I always enjoy reading David Ignatius’s columns in the Washington Post, especially when he is writing about the CIA or the Middle East, both of which he has covered for decades. So when I had the chance to read a copy of The Paladin in exchange for an honest review (thanks to W.W. Norton and NetGalley), I jumped on it! And (be still my heart!) it is about BOTH the CIA and the Middle East…

Subtitled “A Spy Novel,” the protagonist in this techno-thriller is CIA operations officer Michael Dunne. He had been assigned to infiltrate a cyber operation, headed by an American journalist (lots of first amendment issues to untangle, for sure). He knew that running an operation (especially a covert op) against an American journalist was illegal, but his boss assured him he would be protected, so he went all in.  When his cover was blown, the operation fell apart, and someone leaked a story about his on-the-job extramarital affair, the CIA threw him under the bus. He took the fall, going to prison for making false statements to the FBI, and ended up disgraced.

Although his attorney had coached him to show remorse and contrition for his crimes, he wasn’t contrite and told the judge that he did what he thought was right, and was only sorry he had failed in the mission. As the story begins,  he has a “throbbing, consuming anger and a determination to someday eventually obtain justice” (not to mention revenge.

Dunne sets up a fake business to provide defense against hackers, and off we go into a complex plot with plenty of twists and turns. There is interesting detail about technology, hacking, financial crimes, and media manipulation (including “fake news.”) It’s fascinating, entertaining, and downright scary in many ways. I really wonder what the actual spies think when they read something like this. When I started it, I just went with the idea that Ignatius is so knowledgeable that it was pretty much factual, or close to it. Good fun. Thought-provoking. Five stars.