Tom GabbayCritiques

This is a good WW2 spy novel, set mostly in 1940 Lisbon when Portugal was neutral and America had not yet entered the war. There's an exciting conclusion in Paris.
The frank portrayal of the Windsors is refreshing, especially that of Mrs. Simpson. It's slightly heavy-handed with their Nazi sympathies, but is likely accurate.

A prequel to Gabbay's THE BERLIN CONSPIRACY, this is a terrific WWII-era thriller. One head-scratching plot point is the only flaw in this engaging read, which is very much like CASABLANCA set in Lisbon. In fact, where CASABLANCA is concerned, a number of subtle homages lead to one blatant one in the story's final pages. Lots of fun. If you're the type who'll never get your fill of Ilsa and Rick, you owe it to yourself to read this one.

Nice try. The plot works hard playing the historical friendship of England's self-exiled ex-King and his maybe-buddy Hitler. (Remember, many home-grown Brit fascists dilly-dallied in the aristocracy) Characters: a too predictable Bernie Gunther/Phil Marlow lead, a Lili-Marlene Dietrich play-partner, a Prince of Wales two-stepper, and your basic, Nazi, SS, Gestapo badguy. Gabbay's writing covers its bases but nothing more. For example from page 1: "Tinseltown wasn't all it was cracked up to be, not by a long shot but it had given me a good run for my money..." Sounds like Gabbay copied the '30s detective mag's language all too well. Along with their gradeschool morality. I prefer my thrillers to have some sophistication--more Graham Green for me, less pulp fiction.

I like the idea; it could have been a champ of a book.

Despite two-dimensional characters and some incidents that strained credulity, it kept me turning the pages.

Jack Teller was born in Germany. His father died in WWI. His mother died when he was young. He left his little brother with his aunt and he went to the US. He is recruited by the CIA as an operator in the South America desk. In his later years he works on the invasion of Bay of Pigs. Frustration mount up to retirement and he goes to live in Florida. After years in retirment he is called into service and sent to Berlin where he discovers a plot to kill President Kennedy. The plot is planned out by a Cuban exile in cohutts with top CIA members. He meets his brother who is a Colonel in the STASI and who is providing him the information about the plot. After a seires of events he is captured by the CIA and is going to be the scapegoat in taking the fall for killing the president.

This is a good read for anyone interested in Berlin during the Cold War years.

Won through GR First Reads Giveaways.
I seem to have been reading a lot of books about the Middle East lately. All fiction, but all have given me a little more insight into the similarities and differences between their culture and our own. No exception to that trend with The Tehran Conviction. More about that in a bit.

First, let me start out by talking about the word "conviction". The book begins by defining the term:

Conviction (n.)
1. A fixed or strongly held belief.
2. The act of being found of proved guilty.

Obviously, both of the definitions have their role to play in the story, but the first is the one that had the most effect on me. Gabbay's way of showing idealism vs. realism with regard to individual and personal freedoms as well as what it means to love your country was very moving to me. His way of describing these ideas and thoughts are almost poetic, but still practical and practicable at the same time, if you've a mind to do so. These themes are universal. We all want the right to be free and to do as we choose and to live as good a life as possible.

I felt that Gabbay represented Iran and the world of the CIA very fairly through Jack, who was willing to be their man, but still, despite his words and actions, I felt didn't really believe that the CIA was right in everything it did. I know that's ironic, because they always say that actions speak louder than words, and here Jack is using both to say one thing, but I just FEEL that he means another. I like that Jack's character was fleshed out enough so that I could get that impression. He wasn't the regular one-dimensional "Action Hero™". He was a regular guy who was drafted to do something extraordinary, and he did the best that he could with what he had to work with.

I'll just briefly mention one of the things that most affected me in this book, and that is the theme of deceit and betrayal. It just runs rampant! Nobody can trust anyone else. But what really struck me, is that the United States would take the step of deceiving a nation simply in order to exploit it in the first place. I know, I know, you're probably yelling at your monitor right now, asking me where I've been for the last 27 years (which happens to be my age, if you're wondering), under a rock?? But no, I've been right here, in the Good Ol' U.S. of A. watching things go from bad to worse right along with you.

I think deep down, we all hold the conviction that our country is the greatest on earth. Love of country runs in our blood, as it should. You have to love where you come from in order to love who you are. But that is NOT the same as letting that country run rampant and do anything and everything it wants to while the citizens turn a blind eye. There are people who denounce anyone who doesn't agree with "High Level Government Decisions" as unpatriotic. But I disagree. It is unpatriotic to sit by and let your country lose itself.

