.

Though disappointed that he's of no help, Kit decides to find Lara and warn her of the dangers that she would face in the future.

Meanwhile, a group who call themselves Resurrection is creating havoc worldwide. From kidnapping to brutally murdering those who voice their opinion against them or the terrorists, Resurrection is notoriously famous. Kit finds out that Lara Bartok was once a part of Resurrection - she was Ivan Simakov's girlfriend. Ivan was the founder of Resurrection and was brutally murdered while in Moscow. Kit is now afraid that Ivan's girlfriend will also follow the same fate and wants to save her before it's too late.

The Moroccan girl was unlike all the other spy stories that I have read so far. Since it is written from an author's perspective, the story is more about how Kit played his role in the world of espionage. Not much of action or James Bond moments here but the story is pretty interesting.

The author has done an excellent job in maintaining the suspense till the end. Cumming's storytelling skills are excellent. The constant confusion of who's who was mind-blowing. Double agents and the fight for power was well described in this book. The concept of Resurrection and their power brought about a sense of gore and fear. It was also a tad bit relatable to the current events.

Kit's dedication to saving Lara was touching. His father's role in the story was a nice twist. After being betrayed by a mentor/fellow agent, William Carradine could no longer continue working in the espionage business. This motivates Kit to prove that he can be a good spy. Even when Mantis asks Kit not to proceed, Kit is adamant. He does his best to show that he can survive in the espionage world.

Hulse played a very interesting part in the story. The ending was brilliant. The "resurrection" of Ivan was a nice twist. Overall, it was an enjoyable story. Not much of action or modern gadgets but a pretty good story. Speaking of modern gadgets, there are multiple references made to encrypted Whatsapp chats. A nice inclusion this, given that most of the emails and posts (of those under the list) are usually scanned for any kind of chatter.

My Rating: 3.5/5

This is a terrific book - hard to put it down. What seems like a chance encounter with a man the author thinks is a British secret agent sends an aspiring author to Morocco to search for a missing woman. He thinks he’s working for the Secret Service and the woman is in danger. Of course, nothing is ever as it seems. At the heart is a revolutionary group wreaking havoc around the world. The characters are either British agents or Russian spies trying to kill the author and find the woman. Very well thought out and put together. I want more from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a free advance copy for my unbiased review.

The idea of an author of spy novels being recruited to be a spy was intriguing. However, I had a very hard time reading this book. I never got "sucked in" to the plot or characters. Instead, I found it a chore to read. There were many times I enjoyed what was going on, but an equal number of times I had to remind myself who the players were, what was going on with plot, and laboring to care. I dont think there was something inherently wrong with the novel; I just think I didn't connect with this writer's style. It wasn't a bad way to spend my time, but I wasn't drawn in like I usually am when I read.

A naiive writer of spy fiction is recruited to search for a woman involved with the leader of a left wing resistance group attacking the rich and powerful and agrees to join the hunt and redeem the career and reputation of his father - an equally naive man who was recruited and then destroyed when Kim philby defected to Russia. But too many coincidences abound to make this work plot-wise. Not one of the author's best books, but it will do until he writes another one.

Really wanted to like this more than I did. The underlying plot was good, with a decent twist at the end. I just didn't find Carradine to be a very believable protagonist. The action was slower than expected and seemed it could use some more fleshing out. I think this writer has potential and would read another of his books in the future to see if it is fulfilled.

The dual timeline plot is a bit tired in this telling, but the principle characters of a thriller novelist and his various spying friends -- the identity of whose masters you aren't very sure of throughout most of the story -- makes this a bit exciting and fresh. Thriller fans will find this worthwhile.

A good read with some notable twists along the way. C. K. Carradine, "Kit", is a professional writer of spy novels. His livelihood provides a comfortable if somewhat lonely life. He leans to the left but not much. He sometimes shows a glint of what some would call conservatism but would be embarrassed to acknowledge it. He looks up to his father, a former operative for the Service. He is appreciative of the advantages of his life. He is satisfied, but he is somewhat melancholy and bored. That cracks a bit when he is suddenly thrust into the midst of a violent act perpetrated by a hazy anarchical group, the Resurrection. Shortly thereafter, a shadowy operative from the Service requests a favor of him during an upcoming book conference trip, and Kit begins to phase shift from his staid writers status quo into the world he only imagined heretofore. As the plot unfurls, we find that Kit is a bit of a natural at the "spy stuff". After fulfilling the favor and playing hide-and-seek across Morocco to escape, he learns that all is not what he was led to believe.

The book takes you through an English novelists adventures after being recruited as a spy. He is comical, smart and bored with his daily routine and his life turns upside down on a trip to Morocco. Very well written and the pages flew by with this gem.

Charles Cumming, author of “The Moroccan Girl,” has selected an exotic name for a rather well known theme. But he redeems himself with the actual story that, although not particularly innovative, is well written, containing twists and turns that keep the reader engrossed.

Famous author Kit Carradine is drafted by an M16 officer to track down a beautiful woman hiding out in exotic Marrakesh. Carradine, although not an official spy, has delusions of being one and approaches the job with a combination of dash and timidity that makes him appealing to readers. Not familiar with the seamier side of espionage, the protagonist soon finds himself pitted against a violent terrorism group that quickly shows him that all is not alluring about the job he has accepted. He must adapt to the seamier aspects of his new existence to survive. In fact, after finding the woman, he discovers that betrayal, violence, and fear are far more prevalent than any romantic notions he might have had.

Cumming is a great writer who can encase side issues into his main story that add tension and thrills. The usual choice becomes clear to the hero; abandon the woman or risk his own life to save himself. I became a fan of the author as I found myself becoming avidly absorbed by both his knowledge of the game and ability to explain it. I encourage you to become more familiar with Charles Cumming, himself an ex-M16 agent, and his widely accepted espionage book themes.

The formatting on this book was not ready for prime time with numbers interrupting paragraphs and lines forced breaking in the middle of sentences. It really needs a good proofing. That being said, the story was decent and was as much a love story as a spy tale. It had plenty of action, but there seemed to be no reason for anything that happened. I liked the Moroccan Girl character and the effect she had on so many men. Carradine seemed to be a bit naive and operated out of curiosity rather than a real desire to serve his country. You're never quite sure if he's being conned or if he's being asked to do a real mission or if they're just involving him in order to use him in the future. In the end, I enjoyed the read but did not feel the story had a real beginning, middle, and end. Nothing was resolved. Kind of leaves you scratching your head and asking, "What did I just read?".It did not make me want to read the next book, if there is one.