Argylle

Recruited by the CIA after his daring rescue of agents whose plane got shot down in Thailand, aimless tour guide Aubrey Argylle is quickly transformed into a superspy assigned to stop a Russian tycoon deemed "the greatest threat to current world security." Argylle, who's in his early 20s, good-looking, and attractively rough around the edges, is the son of drug smugglers killed in Southeast Asia's so-called Golden Triangle, most likely by a drug cartel. Having grown up all over the globe, he speaks many languages and is a whiz at martial arts. The villain, Vasily Federov--husband of the Russian president's petulant, surgically beautified daughter--has built his following by promising to restore the Amber Room, a priceless work of art stolen by the Nazis decades ago, to its rightful place. It is the "ultimate symbol of Russian greatness and glory." The novel, whose film adaptation preceded its publication, has attracted undue attention through its odd connection to Taylor Swift and meta touches including the fake identity of its author. Investigating the issue, the Washington Post reported that Elly Conway may be British thriller writer Tammy Cohen. The book's theme park approach--lots of splashy settings, action scenes, evil Nazis, and perilous moments--works well enough. Before it runs out of gas, it's a fun ride. But for all his trappings, Argylle is less compelling than Federov. Abandoned at birth by his mother, who left him in a phone box, Federov was raised as Christopher Clay by his adoptive American parents. Establishing his Russian credibility takes as much ingenuity as ruthlessness. Winning back his birth mother, who gets to reject him a second time when he tracks her down, will take a lot more than that. A reasonably entertaining spy novel overshadowed by the weird social media buzz.

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