Saturday, December 21, 2002
Title: The Discrete Charms Of Charlie Monk
Author: David Ambrose
Publisher: Pocket Books
Charlie Monk is a special agent for a secret organisation. He takes part in all the latest training schemes and is regularly involved in sensitive jobs that require his special touch. When not working he likes to date a string of beautiful women and paints in his spare time. It all seems very glamorous, too cool. That is until Charlie is injured and wakes to find that the rules have changed, or more accurately that things never have been as he thought they were, and is being held prisoner.
Susan Flemyng is a scientist who specialises in memory and its manipulation. She is at the cutting edge of her field and is doing great work with trauma victims. Her husband is a brilliant surgeon, who is dedicated to travelling round the world's trouble spots helping where he can. Their son is the light of their lives and they are incredibly happy. Then no sooner has her husband died in Russia in a plane crash than she is being told that it was murder and that the company she works for was responsible.
Initially I had certain expectations about The Discrete Charms Of Charlie Monk. Loads of espionage and glamorous locations, a spy who was some how more than the ordinary, conspiracies and memory games. As it goes on it is clear that the action is more tightly contained than that, streamlining into captivity and plots and the insides of installations owned by the organisation behind it all. But in terms of conspiracy and head games once it gets to that stage of the book, that's all there is, a constant flow of keeping on top of events and trying to second guess the shadowy hand of power.
On the whole The Discrete Charms Of Charlie Monk is an easily read work that is more than just a spy book. David Ambrose hits us with some turns that aren't entirely expected and has us going for awhile. The epilogue style finish is perhaps taking things too far, adding a degree of ambiguity, which isn't necessarily helpful or smart. Regardless of that Charlie Monk is a fun read.
RVWR: PTR
December 2002
