ARA Review by ciprianbujor of The Soviet Comeback

[ciprianbujor]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Soviet Comeback.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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The Soviet Comeback is a thriller novel by Jamie Smith, published in 2023. The book follows the adventures of a kid and then an adult from an African family residing in Soviet Russia. He is recruited by KGB and sent to US to be infiltrated as an agent in the CIA.


The book has a good style, the author wrote a thriller in a way that it can match other more well known authors, such as John le Carré or Tom Clancy. The pace of the book is good, the action well presented and engaging. The book has the potential to keep you reading on the edge of your seat, as you follow the main character's daring escapades and narrow escapes.


However, the book also has some major flaws that make it hard to enjoy for anyone who knows anything about the history and culture of the Soviet Union and Russia. The author seems to have done very little research on the topic, and relies on stereotypes and clichés to portray the Soviet people and society. The book is full of hard to believe events, that are either implausible or impossible, and that show the author’s ignorance and lack of realism.
For example, the story about the family of the main character that ended up in Russia when they were coming from Africa and wanted to go to western Europe. Just look at the map, it would have been impossible to do it during the period of the Cold War, and not at all by mistake as the author tries to enforce. So many countries where security was very tough with closed borders and to pass from Mediterana to Black Sea and end up in Russia by mistake it is just pure nonsense.


Also, the author knows little about the way an intelligence agency works, for example the fact that the identity of the undercover agent was known by a Russian ambassador or that the agent was well known for his abilities by so many in the KGB is just nonsense again. The book is full of such inconsistencies and errors, that make it hard to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the story.


I give it a 2 out of 5 stars for the effort, but the book has major flaws in its story line and I can’t ignore those. It was more of a funny and caricature of a spy novel and I just kept reading just to amuse myself. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a serious and realistic thriller, or who is interested in learning more about the Soviet Union and Russia. The book is a disappointment and a waste of time for me. Better luck next time Jamie Smith. Maybe you chose a subject you really master. Don't give up, you have what is needed, just work more on the information you use, and the story line.

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[JimJammery28]

Thank you for the review, I appreciate all your comments and thoughts!

The only thing I would say is that while I did do an ENORMOUS amount of research, it is a completely fictional novel and as with all such books a certain degree of creative license is taken to help the plot and the pace of it all. Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed some elements of it, and I take on board the feedback on the bits you engaged with less