Damascus Station: Unmissable New Spy Thriller From Former CIA Officer (Damascus Station, 1)

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David McCloskey experienced Syria firsthand as a CIA analyst, and he delivers a thrilling, graphic, gripping, and realistic--albeit fictional--portrayal of the CIA and the bloody, tragic Syrian uprising. At its seemingly torn heart, Damascus Station shows it is still possible to keep the flames of hope burning, when all around is darkness.

We use Google Analytics to see what pages are most visited, and where in the world visitors are visiting from. Equally, I would have been thrilled with a rich historical fiction that made you feel and think deeply.This superb debut from a former CIA Analyst is one of the most striking spy novels since Mick Herron's magnificent Slow Horses in 2010. A spy story – of securing an asset for vital intelligence capture; a love story – of star-crossed lovers; two-sides that never should mix, a Romeo and Juliet for modern times; a survival story – of the Ikhwan rebels existing against all odds against the brutal onslaught of the Assad war machine and a human story – of familial links, mixed motives, past histories and ultimately, their intrinsic ties to a regime that would ultimately destroy them. McCloskey delivers a thrilling page-turner that is marked by his exceptional understanding of the country and matched by his sophistication in the ways of CIA tradecraft. This reinstatement of hope is embedded within the complex and captivating characters Mr McCloskey has created.

But others get into the act, too, including Russian intelligence, an Israeli spy, and the jihadist rebels in Syria. Back in the US, he is assigned once again to Syria, the titular Damasus Station, and on the way stops in Paris to recruit a palace official, Mariam Haddad.

As a Syrian Christian myself, I am utterly disappointed with how McCloskey’s world-building and cultural sensitivity stopped at a smattering of Arabic slang and stereotypes that cater to harmful perspectives held by some of his Western audience. Objective observation by the reader can see that events would have played out very differently had Sam regarded Mariam as just an asset, but nothing more than that.

And Assad and the sycophants and sadists who surround him have remained oblivious to appeals from most of the world’s nations to negotiate with the opposition. One cannot review Damascus Station without a word on the sheer authenticity and realism of every part of the book. Eight or nine years ago, when Barack Obama served in the White House, the fighting in Syria was at its peak.

An extremely effective modern espionage novel, filled with action and incident but also a profound knowledge of the people and factions of Syria, the complex maneuvers of spycraft, the gray areas, competing egos and overlapping priorities that make every day a journey through the minefield. This novel is the first published work by David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst and consultant and a man who has worked in field stations across the Middle East. In addition to accurately portraying the savagery and describing the appalling conditions on the ground in the war torn country, he shows the occasional ineptitude of the CIA bureaucracy. Where he excels is in writing about the brutally repressive regime in Syria and the consequences this has for the people who live under it. My first spy thriller with a focus on Syria, and with an ex-CIA author, you know you'll get a firsthand account on spycraft.

Getting into a relationship with an asset signals immediate disciplinary action and separation from the Agency.CIA man Sam Joseph is assigned to recruit an agent in Damascus and ends up falling in love with Mariam - a vividly drawn and totally believable character. For an authentic representation of what it’s like to work in intelligence, look no further than Damascus Station.