HALL WAYS REVIEW: It’s
true that history tends to repeat itself, but could author Gabriel Valjan been any
more prescient in writing Eyes to Deceit? That’s a rhetorical question—no
he couldn’t—and holy cow, I wish he weren’t!
“Once
power moves in secret, it rarely stops at the border.”
In
Eyes to Deceit, the fourth book in The Company Files series, the United
States is planning a coup to overthrow Iran, but hang on—this isn’t a story ripped
from today’s headlines. We’re not reading about the propaganda-filled US-Israeli
Operation Epic Fury, which appears to have only the goal of bombing Iran to
oblivion. Rather, Eyes to Deceit details 1953’s propaganda-filled,
carefully coordinated, very real US-British-Italianish mission, Operation Ajax.
As author Gabriel Valjan says in the not-to-be-missed Afterword, the rationale for Operation Ajax
was “containment, oil, and influence—but the consequences spiraled far beyond
Iran’s borders.” Sure, go ahead and substitute Epic Fury there. Same holds true.
Readers
are thrown right into the middle of the Cold War and chapters of Eyes to Deceit alternate between
two sets of multinational Company operatives, most of whom were in the first
book, The
Good Man, which I reviewed in 2018.
American Walker and British Leslie are reunited to work in Rome, where they rekindle
their romance while working with rich, powerful, influential Italian, American,
and Iranian people to see that Operation Ajax succeeds. American Jack and Russian
Sheldon are working state-side, where Sheldon is pulled out of his writer’s
life and back into service working undercover at a resort in the Catskills (think
Dirty Dancing and you’re there) to secure assets needed for mission success. In this installment, readers learn much more about Sheldon,
a Holocaust survivor, and German Tania, a young girl he rescued from atrocious
abuse, who accompanies Sheldon to the resort as his niece. Sidenote: Young (but old-souled) Tania
is by far the most interesting person: haunted, cerebral, and wickedly clever. I’ve no
desire to learn more about the horrors she’s endured, but I’d love to see what’s
next for her.
“Gossip
and new money glistened like diamonds.”
As
with book one, in Eyes to Deceit, Valjan does an outstanding job with
the settings (which include New York, Washington DC, Boston, the Catskills, and
Rome), creating a tangible mood with evocative language. His detailed descriptions add to the
authenticity of time and place. Readers are treated to eloquent depictions of cities
recovering from war and everything from high fashion to luxurious locations and opulent meals, providing a snapshot of life in the fifties. Adding to the
realism, the author includes and references many real historical figures such
as: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Allen Dulles, Kermit Roosevelt, Norman
Darbyshire, Mohammad Mossadegh, Clare Boothe Luce, and Giulio Andreotti. Even
Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck make appearances (and the former a courier for
the Dutch Resistance in WWII? Who knew?)
There
is much more to appreciate in Valjan’s writing. The primary characters are all
well-read, so the literary references—and literary discourses—are abundant,
which warms a bookish-girl's heart. Additionally, it’s the mark of a gifted writer
when he can demonstrate heat and passion in just a few choice words while
keeping details of Walker’s and Leslie’s trysts off page. Thank you for
trusting your readers’ imaginations, Mr. Valjan. Most of the characters are
intellectual, multilingual, and well-versed in history and politics. Valjan
reflects that in intelligent, cerebral writing, with a liberal dose of other-than-English
languages, which again makes my linguistic soul sing.
The
author demands readers keep up, but admittedly, there are more than a few
places that I couldn’t discern meaning or missed the reference for lack of context
or my own historical knowledge. I had hoped for more action, twists, and danger
to our characters, as in the first book. Instead, Eyes to Deceit is more
about backstage negotiations and deliberations, not body counts or violent
encounters: a real surprise in an espionage thriller. My only other quibble is
that there are a smattering of typos and errors that I noticed, which would
easily have been caught by one more editing pass.
Eyes
to Deceit is a
well-written, provocative piece of historical fiction that when juxtaposed
against current world affairs takes the story to a new level. I recommend starting the series at the beginning to have maximum appreciation of the characters and their unique storylines, which will make reading Eyes to Deceit an even better reading escape (though it was nearly perfect as a stand-alone for a rainy day with my grandpuppy on my lap). Gabriel Valjan is
a talented, cerebral writer who challenges readers while telling a heckuvagood
story. Go on and binge the books!
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