When Vince Benton finds his old, faithful family dog dead one morning, he and his family decide to bury the dog under their cherry tree. But in digging the grave, he finds a mysterious satchel marked with the initials of one of the most famous Cold War spies ever, Kim Philby. In it is some of Philby’s equipment, including his journal and code key. When Benton tells his boss, famous talk-show host and author Templeton Davis, Davis is intrigued enough to start investigating. His investigation leads to the trail of another Russian spy, code-named “Bunny” – a spy Philby may have been sacrificed to protect, who may in fact have been perilously close to President Kennedy. But as he starts to dig further, his contacts begin to die, and he must go into hiding in order to unravel the tangle. Can Davis survive, and protect those around him as well, while he finds out the long-hidden truth and brings it into the light?
CAMELOT’S COUSIN is an intriguing and well-researched book that poses an interesting historical possibility. The author makes a reasonably plausible case for the identity of the spy in question, assuming there was such a spy The tale unravels itself like a thread throughout the book, both in Davis’s research and in flashbacks, and there is at least one interesting revelation at the end to draw the reader’s attention. The characters are likeable and well-developed, and their quest is a fascinating one for the history buff.
However, the author appears rather too fond of lengthy backstory and small details, and the main story often gets bogged down or sidetracked by a host of minor descriptions, events, and detailed explanations that clog the action. It reads far more like a historical documentary than a spy thriller, even after the action really begins to move. Additionally, the author occasionally telegraphs future events a bit too much; the suspense would be improved by making the foreshadowing subtler. Occasional misused words, missing or inappropriately applied punctuation, and other such typos and errors plague the book but do not detract from it too much – still, the book could use another good proofread.
If you are interested in Cold War history and espionage, or if you’re in the mood for an entertaining history lesson (with more than a touch of speculation, admittedly), CAMELOT’S COUSIN might be right up your alley.
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader.