The Trinity Six: A Novel Mass Market Paperback – November 26, 2013

A worthy winner of the Ian Flemming STEEL DAGGER 2012 for the best thriller of the year. Charles Cumming the author really hit the nail on the head with this great story. Its a multi-layer book with a labyrinth of plot possibilities that keeps the reader [well, this reader anway] glued to the pages. As well as the great storyline, the quality of the dialogue, the shifting relationships of the characters and the subtlities of the syntax all come together into a fine tale of Brit espionage.There is a nicely constructed time-shift between the prewar Cambridge and Oxford university undergraduates who matured into the famous Russian moles in British security services in the post-war period. The story is brought completely up-to-date in running through the repercussions of the cold war dilemmas and their effects in our age as that generation passes into history.Its also set mostly in London and the environs where the author seems more at home. Probably for obvious reasons. The trails out to Vienna and middle Europe loose the vitality of description and cityscape painting that Charles Cumming creates in London.The main character Sam Gaddis is a very believeable guy, with the right balance of fear, revenge and the kind of innocent open-eyed thinking that normal people bring to the shady world inhabited by MI6, FBS and so on. I avoid using the expression "intelligence" of that community. Tanya is also another character that has potential - a well crafted player in the plot. Very believable and alive. I wonder if Cummings will let her develop in other novels of his?A good book - I was lost to the outside world while I was reading it.

A review of this book prompted me to purchase it -- what could be better than a novelization of a sixth member of the Cambridge spy network, that had never been made public? Cumming's "The Trinity Six: A Novel" was well written and exciting -- the tale of a UCL professor, who specializes in Eastern European studies, and who is unexpectedly gifted with the opportunity and materials to track down an unnamed Cambridge (Trinity College) spy. Caught in the middle of British Intelligence and the FSB, Sam Gaddis is on the hunt for the story of the elusive traitor. While the novel is exciting, well-written and a bit off the beaten path of espionage thrillers in that the hero is an academic and not a former member of an elite military group ,the ending is so trite and such a cliche', that I was unable to rate it five stars, although the rest of the story up until that point was a five-star tale.

I love books with what appear to be predictable plot moves suddenly going off-course and the "I know what's coming next" turning up in a gasp of, "Wow, I didn't see that coming."This isn't one of them. Yep, it frequently goes off-course...into nowhere. The idea of a 6th is intriguing - but beyond that idea, the plot fizzles. What could have been never fully materializes. Seems good, goes bad/off/meanders...gets interesting again, topples over...repeat."Archangel" [historian searches out Stalin's son] this is not. "Archangel," the reader remembers. But in the quickly forgettable" Trinity Six" one minute it is as if the trail of discovering the 6th is going to be a compelling page turner, the next it just flops over until there is another injection of good or bad plotting. One minute the Russians are ruthless and cunning...and then just wimpy with their tails between their legs. The first murder makes sense, the next two do not. And the notion that the fictional Putin could be held in check by something the Brits have on him, ummmm, no. The idea that there was a 6th - finding, unmasking - that would have been an entertaining journey into "what if." But that good idea ends up being garnished heavily with hysterical nonsense and hyperbole.The characters are not particularly well-drawn - they are not memorable, more of 1.5 dimensional. Then there is our academic, our hero as it were, constantly whining about money, later about why didn't the Good Agent do more to protect him, make him feel better, take care of him? And he is a hound dog who smokes incessantly, irritatingly smokes and smokes.The only good thing for me was that I listened to John Lee's narration - he's an excellent reader, able to almost insist in his skillful narration that if the listener will hold on for a bit longer to just get past this awkwardly written, badly written, silly section, then it will get interesting all over again. So, I did. Sure as heck if I'd been reading instead of listening, half-way would have been the max. for my willing suspension of spy thriller disbelief.

This was a great read. A classic spy thriller, based in historical fact and with a ingeniously plausible plot. Lots of twists and turns you don't see coming. Great characters that you come to care about. And very good writing, that wonderful skill you surrender to while enjoying the ride. Could have been a bit less of a male,heterosexual fantasy in terms of the interactions between male and female characters, but not a distracting fault. Been a while since I've enjoyed a mystery-thriller so much. Next up, more Cumming!

I am reading this book in between waiting for the new book in the BOX series. I catch up Cummings stand alone books. This book isn't as fast paced as the authors other books, not as compelling and dynamic a storyline. And I love to hate the main character Sam Gaddis portrayed as childishly selfish, egoistic and stubborn, preferring to go his own way when totally pout of his depth, and not thinking of others safety just to get his book out, to pay his debts. Well written by Mr. Cummings, but can't wait for more of his 'BOX' series. Following John le Carre, Oliver Harris, Charles Beaumont and Mick Herron, if you love espionage tales, Charles Cummings is a must read author.

Not particularly great but I did keep turning the pages. Recommended for a long flight if you are a fan of the genre.

Very believable story. Well written amd paced. The hero isnt this tough guy but an orinary chap who gets in over his head. Few things didn't ring true such as the lack of an autopsyon a pivotal characters in the first few chapters and the Russians unawAre of Dr Sam Geddis and what he is doing.but nothing to complain about. I certainly was eager to keep reading this book. A wonderful edge of your seat book as you follow a Dr of Russian History, Sam Geddis, make!s the discovery of a lifetime which sends him on a path that has far reaching consequences in which he not equipped to handle.

Well written, good characters and story believable.....keeps you guessing. I would read more by this author, like a good old fashioned spy mystery.

Very entertaining spy novel .The plot hooks you till the end and it has a normal "hero".The sixth member of the Trinity club might perfectly have existed,or so convinces us Cumming.