Valley of Spies

Valley of Spies is the third instalment in the Dennis Cunningham thriller series, but each works fine on its own and they do not necessarily have to be read in order. CIA agent and intrepid investigator Cunningham is bummed to have been called out of early retirement in sunny Oz to look into the disappearance of another CIA asset whilst on holiday in New Zealand. There is barely any information available beyond the fact that we know she is missing. What worries authorities back in America is that the woman is a psychologist hired by the CIA to see their employees in complete secrecy. But is this an attempt at international espionage or merely a run-of-the-mill missing person/possible murder case?

If there was ever a case to illustrate how we should all be reading more indie and self-published books then this is it. Keith Yocum is a storyteller of note who knows how to hook readers in and then keep them interested. There is plenty of intrigue, just as there should be in a book like this, and it's taut, tense and features great, detailed characters. This is the best instalment yet and we get to spend a little more time with the engaging Dennis. The writing and plot are both solid and the characters fascinating. This is a thoroughly entertaining and very readable series. I look forward to picking up the next instalment, and kudos to Kirkus for highlighting this in their best indie reads for the month of July. Many thanks to Keith Yocum for an ARC.

Despite the improbable ending, I found this book to be a good read. The characters were well-drawn, the plot was interesting and held my attention, and the action worked.