The Right Hand

Starred review from September 3, 2012
This hard-edged contemporary spy thriller from Haas (Dark Men) covers a lot of ground with great narrative economy. Austin Clay, “an intelligence officer for 15 years, six of those in black ops,” executes missions so secret that his CIA bosses will never acknowledge their existence. Clay goes undercover in Russia to bring back a missing fellow agent, Blake Nelson, who “was doing some very sensitive work near the Caspian Sea.” Clay’s superiors fear that the Russians have captured Nelson and may torture him into revealing U.S. intelligence. The case quickly spins beyond Clay’s control with the entry of a beautiful Hungarian woman and a stream of Russian hit men. The discovery of a mole in the CIA’s upper echelons raises the stakes. Forceful, cinematic scenes show off the lean grace of Hass’s prose. Cleverly placed plot twists and spycraft details help make this a standout. Readers will hope to see a lot more of Clay. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor.

October 1, 2012
Once more to Moscow and the Russian tundra on a supersecret mission goes a solitary hero in a thriller that makes the familiar seem fresh. There's little in this book that thriller aficionados haven't encountered--agents who may be double agents, an attractive woman who holds vital information, and sources trustworthy and treacherous. From all this, author Haas (Dark Men, 2011, etc.) has crafted a lean and mean tale laced with wit, mordant insight and, at perfectly judged moments, flashes of sharp prose. The "right hand" of the title is Austin Clay, who carries out "covert missions so black no one in the American government, and almost no one in intelligence" is aware of his exploits. Shrewd perceptions and nearly superhuman agility and shooting skills keep Clay atop his game as he plays "dirty street chess, the kind played in Washington Square Park in New York...where half the game is guff, intimidation and smack." For the mission at hand, Clay's handler packs him off to Russia to learn what has happened to missing agent Blake Nelson, who may have become a double agent or may have been murdered. Once in Moscow, sources lead Clay to believe Marika Csontos, a missing 18-year-old nanny, may have been passing Nelson information about clandestine dealings between Iran and Russia. Deftly dispatching pursuing Russian agents, Clay heads to Vladivostok where he finds Marika, who of course, is attractive. The two head back to Russia--with more Soviet agents in pursuit--to search for Nelson. Screenwriter Haas (3:10 to Yuma) paces his tale with crack action scenes that, however well they read on the page, may soon have film directors calling "Action!" These high-octane scenes, however, never detract from Haas' canny plotting, which is capped by a final, unexpected twist and a poignant fade-out. It's not the game, but how well you play it, and Haas plays it very well indeed in what clearly seems a series launch.

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June 1, 2012

Austin Clay does deep-secret jobs for the government, the latest being to hunt for a missing American operative outside Moscow. Soon, he's teamed with a woman who's convinced that there's a mole somewhere in the U.S. government. Hollywood screenwriter Haas (e.g., 3:10 to Yuma) is editor of PopcornFiction.com, which presents short stories by top novelists and screenwriters.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2012
CIA operative Austin Clayknown in the Agency as the Right Hand, because the left hand can't know what he's doingis just the kind of asset every spy organization wants: a smart and effective tracker and killer with his own sense of right and wrong. When he's assigned to find an American agent missing from his Moscow office, Clay finds that Marika Csontos, a young Hungarian woman who inadvertently learned Russian secrets, is involved. Soon Clay is on a chase across Europe trying to get Marika to safety, find the high-level traitor who's been selling out the CIA for decades, and prevent an assassination inside the organization. With his skills honed by an abysmal childhood, Clay operates outside the lines, ignoring orders when necessary to get the job doneand get it done he does. Screenwriter Haas, author of the three Silver Bear books and screenplays including 3:10 to Yuma, spins a riveting page-turner with just the kind of sharp dialogue one would expect from someone who writes for the movies. Readers will want to see more of Austin Clay.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)