The thrills and actions are there, but certain parts are bogged down with too much detail resulted in unusual pacing. As the novel progresses the tension ramps up, each progressive sentence feels like it could all collapse. That's true of many thrillers, but the fact the book makes a big point of being very realistic meant that those bits jarred a bit.

In addition to accurately portraying the savagery and describing the appalling conditions on the ground in the war torn country, he shows the occasional ineptitude of the CIA bureaucracy. But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad’s spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard.DS" is well written, and filled to the brim with credible tradecraft and lots of gritty detail about the challenges for intelligence operatives of working in a hostile city such as Damascus. Overall, though, a terrific read and I shall look forward to seeing if "Moscow X" maintains the standard. And, while Damascus Station provided elements of suspense and excitement, there were not enough of them and they were spaced too far apart for me view it as an attention-holding read. Eventually, assets are compromised, a bomb is built in preparation for an assassination, a chemical weapons attack is in development, and a Russian counterintelligence team is sent to Damascus. There's a good novel lurking within in here somewhere but I found it over-concerned with CIA jargon, perhaps unsurprisingly given the author's ex-company background and some of the characters felt a little bit like they had been taken from a catalog.

Damascus Station" is a triumph in the espionage genre, seamlessly blending action, suspense, and a touch of romance. If you're a fan of the espionage/spy thriller genre, I can pretty much guarantee you'll love this book. I am shocked the CIA’s Publication Review Board allowed David McCloskey’s Damascus Station to see the light of day. Assad and his allies don’t distinguish between the democratic forces supported by the West and the jihadists who are steadily gaining ground.

If anyone in the Palace finds out, she would face torture and would almost certainly be shot as a traitor. Their relationship drives the story, and around this we get to meet the camps on both side of the political divide - the ruthless, gung-ho operatives of the CIA out to defend the interests of the good ole US of A; and on the other the complex characters within Syria, fighting their own battles and struggles in either supporting or opposing the regime they live under. As Sam Joseph dives headfirst into the intricate world of intelligence, readers are treated to a rollercoaster of twists and turns that keep them guessing until the very end. Damascus, here, is somewhere beyond the gates of hell itself as torture scenes give way to sarin chemical bombings. The strength of "Damascus Station" lies in McCloskey's meticulous attention to detail and his ability to create a palpable atmosphere of tension and suspense.

A volatile mix of traditional espionage plotlines intertwined with a modern level of violence that had me flipping pages until the early morning hours.A seasoned CIA operative with a complex past, Joseph is portrayed with a depth that goes beyond the stereotypical spy archetype. As we move towards the "climactic" ending the CIA stooge allows himself to be captured and tortured to "protect" the asset he loves from exposure (yes insert a little mouth vomit here). David McCloskey's first novel is a compelling and realistic political and spy drama set during the early stages of the Syrian civil war.