Review of Once a Spy by Keith Thompson
I felt like I got a double dose of excitement from this thriller with a twist. Charlie is a down on his luck gambler used to trying to beat the odds. But he never imagined having to gamble on his very life–with the skills of his Father, a former spy suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Charlie never knew that his boring washing machine salesman of a Father was secretly a spy employed by the government. In fact he doesn’t even know of his Dad’s condition until he gets a phone call from a concerned social worker after his Dad is found wandering the streets in his pajamas. The next thing Charlie knows he and his Dad are violently attacked on the street outside of the social workers office where his Dad surprises him by skillfully fighting off the attackers.
Then they are suddenly on the run, trying to elude a variety of people who want Charlie’s Dad dead because of the secrets in his head…secrets they are afraid he will disclose now that he is mentally unstable. So Charlie not only has to figure out how to elude the people hunting them down…he also has to figure out when his Father’s mental facilities are working and when they are not. It makes for double the thrills as Charlie has to deal with both of these challenges at the same time as he learns the truth behind his Father–and Mother’s–past.
This was a fun book to read for the rollicking thrill ride, sure it’s not very realistic but it wouldn’t be as much fun if it was. Anyone in the mood for a fun, fast paced thriller with a twist should read this one. The sequel, Twice a Spy, comes out in March and I can’t wait to read about the over the top adventures Charlie and his Dad will find next.