4.5 stars for this powerfully written espionage thriller. This book took me back to the days when I devoured John le Carre and Robert Ludlum and waited impatiently for their next book. It was clever, exciting, suspenseful and sometimes heart-stopping. It was Cold War spycraft without the Cold War and it was never derivative of any other work in its genre.

I was glued to each page and hated to put the book down even for bathroom breaks or meals (which I am seldom too involved to miss). Mr. McCarry makes the world of fast-paced, over-the-top spying and plotting very real. Trying to determine who is doing what to whom and why is all encompassing and you do not ever want to miss a word because you might miss a clue to what is real and what is contrived in this world of lies and assumed identities.

Hats off to Charles McCarry! Big thank you to Mr. McCarry, Grove Atlantic and Goodreads GiveAways for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. ( )

A big disappointment. No real character development and a whole lot of wish fulfillment from the author. Learn Russian in a month? Ha. Check out one of his older books instead. ( )

Too confusing, with the layers of turncoat and spies. The protagonist starts off as a intelligent maverick who is going to pull a fast one on the Bureau but spends the rest of the book as a pawn relating messgaes. Oh, and having crazy wild sex with his wife ALL THE TIME. Right. And not at all relevant. ( )

Terrific spy thriller of the le Carré, Ludlum type. A most enjoyable read! ( )

I can't believe I've been a fan of spy thrillers for decades and had never heard of Charles McCarry. I came across a review of one of his older novels a short time ago, sought it out, and picked a different one off the stack at the local library since my original target wasn't available. If the rest of his catalog is as well-done as 'The Mulberry Bush', I think I've discovered a writer that'll keep me busy for awhile.

As you might expect in a book written by an ex-CIA field operative, the spycraft in Mulberry Bush seems impeccable and the actions of the characters are realistic. The plot, which involves the intent of the son of a disgraced CIA agent to exact revenge on the agency, is complex, many-layered, sexy, and exciting. The dialogue is crisp and very realistic and the conclusion may or may not be what you expect. It's an interesting way to wrap things up, no matter what.

I've read many, many spy novels through the years, many of which were written by ex-practitioners, and am constantly struck by a few things: these guys and gals are really smart, everyone has an agenda, there are endless physical and mental challenges, and I could never handle the stress. There are certainly black and white areas in their type of work, but the largest acreage is gray and it takes special types of people to excel.

I can't even describe how excited I am to start exploring the rest of McCarry's work! ( )