Kevin Wignall is fast becoming one of my favorite writers, and The Names of the Dead is my favorite of his books so far. This book has many of the best qualities of a John LeCarre novel (I know, high praise indeed, but entirely justified): It is intelligent, well-researched, and tightly plotted with great depth of character.

In fact, the last time I wanted to RE-read an espionage novel, it was one of LeCarre's. The Names of the Dead is that good. Wes (James Wesley, disgraced and imprisoned ex-CIA agent) is a flawed but sympathetic character in a story peopled with them.

Wignall got not just the geography and geopolitics right, but the FEEL of European nations in flux, as Wes (on early release from a french prison) embarks on a headlong quest to solve what he believes is the murder of his ex-wife and to find the son he didn't know he had. There are also plenty of dirty deeds done by corrupt government agents (ours and theirs) for those of us with a low authority bias.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an advance readers copy,

The book was one that once started was almost impossible to put down and I read it very quickly as it was a real page turner. I believe that this was one of the most thrilling book that I have read for quite a long time.
Former CIA officer James ‘Wes’ Wesley paid the ultimate price for his patriotism when he was locked up in a French jail for an anti-terror operation gone wrong—abandoned by the Agency he served, shunned by his colleagues and friends, cut off from his family.

Now he is shattered by the news that his ex-wife, Rachel, a State Department analyst, has been killed in a terrorist attack in Spain. He also discovers that his young son, Ethan, is missing. But Wes didn’t know he had a son—until now.

Why was Rachel in Spain? And why did she keep his son secret from him?
Granted early release, Wes takes flight across Europe to search for the truth and exact his revenge. But can he catch the spies who betrayed him before they track him down? In order to find the answers and save his son, Wes realises he must confront the dark secrets in his own past—before it’s too late.

The bodies of his enemies start to pile up and the story is very violent and bloody and there are scenes of torture that may upset readers of a more sensitive nature but they had to be included because they were very necessary to the very detailed story. The tension between the different personalities and the excellent characterisation make this a hugely enjoyable thriller.

Kevin Wignall is the bestselling author of more than a dozen books for adults and young adults, as well as a number of acclaimed short stories. One of his novels, "The Hunter's Prayer", was turned into a movie starring Sam Worthington and Odeya Rush, and one of his short stories, "Retrospective", was turned into a short film starring Charles Dance. "People Die", "When We Were Lost" and "To Die in Vienna" are all currently in development in Hollywood.

The book was one that once started was almost impossible to put down and I read it very quickly as it was a real page turner. Very strongly recommended
(Advance copy from the publisher via net-galley in exchange for a fair review).

Kevin Wignall is an under-rated American author of spy novels.
I have been a fan of his books for a long time now, although they can be hard to find in Australia, and have always felt that he does not receive the attention that other lesser authors do. This may be due to the cynical tone of his books, which eschews the patriotic fervour often associated with American spy novels and anti-terrorist thrillers. In style and content, he seems to be more of a British or European spy novelist, than American.
His A Death In Sweden (2015), about a former CIA agent trying to determine the truth behind the identity of a mysterious man killed in northern Sweden while trying to save a fellow passenger, is a tour de force and his last novel, To Die In Vienna, is also very good.
The Names Of The Dead was released in early 2020 and follows the efforts of James ‘Wes’ Wesley to find out the truth behind the death of his wife. Wes is a former CIA agent who has been disavowed by his colleagues and locked up in a remote prison in France for three years for shooting down the ‘wrong’ helicopter whilst on assignment in the Turkish border area. He has not seen his wife, also a former agent, since his imprisonment and is dismayed when he finds out that she has been killed in a bomb blast in Granada. He is also shocked that their son, Ethan, whose existence Wes was previously unaware of, is missing.
Released from the prison on compassionate grounds, Wes heads to Spain to find out what happened to his wife and son. Followed by his former colleagues, who don’t want the truth about the incident in Turkey to come out, Wes embarks on a dangerous journey across Europe and into his own past.
The Names Of The Dead is a fast moving and gripping novel that smoothly moves through its paces to a bloody climax. The characters of Wes and Mia, a wealthy young woman on the behavioural spectrum who accompanies Wes on his quest, are well developed and interesting and the secondary characters are also nicely done. The locations are across Europe are quickly sketched, but evocative, and Mia’s fascination with cathedrals and churches adds some interesting insights to the descriptions.
Although The Names Of The Dead is primarily an action based spy novel, Wignall smoothly weaves in religious and moral discussions and reflections, especially through the presence of Mia, whose father was a notorious Croatian general imprisoned with Wes.
In all, The Names Of The Dead is an enjoyable thriller with some good action sequences and a nice sense of menace throughout. The ending is perhaps a little too simplistic, but this does not stop it from being a very entertaining read.
Four and a half stars out of five!

After a bombing kills Wes' ex-wife, he begins searching for a son that he didn't know existed. Wes, an ex-CIA agent now out of French prison for downing the wrong helicopter realizes the agency that he worked for is now out to kill him. The search through Europe along with Mia, an interesting young Croatian woman for Ethan comes end with an unexpected ending. This high paced conspiracy thriller was just okay.

Book Review: The Names of the Dead by Kevin Wignall
(Published by Thomas & Mercer)

4.5 Stars

With a writing style so fluid and easy to speed-read, the author specializes in compartmentalized dust-ups, down-to-earth spy stories; no heads of state threatened, no nuclear devices defused, no major paradigm shifts in the singularity - and yet quite creative.

The protagonists in his stories are flawed, shall have paid some, and are out to set things right. Which are precisely what make them compelling and easy to empathize with.

James ‘Wes’ Wesley in "The Names of the Dead", could easily be Dan Hendricks in "A Death in Sweden" (my favorite of the author's books thus far) or Finn Harrington in "The Traitor's Story".

Where are Slobodan Milošević, Radovan Karadžić and former Liberian president Charles Taylor, inter-alia, imprisoned?

The author creates a yard for the stateless and for war criminals, presumably a version of the ICC detention center. James Wesley, ex-agent disowned by the CIA and his country, finds himself in a remote French countryside alongside some interesting characters of various deeds and misdeeds. It is a relatively benign setting for criminals against humanity. Was this a version of honor among thieves? There is a heavy sense of atonement. And a deep desire for retribution by the betrayed CIA spy.

Outside the prison walls, former comrades and bosses working on the wrong side of freedom, who'd set him up as the patsy in Southern Turkey, are out to silence him - permanently.

In the meantime, a bomb sets off in Spain where his wife is killed. One person survives. And then he finds out he's a dad. A down-to-earth spy, that paternal human instinct. What more does he have left to live for? The question is, does he get to be reunited with his hitherto unknown son, little Ethan.

And as for his dark secrets..., Wes begs for a sequel!

Review based on an Advance Reading Copy from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, well-written thriller. Wes learns his ex-wife Rachel has died in a terrorist bomb blast, and that the son he never knew he had, Ethan, is missing. He sets out to find the boy, helped by the otherworldly Mia, whom he meets by chance. She couldn’t be more different from him. She is “like someone stranded in a world for which she wasn’t properly equipped.”

Wes and Mia make an odd couple as they drive through Europe on their search for Ethan. They are the perfect foil for each other. He, popular and competent; She, otherworldly with useless interpersonal skills. This is a story full of similar contradictions– the bible, given to him by another camp inmate, full of words of inspiration and wisdom, but also concealing a weapon; men in prison for crimes against humanity, but good in their ways.

We’re taken on a fascinating journey through Europe, and finally to Mia’s country of birth, Croatia, as Wes tries to retrace Rachel’s footsteps and uncover just exactly what happened to her, and their son. Recommended!