But I digress. My point, in all of that, was that in 1953 America decided to stage a coup in order to overthrow the government in Iran as a means to access their oil. Perhaps I am an idealist, but I grew up thinking that my country was better than that, that we treated people fairly and helped other countries and their people. "Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice - you can't get fooled again." -- Pres. "Dubya".

Anyway, I'm rambling on and turning this into a little political rant. Oops! I did really enjoy the book. Gabbay's descriptions had me feeling as if I was there. I could see the streets, I could see the people, I could feel the arid heat. I loved this aspect of the book, because after all, I read for escapism.

This book isn't exactly one that I would want to literally escape into, though. Iran in the book is at a cross-roads, with political upheaval knocking on the doors and religious zealots climbing in the windows, it's not exactly a restful place to be. I was happy to see that Gabbay didn't sugar-coat daily life in Iran. I've never been there, but I can't imagine it's all sunshine and daisies. There are aspects of every culture that we'd rather not see, but they are there nonetheless. And Gabbay didn't shy away from them or beat around the bush. Good for him.

I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but there were some things that prevented me from doing so:
First, the book opened with a poker game, although I only figured that out in context. Actually the book opened with Jack holding "the dead man's hand", which I thought was a literal dead man's hand, not being a poker player. So, I would have liked that to be a little more clear.
Secondly, some of the editing could have used a bit of work. On the same page (4), we have both "prizewinning" and "prize-winning" make an appearance. I probably wouldn't have noticed the difference, except they were on the same page.
Finally, some of the sections ended rather abruptly. I don't mean "cliff-hanger" abruptly, I mean, "starting a new thought then oh new section!" abruptly. It was a little distracting.

Those things aside, I really did enjoy the book very much. The changes from 1953 to 1979 were well done and well placed. They never felt forced or rushed and kept the momentum up with both story lines. At the end of the book, I felt as though there were appropriate resolutions to both story lines. It was not hard to follow at all, as some books which change time periods can be.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good political thriller, or who has any interest in the Middle East. Very good. I will keep an eye out for Gabbay's other books as well.

P.S. A special thank you to Tom Gabbay himself, if you're reading this, for letting me know that I could read the book without having read the first two. (I am a stickler for reading series books in the right order, back to back.) Anyway, Tom, thank you for the information, and for listing your book with the FirstReads giveaway, too. :)

Although I generally like to read series books in order, this is the first book of the Jack Teller series that I have and a chance to read. It stands well on its own, however. The novel is quick paced once it got going (got off to a slow start) and entertaining. I found the historical setting especially interesting and felt the author did a good job of putting me right in the middle of the story. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Teeming with Nazis, spies, and ambiguous loyalties, the early days of World War II come alive with dark intrigue and heart-stopping action in this brilliant second tale from the author of the hit thriller The Berlin Conspiracy.

It's the summer of 1940 and Europe is in the grip of the Nazi war machine. Jack Teller arrives in neutral Lisbon on the arm of international screen legend Lili Sterne, to help her search for her childhood friend, Eva Lange. Having escaped Germany, staying one step ahead of the Nazi terror, Eva is believed to be hiding among the thousands of desperate refugees who have descended upon Lisbon. But Jack isn't the first on her trail. Top Hollywood detective Eddie Grimes had been on the case—until he turned up dead.

Instead of answers, Jack uncovers a series of lies that leads from Estoril's glittering nightclubs—rubbing elbows with the likes of Edward, Duke of Windsor, and his scheming wife, Wallis Simpson—into Lisbon's dank and dangerous backstreets. Along the way, Jack makes a shocking discovery that takes him from Portugal to the perilous boulevards of Nazi-occupied Paris, where his actions could change the course of the war.

Tom Gabbay has written an entertaining page-turner that takes the reader to Tehran during two tense historic periods: the 1953 CIA-driven coup d'etat of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh and the 1979 mullah-driven take over the US Embassy.

Jack Teller is back for the third time (The Lisbon Crossingand The Berlin Conspiracy), but The Tehran Conviction shows his initiation into the fledgling CIA. The reader meets some colorful characters among his fellow spooks, including the real life Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. as the agent in charge of Operation Ajax. He also particularly befriends an Iranian brother and sister. The brother happens to be a close associate of Mossadegh, which is of more than passing interest to Teller et al.

In 1979, he is drawn back to Tehran on a hopeless unofficial mission to spring the same Iranian from the notorious Qasr prison. He pays a call to the US Embassy and has the misfortune to be there just when the takeover occurs.

