LET'S TALK ABOUT ... Charles McCARRY

Charles McCarry’s
Old Boys (2004)

SPY NOVELIST Charles McCarry does intrigue as well as the masters of the genre: John Buchan, John le Carré, Ian Fleming, Graham Greene and Ken Follett. He spent two decades as a CIA spy during the Cold War. However, his highbrow thrillers somehow did not sell as many copies as it should through the years despite glowing reviews. It is a shame that most of his books are now out of print. Though Old Boys, his 10th novel, is measured, atmospheric and engrossing, and definitely one of the better thrillers I have read in a long time, it is not his best work; I believe that distinction belongs to The Tears of Autumn (1974) . However, it is never too late to start on Charles McCarry’s espionage thrillers.

Bibliography
McCARRY Charles [1930-] Novelist. Born in Otis, Berkshire, Massachusetts. NOVELS Old Boys (2004: shortlisted for the 2004 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller); Lucky Bastard (1999); Shelley’s Heart (1995); Second Sight (1991); The Bride of the Wilderness (1988); The Last Supper (1983); The Better Angels (1979); The Secret Lovers (1977); The Tears of Autumn (1974); The Miernik Dossier (1973) BIOGRAPHY Citizen Nader (1972)