The Names of the dead is an absolutely cracking espionage thriller, the relentless pace and action never slows and we are taken on a journey through France Spain and Portugal as Wes an ex CIA agent is released from a special prison after the death of his ex wife in a terrorist attack.
Wes an inmate of a prison in France for war lords and the like was sentenced after a CIA mission to target terrorists went completely wrong and a number of innocent civilians were killed. Wes was blamed, but he knows he was set up, and on leaving prison is determined to make those who put him there pay. Added to this he learns his ex wife had a baby, his son, so he sets out to find him also.
The pace is relentless, much is revealed, lots of twists and turns as Wes exacts his revenge.
A brilliantly paced story with a host of well rounded characters good and bad, a book that should shoot ahead in any bestsellers list.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Good conspiracy type thriller with unusually instances of war criminals being the good guys! Starting off with a terrorist bombing in Grenada one of the victims is the ex wife of a former CIA agent imprisoned in a special French jail He is released on apparent compassionate grounds and immediately an attempt is made on his life by three CIA agents thus the tone is set for a rollercoaster ride around Europe assisted by a seemingly autistic girl (the daughter of one of the inmates) in his search for the truth behind his incarceration and a son born after his imprisonment he knew nothing about! Violent and engrossing this is a splendid yarn!

Wes is an interesting character - a disgraced former CIA operator, imprisoned for a crime for which he was set up.

He spends his prison time with people you normally wouldn't give the time of day to and almost becomes an apologist for them, illustrating how their actions should be viewed in context rather than by western values, but not in a preachy way, more an incidental passing thought!

Although the story was well written and the action scenes believable and enjoyable, this reader was left irritated that Wes used his own name in many hotel registrations and the might of the CIA could not trace or discover him until it suited the story to become visible to them.

Other than that, a cracking read.

Five stars. Kevin Wignall has a mysterious quality that strikes a responsive chord in me. His books are not common place, and neither are his characters.This book was excellent, and not predictable.

Abandoned by his CIA colleagues when an anti-terrorism operation conducted in the country of an ally, Wes Wesley serves out his sentence in a French jail, wondering why even his wife seems to have forgotten about him. But once released, he learns that Sara, a State Department intelligence agent, is dead, caught in a the crossover of a violent street crime while sipping a coffee at an outdoor cafe in a small European village far from her assignment in Germany. And when he learns that her child - their child, he realizes, doing the math and understanding that she must have been pregnant when he last saw her - he sets out and crisscrossed the continent searching for his son, whose disappearance is as mysterious as the place and circumstances of his mother's death, which looks less and less than the accident of being in the Wrong place at the wrong time and more like a targeted kill. His old contacts are no help - in fact, the harder he tries to get to the bottom of Sara's murder and find his son, the more certain he becomes that he's placed himself in the crosshairs of her killers...And they may be the men he once trusted with his own life.
Kevin With all is an under-appreciated thriller writer whose novels of espionage are marked by intricate but believable plots, multidimensional characters, and expert pacing. For readers who haven't discovered him yet, his latest will be a happy introduction to his extensive backlist.

The Name of the Dead is the third book I have read by Kevin Wignall

I had also enjoyed The Traitor's Story, and To Die in Vienna. However I must admit that this espionage/thriller was my favourite so far. I am rating it a 4 star, but if I could - I would give it a half star more

It starts off in Granada Spain where Former CIA officer James ‘Wes’ Wesley's wife is killed in a terrorist attack, and the pace does not let up throughout the book.

The spot where the opening scene takes place sounds very similar to a spot where I had visited only two years ago, so this caught my immediate attention!

Kevin Wignall does a great job not only with the pace and storyline, but also has a way of bringing the reader along in relating to the characters.

Really good book, that I would highly recommend to all those fans of his books, and also those who have not read any of his at all.

