This was an awesome and unique spy thriller. David McCloskey has crafted a great classic spy novel with a modern twist. The Persian is definitely worth rereading when it is published.

Thrillers don’t get timelier than The Persian, an intensely suspenseful high-stakes espionage chess match between the intelligence agencies of Israel and Iran. David McCloskey delivers a dramatic and surreal reading experience during this movement in history, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if this story contains more fact than fiction.

Kamran Esfahani, a middling dentist in Stockholm, agrees to work with Israeli intelligence and returns to his home country of Iran, opening a dental clinic while secretly carrying out covert missions for the Mossad. As his involvement deepens from moving weapons to orchestrating abductions, he walks an increasingly dangerous line. After orchestrating a complicated recruitment of a woman with a vendetta against Israel, Kam gets exposed during a daring operation and is thrown into a notorious prison under the control of a ruthless figure known only as the General. Now, after years of torment, Kam is forced to write a final confession. But he’s still clinging to one buried truth. One that he is prepared to take to his grave.

The Persian is a masterfully constructed espionage thriller. The characters are fantastically crafted, the plot patiently developed, the tension consistently building, the little details perfectly placed and the ending befittingly emotional. Despite the story starting with the knowledge that Kam is in an Iranian prison, there is so much of the story that needs to be revealed. Taking readers on a journey that starts as a slow burn before accelerating to top speed and exploding with adrenaline-fueled action and emotional fallout. And just when you think you know how the story ends…bam! You’re hit upside the head with shocking revelations that leave you reeling.

This is another novel soaked in authenticity and dripping with realism from the pen of David McCloskey. A fantastic and complex tale of violence, vengeance and the no holds barred world of international espionage.

This was a very compelling story that drew me in from the start. I wasn't sure how the story being told as a confession from a prisoner would go, but the author laid it all out very nicely. There were plenty of shocking moments that made me actually gasp and enough twists to keep things very interesting. I continue to enjoy the author's story telling and will look forward to whatever book he writes next!

Thank you to W.W. Norton & Company and Net Galley for this ARC. #ThePersian #NetGalley

I was able to get an early copy of The Persian from NetGalley.

The Persian is written from the viewpoint of Kamran Esfehani, an Iranian Jew that has been working for the Mossad for a few years. You quickly learn that he is writing his story under duress, while being held prisoner by the General.
He is writing his tale for the last time. It starts with his recruitment by the Mossad in Sweden and continues through different missions up to ultimately his capture.
We know his reasons for cooperating with Mossad, we see why Mossad is targeting these individuals in Tehran and the story is gripping.

This story has many excellent characters and as the story continues, you grow attached to them. There are twists to the story, a few surprises and you want to see how it ends.

I must say that the ending was completely surprising and I cannot think of a better one. It was excellent. I held the book for a few minutes just thinking about it, shocked by how good it was.

Another masterclass by David McCloskey.

With respect to the author, David McCloskey, I wanted to enjoy The Persian. It seems like a timely title and so I dug in. McCloskey, however, introduces a multiple number of characters very quickly, most with names uncommon to the West. He introduces various scenarios and then drops them without warning to move on to something else. The confessions of the spy are dark. Who am I supposed to like in this novel? Apparently, no one. What plot am I supposed to be following, and if I am, why is so scattershot?
Sadly, for me, I don't remember a novel that started out like this. I had no incentive to go beyond 60 pages. Sorry.
But thanks NetGalley for the ARC.