The Prague Coup

February 1, 2019

In 1948, former American spy Elizabeth Montagu is tasked with escorting acclaimed author (and former British intelligence officer) Graham Greene around Vienna as he researches material for the film that will eventually become The Third Man. Mysteries abound almost as soon as Greene arrives in Vienna--who is the mysterious woman with whom he's secretly corresponding? Why is he being followed, and who is after him? Is Greene really working on a film, or is he undercover in an effort to infiltrate Vienna's underground? Before long, there's plenty of sex, murder, and hints of a complicated conspiracy to unseat the Czechoslovakian government. Author Fromental (365 Penguins) weaves world history and Greene's biography, including his close friendship with infamous Soviet mole Kim Philby, into a fast-moving thriller that suggests a poignant alternate reading of The Third Man. VERDICT Maybe not quite to the level of the thrillers penned by Greene himself--but then, not much is. Hyman's (The Black Dahlia) illustrations are effectively moody if a bit stiff, but fans of cinema history or espionage fiction should find this entertaining.

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