Thanks you to Author Kevin Wignall, NetGalley, and Amazon Publishing UK. for my early release copy, to review

#TheNamesoftheDead #NetGalley

Thanks for the ARC Netgalley

Wes is a likeable character that though flawed moved forward IN THE PAGES OF THE BOOK. The details put into the backstory as well as the writing style kept me hooked.

This was a great read. Fast paced thriller. Easy to read and it was well written. You get sucked in right at that start of the book and can’t put it down

The Names of the Dead was really enjoyable for me. I very much liked the main character, Wes. The author plots the novel well, keeping some surprises for the reader. I thought the characters were well-drawn too. Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I am perhaps a bit biased when reading this authors books because before I start any of them I just know they are going to be excellent, and i have never been disappointed. From the Childrens books to the action packed thrillers, this author, for me, always delivers.
Wes is a former CIA agent, serving time in jail for an operation that went wrong, an operation that in his eyes was intended to fail so he would end up where he is now.
Wes learns that his ex wife has been killed in a terrorist bombing in Spain and a son he never knew about is missing. Granted an early release from prison, Wes sets out to find those responsible and to look for his son. Set across Europe this is a fantastic read, with great characters and settings.
#netgalley #thenamesofthedead

While the plot of the story is very good, where this book excels is in the the research done to create an amazing worldwide setting and a protagonist who feels real with hurts, successes, doubts, joys, and growth. If you’re looking for an action thriller with a strong storyline and believable characters, look no farther.

A bomb goes off in a small courtyard in Granada killing several people, including Rachel Richards. James Wesley - Wes, ex-CIA is in prison in France for shooting down ‘the wrong helicopter’ but he’s been set up by fellow CIA agent and former friend Sam Garvey. Rachel is Wes’s ex wife. Their son Ethan, whose existence Wes was unaware of until the bomb, is missing. Where is he? Why is Rachel dead? What corruption lies at the heart of CIA operations in the Middle East that led to Wes’s incarceration? Wes is released from prison early to search for his son. This is the premise of this fast paced and easy to read conspiracy/espionage thriller which I really enjoyed.

I like the characters in this book and you feel invested in Wes being successful. Although he is dispassionate about what he has to do to get to the truth and he has gained a reputation for being a determined officer, he has a kind of honour to him too. He is dogged in his pursuit of his son and to get to those who set him up and try to kill him. He meets Croatian Mia Pavic who I think is a fantastic character. She is undoubtedly autistic but I love her way of looking at situations and her straight forward approach to life. She is very religious and likes to visit cathedrals and churches during the search and I love the way she uses biblical quotes to convey messages to Wes. The setting is good too - they travel across France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and to Croatia where there is a dramatic conclusion and Wes gets what he hopes for.

Overall, a good thriller which kept my attention and interest throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC
Expected publication in the UK 1/2/20.

I've read numerous spy novels, and this ranks right up there. I was engrossed from the start, and all.the way through. I'm really hoping there is a sequel with these characters. I would buy that book in an instant.

One thing that was different about this spy was that he actually showed a little personal growth. And he was flawed, not a one dimensional perfect person.

I want to.thank the publisher and net galley for my ARC, which did not impact my review. This book was a really good read.

The Names of the Dead is a thrilling espionage story set in Europe though the backstory to it is set in the Turkish border areas to Syria and Iraq. It is the story of an agent betrayed by his team, abandoned by them, set up, sent to prison for three years and left to wonder what happened. Upon his early release for his ex wife’s death in a terror bombing, his worst fears are realized when the agency has turned against him. And he has to make his way to Spain to unravel the mystery and pick up the pieces of his former live. As a now rogue agent with only one ally in the world, Mia, an unusual woman who came upon Wes by happenstance and stuck with him, perhaps recognizing in him a warrior such as her late father, a beloved figure in Croatia.

The Names of the Dead stands out from the usual espionage fare because of how quickly and personally the reader is drawn to Wes’ story. You can immediately feel how alive he is and how determined to find the truth. The pacing of the story works perfectly and it is believable. This could really work well as a movie with the right cast.