Jason Matthews

Navigating brutal enemies in her espionage work for the CIA, a Russian Intelligence agent pursues a life-threatening affair with her CIA handler before she is discovered by a mole. By the Edgar Award-winning author ofRed Sparrow. Tour.

A Novel

Palace of Treason

Arturo Hernández

The attention-grabbing factor on this was extremely high, I read it in just a couple of days because I needed to find out what happened to Dominika. The story flows way better on this installment than on the first episode. There are a lot of cliff hangers across its pages and interesting character development overall. I will definitely finish the trilogy (I wonder what do the Russians think about all of the Putin mentions throughout this, oh well...).

Dana Kraft

Just as good as the first one in my opinion. I couldn't put it down. Great job of developing so many characters and always helping you understand their motivations and thought processes.

"Captain Dominika Egorova of the Russian Intelligence Service (SVR) has returned from the West to Moscow. She despises the men she serves, the oligarchs, and crooks, and thugs of Putin's Russia. What no one knows is that Dominika is working for the CIA as Washington's most sensitive penetration of SVR and the Kremlin. As she expertly dodges exposure, Dominika deals with a murderously psychotic boss; survives an Iranian assassination attempt; escapes a counterintelligence ambush; rescues an arrested agent and exfiltrates him out of Russia; and has a chilling midnight conversation in her nightgown with President Putin. Complicating these risks is the fact that Dominika is in love with her CIA handler, Nate Nash, and their lust is as dangerous as committing espionage in Moscow. And when a mole in the SVR finds Dominika's name on a restricted list of sources, it is a virtual death sentence ..."--Amazon website.

Sheila

The stakes are definitely higher in Palace of Treason! Despite the fact that Nate got shuffled off to Athens & Dominika went back to Moscow, the game got more intense as the plot wove details straight from CNN headlines. The overarching plot of Iranian uranium enrichment was made more relevant by including Vladimir Putin in the story - this was pretty ballsy on Matthews' part, and I liked it despite the stereotyped characterization. 

Things I liked: The new character Hannah Archer who wasn't involved nearly enough but was still badass, the snippets of Farsi that were genuinely correct (everyone always learns the bad words first lol), serving up the fine details of CIA counterintelligence ops that I can never get enough of, Dominika's friendships with her CIA handlers, deaths deaths deaths, & Dominika serving up killer double agent realness.

Things I didn't like: The constant repetition of insignificant details that acted as filler - this book could've been 100 pages shorter, the casual sexism & the fact that Matthews just can't write women well (let alone sexual women sigh), the fact that Nate being the big spy man can't keep his dick in his pants for any reason, also related is the fact that every woman Nate comes across wants to do him (ofc (ugh)), & Matthews' penchant for making every 'villain' short. Just why??

At the 75% mark I was going to give this 2 stars, but the ending was fun so 3 stars it is. Also because Dominika is still great despite the author's shortcomings.

S. R. Spencer

Michael Cowell

Erik Wallace

Troy Bowser

"Captain Dominika Egorova of the Russian Intelligence Service (SVR) has returned from the West to Moscow. She despises the men she serves, the oligarchs, and crooks, and thugs of Putin's Russia. What no one knows is that Dominika is working for the CIA as Washington's most sensitive penetration of SVR and the Kremlin. As she expertly dodges exposure, Dominika deals with a murderously psychotic boss; survives an Iranian assassination attempt; escapes a counterintelligence ambush; rescues an arrested agent and exfiltrates him out of Russia; and has a chilling midnight conversation in her nightgown with President Putin. Complicating these risks is the fact that Dominika is in love with her CIA handler, Nate Nash, and their lust is as dangerous as committing espionage in Moscow. And when a mole in the SVR finds Dominika's name on a restricted list of sources, it is a virtual death sentence."--

Philip Ledingham

Maddie

Manuel J. Rivera

Carlee Edwards 

Andrew Ireland

Katelyn Rush

Charmaine

DISCOVER WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AFTER THE RED SPARROW STARRING JENNIFER LAWRENCE . . . *** Paris A young woman is cornered on a deserted boulevard. Moments later she walks away, leaving her assailant for dead. Meet Dominika Egorova, of the Russian intelligence service. Athens An elderly man walks into the American embassy with a story to tell. Moscow The most unlikely of traitors is uncovered by the most dangerous of men. Washington A brilliant, unorthadox CIA agent must single-handedly connect the dots to stop an intricate house of cards from toppling in a cold war that's taken a terrifying new twist. 'Superb. Enthralling. Shimmers with authenticity' NEW YORK TIMES *** 'The greatest ever female character in spy fiction' SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE 'Taut, fast paced and authentic. A great American spy novel' CHARLES CUMMING 'A dazzling thrill-filled journey across the globe' SUNDAY MIRROR 'Portrays the heart-pounding rhythms of on-the-street espionage better than any novelist in recent memory' DAILY MAIL

Palace of Treason A Novel

Reviews