Lincoln Child :: New York Times Bestselling Author:
“It takes a huge talent to blow dust from the corners of today's comfortable thriller genre. Keith Thomson has that talent, in spades. Once a Spy is an important debut--as well as a welcome breath of fresh air.”
Christopher Reich :: New York Times Bestselling Author:
“Once A Spy is the most enjoyable book I've read this year. Utterly original, it is an adrenaline-fueled concoction of sidesplitting humor and genuine suspense. Think Carl Hiassen taking on John Le Carré and the winner is the reader. What a find! I can't imagine not loving this gem of a novel!”
James Bamford :: Bestselling Author of The Shadow Factory: The NSA From 9/11 To The Eavesdropping On America:
“Once a Spy is a wild ride.”
Chuck Hogan :: New York Times Bestselling author
Hammett Award winner for Prince of Thieves and Devils in Exile:
“With great characters, nonstop action, and dark humor, all told in a fresh, energetic voice, Keith Thomson's Once A Spy is the most appealing debut thriller I've read in years.”
Margaret Cannon :: The Globe and Mail:
“It takes a lot to engage me in a spy novel. I want smarts, thrills and some realism in the spycraft. My icons are writers like John le Carré and Len Deighton, and not too many spymasters can hit those peaks. Once A Spy, a debut novel by Keith Thomson, gets close. This tale of a doddering old spy and his slightly addled son has plenty of twists and turns, and you’ll find it very difficult to put aside.”
“Thomson has made a spy story that sticks.”
“Nonstop action, thrills, and more escapes than Houdini in his lifetime.”
“Roadrunner meets Columbo.”
“It's hard to make a spy novel both funny and suspenseful, but Keith Thomson manages to pull it off…A great read.”
“Huffington Post columnist Thomson’s wildly original debut, a darkly satirical thriller, features an unlikely, if endearing, father-son spy duo: retired appliance salesman Drummond Clark, who at age 64 suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and Charlie Clark, a down-on-his-luck gambler who owes $23,000 to Russian loan sharks. Soon after Charlie rescues Drummond from the Brooklyn streets, where he’d been wandering, the older man’s house blows up and the two barely escape with their lives. Clark and son begin an adrenaline-fueled cross-country flight in which they must evade ruthless CIA assassins long enough to understand why they’re being targeted. During rare moments of lucidity, Drummond hotwires a car and effortlessly kills multiple assailants, suggesting to Charlie he was once much more than just a washing machine salesman. Poignant themes of love and redemption underpin an action-packed story line that includes exotic locales, high-tech gadgetry, and international intrigue.”
“An engaging tale of father-and-son redemption wrapped up in a pedal-to-metal thriller that's told with much humor and great enthusiasm, Thomson's Once a Spy gives the tried-and-true secret-agent suspense a fresh twist…”«read the whole story»
“Once a Spy by Keith Thomson is highly recommended for those looking for something both well written and laugh out loud funny.”
“Thomson’s sharp humor, swift pacing and surprising twists are refreshing antidotes to the sober, overcooked, underwritten thrillers crowding the market.”
“A father with Alzheimer’s and a son with a gambling problem bond as they fence with some nasty nemeses in this breakneck thriller.…Thomson’s sharp humor, swift pacing and surprising twists are refreshing antidotes to the sober, overcooked, underwritten thrillers crowding the market.”
Rick Kleffel :: bookotron.com:
“I'd recommend picking up Once A Spy (Doubleday/Random House; March 9, 2010; $24.95) by Keith Thomson and dipping right in, bypassing the spoiler-ific dust jacket and "Product Descriptions." I like my spy thrillers cold, and Once A Spy is as cold…” Full Review
“If you’ve never cared much for thrillers, Keith Thomson’s genre debut could cause you to have a conversion experience. It’s that gripping and good. If you’re already a reader whose criteria for a page–turner include a surfeit of suspense, plot twists, mysterious murders, dangerous chases, narrow escapes, thwarted villains and a few triumphs by an unlikely hero or two, then Once A Spy should satisfy you. It’s got all that, plus…”«read the whole story»
“What happens when a legendary spy starts to lose it? That, in a nutshell, is the startling and original premise behind Once A Spy, Keith Thomson's debut novel due out this month. It's an idea that the author takes to both surprising and delightful places.…”«read the whole story»