My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Scribner's for an advanced copy of this novel of espionage.

Many "spy thrillers" today are more jumped up Men's Adventure novels from the 80's and 90's, complete with a few technical terms or "jargon" learned by joining "operators" on corporate sponsored retreats telling tall tales for the marks with steno pads or possibly a pen recorder like a real spy would. The stories feature bland characters, even if named for colors, stony in appearance, dull in character, great with a weapon, facing down an insidious enemy with unlimited apparatchiks whose lives and even the occasional clever death are forgotten in a page turn. That's why a new Joseph Kanon novel is alway a reason to celebrate. Real characters, real situations, betrayals not just of countries, but of those the characters love. And plots that keep the reader engaged. The Berlin Exchange is one of his best, a shorter novel, but one that is full of atmosphere, intrigue, and again characters you grow to have an interest in.

The year is 1962 and an American traitor, Martin Keller, imprisoned for nuclear espionage ten years earlier is part of a prisoner exchange in to East Berlin. For what reason he is not informed, not can he figure out, as he was a very small fish in a bigger pool of sharks. His contact in the exchange is a lawyer with many contacts in the divided city, a man on the rise who happens to be married to Keller's ex- wife and raising Keller's child. At a loss, and lost in the Worker's Paradise that is East Berlin, Keller begins to see a lot of familiar faces, and wonders if he has been exchanged from on small cell in Britain to a larger prison in East Germany.

The story, the mood, the characters, everything is so well presented, so interesting, and full of meaning. Minor characters are given more character development than major characters in some super loud thriller. The atmosphere is of a city on the brink, all the characters know it, but the brink seems so inevitable that they continue lying to each other and themselves. Keller is a fascinating character. A traitor to his country, who still loves his wife, his son, and his friends, who will go to extraordinary efforts to keep them safe, while trying to figure out if the life he choose is over for him, or will treason always follow him.

I've read almost all of Mr. Kanon's books starting with Los Alamos many years ago. I've always loved the detail and the research that he puts into his books, and the fact that you have a vague idea where the plot is going but you never can be sure. An excellent espionage novel. For fans of Alan Furst, or even early Le Carré.

This is my second book by Joseph Karon, both post Cold War spy novels, both set in divided Berlin, and both knuckle biters. Martin, a physicist, is the protagonist who has been released from prison after serving 10 years for spying. He believed in nuclear research for atomic energy but he is now required to do nuclear research to build bombs and he wants to quit the game. Many players, many agencies and oh, the man who is pulling strings is now married to Martin’s wife. Did I mention this is a knuckle biter?

I need to admit straight out that I went out of my comfort zone reading this story. I normally do not read spy thrillers. I did have a bit of trouble following the storyline but that is not the fault of the author. I found the storyline intriguing and the last couple of chapters riveting. Martin has served ten years in prison for spying for the KGB. To his surprise, he is released as part of a spy swap with Kurt-his ex-wife's husband managing the exchange. Martin is "reunited" with his ex- Sabine and son- Peter. Martin reluctantly returns to the world of espionage but only because he has his own reasons. Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon.

I quit reading this at about chapter 6. Found it boring and repetitious. Pace was extremely slow. Found I didn’t care much what happened to the characters. Was disappointing as I usually like Kanon’s books. May go back to it later. If so I’ll add to or change this review.

The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon is a spy thriller extraordinaire. With impeccable pacing and a gripping story, this book will keep you flipping pages long past your bedtime. Based lightly on events that occurred during the pitch of the Cold War, spy versus spy. No loyalty will remain untested and no love will remain unscathed. A great gift for any lover of spy thrillers..

One of Joseph Kanon's best. Fast moving spy story with twists and turns along the way including an engrossing car chase at the end. Chock full of real interesting characters interacting against an intriguing historical phase of post-war Berlin. Highly recommended.

The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon
As I started this book, I felt I should put on an old comfy sweater and have a large glass of chilled white wine by my side. Mr. Kanon’s books are always a joy to read. Very well thought out stories, believable characters, clear and precise writing and usually well described locations.
This book is set in Berlin of 1963. Martin Keller, an American physicist who spied for the Soviets, arrested and sent to 10 years in prison in the UK is exchanged for some Americans. The question for Martin is who and why? His ex-wife- Sabine and son- Peter who he had never met live in Berlin. Sabine is dying of cancer and Peter stars in an East German TV show about the perfect East German Socialist family. The actual exchange is arranged by Kurt- Sabine’s new husband. Kurt works in the grey area exchanging East Germans for US dollars some of which ends up in Stasi senior official’s pockets.
Martin is sort of given a heroes welcome in Berlin for his success in assisting the Soviets with the development of their bomb.
I don’t wish to give away the plot but the story moves along nicely to an ending where not everyone lives. If I have one quibble with the book it is the detail of Berlin is not up to the level I expect from Mr. Kanon based upon his previous books. Perhaps this is due to Covid. As an example, Peter stars in a television production located at the studios in Aldershof. This is accurate in 1963 as it was in 1945 for GDR radio broadcasting. I was to go to this area beginning in 1993 and it is still the site for Berlin broadcasting. As a result, there are many cafes and places to eat for this type of crowd. Also within walking distance is Humboldt University which would have made it the perfect location for Martin to be assigned a job and spend more time with his son as this relationship plays a critical part in the story.
But still I highly recommend this book to followers of Mr. Kanon as well to others who enjoy an espionage book that has no sex or shoot ‘em up.

Kanon is one of the best writers of cold war spy stories. I've been reading his books starting with "Los Alamos", and he has yet to dissapoint me. Here he returns to Berlin, which seems to be a perfect place to tell a cold war thriller (Kanon himself wrote about it twice allready, so the city reads familiar). We have Russians, Americans, British intelligence agents here, all of them with their own agenda. The writing is crisp and intelligent, the characters are believable. Great book!

Over the past few weeks I have been reading a couple of books set in the past, with the Soviet Union a menace looming over the West. One was a WWII mystery which focused on facts and history. The other was the much more interesting “The Berlin Exchange” by Joseph Kanon, set in East Berlin during the height of the cold war. Mr. Kanon continues his strong run of character-driven espionage mysteries that capture the mood and paranoia of us versus them.

We start in 1963 Berlin, as East and West swap spies. The West gives up Martin Keller, pulled out of an English prison, a physicist who got caught spying for the Soviets. But why was Martin swapped? He was never a true believer, never an ardent communist, just someone who thought he was doing what was best for world peace. To make things even stranger, he is picked up by his ex-wife’s new husband, Kurt Thiele, a lawyer who takes care of these swaps, trusted (or maybe just used?) by both sides.

Martin gets reunited with Sabine and Peter, his ex-wife and son. Peter is the star of an East German TV show, a model communist son displaying proper communist values. Martin and Kurt co-exist in a strange family dynamic, trying to do what’s best for Peter.

But this is still communist East Germany. The Stasi are everywhere, the walls have ears. Kurt is working for the government (Stasi?), selling dissidents to the West for much needed hard currency. Martin is trying to find out what his role is in this new country is, in this new family. And, of course, the Russians aren’t known for just sitting back and taking things easy: Martin’s old Russian control agent, Andrei, reenters his life and “asks” him to do some work, not something Martin can say no to if he wants to live his comfortable life.

But Martin has an ace in the hole: an American passport, which becomes critical as a crisis looms to threaten his future. Can Martin use this to his advantage before the East swallows him up along with his family?

A well-written dark and moody character study set in dirty cold war 1960s. For fans of Le Carre and Furst, this is the type of book that makes the case that espionage novels can make for great literary fiction.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Scribner via NetGalley. Thank you!