Gabbay details the ways and means used in Operation Ajax and I found that part of the book quite interesting. He does not do the same with the hostage taking. His portrayal of Islamic mullahs is cartoonish. The Tehran Conviction is an entertaining diversion that falls short of the better works from the spy genre.½

I liked this book very much with a few reservations. The book was not slow going at all; I read it in about five sessions. The most glaring fault is the unbelievable descriptions of the CIA activities. It is very hard to believe the CIA would recruit and hire immedeately from a bar. It is also hard to believe the CIA would throw millions of dollars around Tehran, willy nilly as Donnelly does. Otherwise, I found the plot fast moving and interesting. I thought I would learn a little more about modern Iran, but, alas, the book takes place in 1953 and 1979. Who knows, we may find many many more books about Iran as they seek a nuclear presence in the world.

The book started out real slow but developed into a fast moving story. I would not call this book a thriller, though it did provide interesting detail about Iran and the machinations of the US in trying to stem the "Red Tide". It felt a little like The Kite Runner with an attempt at self-redemption after a long period of time. Overall it was a fun summertime read.

The main reason I requested this book was so I could learn about Iran and the US involvement in Iran's government in the 1950s and 1970s. This was an enjoyable way to learn a bit about that. I liked the characters and the plot. It wasn't rich in detail, but it didn't need to be.½

This book moved along quickly and held my attention, but the plot was pretty far-fetched. It's hard to believe that Jack Teller could be tending bar one day and then in a matter of weeks be influencing the political situation in Iran. The prison break was also pretty contrived. But with Iran so much in the news, it was interesting to get some "local color". Bringing Kermit Roosevelt into the story reminded me of his devious involvement in the coup that put the Shah in power.

I liked the book, but I wished the plt would have been more complex. To risk you life for someone you had hardly met 20 years ago seesm far streched. Also Zahra should have been more involved in the first part of the story so that Jack Teller's reaction was better to understand. I think there could have been so much more, but I liked the writing style and dialogs. Good reading, but more to the characters would have been nice.

I really wanted to like this book. The words flow easily and the subject matter was intriguing. However, I felt a bit cheated as a reader when it came to the development of main character Jack Teller. Not having read the previous novels by Tom Gabbay, I'm not sure if there was more to know about Jack Teller. The novel oscillates between 1979 and 1953 Iran. The plot revolves around CIA intervention in Iranian politics during the earlier time period, with suggestions of the impact of such intervention in 1979. I felt that the author could have done a better job of developing the look and feel of Iran and the characters. Those looking for more in depth plots and a connection with the characters would probably not enjoy this book.

The book is highly readable and Tom Gabbay does and excellent job of keeping the story moving forward and not letting the reader get lost. Those with short attention spans, an interest in light spy novels, or previous readers of Tom Gabbay novels will probably want to read this one.

OK, I was seriously disappointed. I signed up for this one because I had folks telling me how much they enjoyed Gabbay's first book. Maybe that one was better...

I'm just not a fan of this style of writing. We're supposed to feel like the narrator is talking directly to us, but in this case it comes across forced and (at times) patronizing.

Story wise, it was OK, but not something I'd feel good about paying full hard-cover price.½

A very interesting book. A spy thriller that is written in the style of a Raymond Chandler novel. Very timely in that it adds insight into the present day incidents. My only complaint was that it wrapped up a bit tidily. Still I give this one a strong recommendation.

I have not read any of Tom Gabbay's other books, and given that this is not the first Jack Teller novel, I think that is the key to my review.

If you HAVE read other Jack Teller novels, and you're curious about how he got into the CIA and how his first case went, I recommend this book to you.

The book fails to stand on its own. Be warned that the majority of the book is told in flashback, so I hope you weren't counting on much of the story involving the 1979 timeline.

Not knowing Jack already, this is not a charitable introduction. He's an action-less hero in his earlier adventure, maybe to illustrate his struggle to decide how much to commit to the CIA path. But told as the majority of the story, it just leaves me wondering each chapter if he will finally do something.

The later adventure seems to be about an entirely different man: tired enough to go on a seemingly suicidal mission, but despite having spent the last 10 years as a photographer, now suddenly an action hero. Maybe this is filled in by the other books?

Despite my problems with the main character, Gabbay writes great dialogue, fleshed out the Iranian characters nicely, and drew me in to the revolutions in Iran. (Of course, this is a really interesting week to be reading about them!)

I found this book enjoyable. It was a fast paced read with the author weaving us into some historical history of Iran as part of the novel. I will also be looking for the author's other books to read.

I truly enjoyed this book. It is fast paced, intriguing and action filled. I will look for his other book, re:Berlin.

Om et planlagt mord på Kennedy i Berlin. Er lidt for friskfyragtig efter min smag!½

Written like a 50's noir novel½