Best of the series so far. Our protagonist, Lachlan Kite, is older and somewhat wiser, when Martha Raine returns to seek his help finding her missing son. The two parallel stories are well done, with plenty of twists and turns. The ending wraps up the story in an almost satisfying way, although it is clear that we're being set up for book #5. Looking forward to it.

It's always a pleasure to read the latest Charles Cumming novel, and Icarus 17 is no exception. The intrigue just sizzles through the novel as a complex chain of events keeps everyone on the run. Highly recommended.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Charles Cumming has been a favorite espionage author of mine for many years (Alec Milius series, Thomas Kell series, numerous standalones). His latest and fourth novel in the Box 88 series could be one of his best – Icarus 17. This thriller is a bit different spy novel in that it is personal for our hero, Lachlan Kite, head of the covert intelligence service, Box 88.
His former lover, Martha Raine, who he hasn’t seen for 20 years, is asking for a favor -- help finding her missing 20-year-old son, Max, who has disappeared from Athens. At first it seems like a simple enough trace to make; until it become apparent that two other intelligence agencies are also hunting Max and his girlfriend, Yasmine. Apparently, Yasmine is hiding a secret which could destabilize the Middle East…
The story is basically an international manhunt as the novel goes back and forth between the Max and Yasmine story and the Lachlan and Martha story. Unfortunately, the young couple is untrained and only living off their wits, and one of the intelligence agencies want them dead ASAP.
The novel is not just a detailed, intelligent espionage saga, but it also dwells wonderfully into the character’s historys and motivations. The reader travels through Greece, into Albania and Bosnia. It is the total package thriller novel. I am looking forward to #5 in the Box 88 series.
My rating: 5 of 5
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review.
Icarus 17 will be published on July 7, 2026.