A Spy Among Friends : Kim Philby And The Great Betrayal By Ben Macintyre - Review

Kim Philby had three best friends, Nicholas Elliot, James Angleton and the Soviets.

Intelligence Services of major countries were busy trying to gather Intel to get leverage on each other countries. There were double agent spies in other Secret Services and one such man was Kim Philby.
It's about the period of Cold War and the World War tension hadn't eased up.
The book is spine chilling, full of espionages, betrayal and trust, and packed with a lot of insight on life of spies.

This isn't a fiction book but is a rather well thought out and researched work on the Kim Philby as well as different Intelligence Services of the USA, England and Soviets.

Kim Philby is considered as one of the most notorious spy and British defector,double agent,who was active for more than two decades as he climbed up the ladder to top posts in MI5 and MI6 and also made fairly good and large connections with powerful people in the Intelligence Services. He also knew people well in the CIA. Had access to private and confidential documents of the USA and British which he would then pass on to the Soviets. He could move freely and operate without being suspected as a Soviet spy.
His staunch belief in Communalism was instilled way back in his early days of being in college, Cambridge. He had been recruited from college days. But Philby never discussed politics with anyone but himself and so remained firm in his ideologies.

The book starts off with introducing Nicholas Elliott and his early life. Then there's a bit about James Angleton. Being English men they were a part of the elite 'Old Club'.
It highlights the strong bond of friendship among the the three friends and also loyalty towards MI6.
Who knew that Philby was wearing a face of deceit?
He wore two faces, one of charisma and flamboyance and other of disloyal friend and hardcore Communist.
Philby married thrice, became a husband and a father and managed his role quiet well.

In the later years of revelation his friends were shocked to learn that Philby was a double agent spy. Many missions were failed and also compromised due to Philby. Philby leaking secrets was making the Secret Services work futile.
During his course many Soviet spies defected but none had the fullest knowledge of Philby being a Soviet spy.
Then there was a time when he was caught with minimal evidence. But he played it safe. He wasn't convicted and was hence left . But he did arouse suspicion.

The book also contains photographs which is worth mentioning. Visuals are always great. It serves as an accompaniment to writing.
Needless to say that the book isn't fictional yet it doesn't give the impression that it's only research material. It's very well written and I am much more interested in the writers work. Spy thrillers have always been intriguing to me. It gives an adrenaline rush and at times even goosebumps.

The book should be read to fully understand plot. The little details of missions and espionages, those drinks among fellow spies, and above all the betrayal.
Even in his later years of life Philby admitted that he would never betray friends but when given to choose between political life and personal life, he would choose politics. Philby was perhaps one of a kind multi faced human with emotions barely layering his hard staunch beliefs. That must have been tiring to live like that.
Was Philby ever caught and convicted?? 
Read the book to find out because it's too good to be revealed in this review.

Nonetheless, it's highly recommended. It became one of my favorite books.
Hope you like the first review of 2016.
Happy New Year to you!

The King Of Torts By John Grisham - Review

Clay Carter is an underpaid, unhappy lawyer working at Office of Public Defender(OPD). He had big ambitions and during his early days worked at his dad's successful firm which eventually closed down. His relationship with Rebecca, his girlfriend is a bit wobbly and a bit stretched out after four years.

I have never read a book based on or about torts and lawyers. In fact I found this in an old Readers Digest collection in my home. I really like the book. Solid plot, good characters and twists and turns of events. He basically became rags to riches kinda guy.

Clay never thought that an ordinary murder case would change his life. There was nothing different about drug addicts fighting and killing themselves. But this particular murder was different. The killer was clean and not an addict anymore. He didn't even realize that he had killed a person. There was no motive for the murder at all.

During this period he met Max Pace. He was a tough guy with chiselled body. Pace was an anonymous kin of person. Clay wasn't aware of his background.
Pace told him that he worked for a pharmaceutical company which makes a pill that is supposed to get rid of the addiction of cocaine and heroin.
Unfortunately the drug called Tarvan had a side effect, which would create a chemical imbalance in the brain. The person wouldn't be able to control his actions and wouldn't remember the event.
The company wanted to settle this with the family of the victims. It didn't want the hassles of lawsuits etc.

