Red Corona: A Richard Knox Spy Thriller: ‘A thriller of true ambition and scope.’ Lucie Whitehouse

The first quarter of the novel is decent enough. Here we are introduced to the background events and also to the key protagonists in a writing style that is flowing and easily digestible. With the groundwork done and feeling sufficiently invested in the central characters, I was ready for the story to kick on. But it never really does.Instead of building on its opening foundations the subsequent plot and character development is decidedly lacking. There is no real sense of intrigue and growing suspense that a reader would expect from a Cold War spy novel. There is no shift in gear, the pace remains pedestrian and the narrative is mostly quite simplistic and even amateurish at times. The result is an unconvincing plot acted out by uninspiring, forgettable characters.By the end I felt a degree of sympathy for the writer. He clearly has a keen interest in the world of espionage and the exploration of space, but it takes more than a passion for a particular subject to turn it into a compelling piece of fiction. The early chapters showed that there is some ability there, but overall this book felt as though it still needed a couple of redrafts before it was ready for publication.On another day I might have even been tempted to deem this a 1-star read, but with some allowance for it being a debut novel, and in recognition of the fact that the opening 25% was quite engaging, I decided on a low-end 2-star rating.

As someone who lived through the cold war can remember the fear and excitement of the sixties I was really impressed by how well Glister brought the period to life. He has a cast of engaging characters from both sides of the iron curtain, all of whom you find yourself rooting for in different ways and don't want to leave behind when you're finished reading. The plot is compelling, never lets up, and feels extremely relevant today. I hope we'll see some of the stars of Red Corona in a sequel!

I chose this book on the basis of a recommendation from Charles Cumming, whose books I have always enjoyed for their compelling plots and generally empathetic protagonists.The field of contemporary spy fiction is currently rather crowded with the likes of Cumming and Mick Herron securing loyal followings. Tim Glister’s book is, however, set in the past, and focuses on the development of the Cold War in the early 1960s. it is an interesting, and fertile period to choose: the Soviet Union had unsettled American complacency by managing to be the first superpower to send a man into space, and both sides are eager to explore the potential of the spy satellite.The principal character here is Knox, a dogged senior operative within MI5. As the novel opens, he has just been suspended for disciplinary issues. Having been a bit of an outside, unable to call on the connections afforded to most of his more affluent colleagues through the old boy network, his own progress had been achieved mainly by merit, although he did have a powerful mentor in the shape of Holland, the former Director General of the Service. Holland has, however, succumbed to a sudden stroke, and his acting successor, Manning, is far from a fan of Knox. That antipathy is mutual, and Knox is becoming increasingly convinced that Manning is a Soviet mole.Meanwhile, in a closed city in the northern reaches of Russia, in the arctic wastes near the Finnish border, accomplished scientist Irina Valera is engaged in experiments to test new means of radio communication between the earth and orbiting satellites, while struggling also to overcome the prejudices and inequalities that her gender cause for her. Disaster will soon befall Valera, driving her to turn her back on her past and seek freedom, at whatever personal cost. Valera’s and Knox’s paths will soon cross in the most devastating manner.This is a fast paced story, and Glister focuses on the plot. It would not be fair to say the characters are two dimensional, but he does not tarry overlong to develop them. The plot is sufficiently robust for this not to detract from the novel. I may have been a bit spoiled in the past, having grown accustomed to the purple prose of le Carre, or the bawdy hinterland of Mick Herron’s Jackson Lamb, but this brisk tale, perhaps more grounded in the tradition of John Buchan (although without his beautiful prose) offered a welcome temporary change.

Loved this one!Comparisons with Fleming’s Bond novels are easy to make, but I think this hero owes more to Harry Palmer, the cynical working class, slightly paranoid slightly world weary professional spy. Although here he feels more a product of the Second World War than Michael Caine’s swinging sixties.The novel captures that transition of the decades well - it feels more like the fifties, a hangover of post-war austerity and poverty blanket London’s still to be repaired bomb craters, but it has one eye on a technicolour future, deep in the permafrost of the Cold War and burgeoning space race but looking forward towards global communications satellites and spying technology.Fantastic for Bond fans and fans of Len Deighton, Jack Higgins, Frederick Forsyth, and Robert Harris!

Red Corona heralds the arrival of a bright new voice in spy fiction. I absolutely loved this book. It has everything a book should have. It starts off with a bang and one must give credit to Tim Glister for his brilliant writing as connects all the different plot strands into one. Characterization was top notch and I've thought of the characters long after turning the final page. A treat for lovers of spy thrillers, this is an unputdownable read that will easily go down as one of the best ever in its genre. Don't miss it for the world. Tim Glister has truly arrived!