After much thought Clay agreed. And why wouldn't he, because he was being paid 15 million dollars. He couldn't refuse. That humongous amount of money  could change his life. And it did. Yet Clay didn't know that it would also create a havoc in his life.

On Max directions he agreed to make settlements. Clays life took a dramatic turn. He left OPD, hired his friends from OPD, bought a new plush office, a swanky new Porsche. And he was on his way to lead a new life.

Tequila Watson, Washad and others were already jailed for murders. Somehow Max knew that they had consumed Tarvan, hence the crimes. Clay began settlements with their families. About 4 million to each family. Settlement was done in order to avoid the lawsuits if the drug came to the knowledge of other lawyers. Tarvan was withdrawn from the market.

Clay could have said no, but he was ambitious and wanted to prove himself. He didn't think of the consequences.

The book is almost like some Hollywood movie. Money, court, lawsuits, fancy yachts and cars and more money. Nonetheless it was a good novel. I might read more of Grisham's work. It was very enthralling book and at times my mind was baffled by the amount of money he made and also the mad tactics of tort lawyers.
He made enough money to be recognised by elite members of the Circle of Barristers and also ofcourse by the media. Clay was on a rollercoaster ride.
Later on he filed a suit on a pharmaceutical company called Ackerman on the directions of Max.
They didn't want a lawsuit so they settled the case for some millions.
Then came Dyloft and then there was Maxatil. Big pharmaceuticals companies. Then there was a scene with Hanna Portland Cement company about faulty homes and hence a settlement for that.
But Clay was running into losses. He thought he would make a fortune in the Maxatil case. But it didn't make it further to high courts and all.
And so Clay was headed for bankruptcy. I don't want to reveal all the good stuff.

It's kind of like an adrenaline rush you get when you read the book. It's fast paced, interesting and at times a bit emotional. In the end Clay Carter was surely happy with Rebecca.

Hope you like the review. I highly recommend The King of Torts.

Adultery By Paulo Coelho - Review

She needed a break from her monotonous life. So she committed adultery.

Linda was in her thirties, married to a loving husband and had kids and a fairly successful career being a journalist in a fairly quite place of the world, Geneva.

One day her work led her towards her past, her ex boyfriend, Jacob Konig who was campaigning for being the President of France. The interview ended with oral sex.

Linda was sure that she wasn't depressed but needed a new zeal and vigour to live her life. She was tired from her repetitive days of her life. She was doing well at work, and at home the kids and husband were happy. She didn't spoke about her being unhappy. Actually she didn't even admit it herself at first.

Her fling with Jacob went well . They went to exotic places for lunches bearing less exotic taste but at an expensive price. Visited hotels for intimacy and quick sex. She needed someone to listen to her thoughts. At a time she thought their cover was blown.
Her husband as she thought didn't confide in her his feelings and emotions and even might have an affair. She was wrong for the latter part. Instead was infidel herself. But that was all in childishness. She thought that Jacob could be hers as if they were still in high school.
Jacob was no saint either. He had an affair earlier and his wife acted quite normally to it. Linda knew about it. She was shocked by Jacobs wife normalcy to the situation.

I wouldn't say that I loved the book. It was slow paced and at times even boring. The ending was nice. She rekindled her passion for life.

What she was missing was adventure in her life. At times she felt guilty of being in a physical relation with Jacob. Maybe she needed that phase in her life to find herself a reason to live her remaining life.
That fling led to Linda talk to her husband freely. She opened up about her emotions and so, even her husband did. They went to hike in the Alps with their family. Around that time her affair ended.
And then later on for a mini vacation with her husband. A sort of honeymoon. They did para gliding. She feared it. But still she gave it a try.
While gliding down she felt like a bird. She couldn't explain the feeling but that changed her life.
Everyone needs or has had a point in life which changes them completely.
Linda found her new starting point.

Being unknown to the authors past work, I decided to give this book a try. I wasn't greatly disappointed but wasn't impressed either. But you might love it as a matter of fact.
I really liked the ending of the book. It was mostly about truth, love and peace. She didn't anymore  bother to think about Marianne and Jacob. That phase of hers had passed. She began her remaining life with new passion and zeal.
Linda was happy.

Hope you like the review.