’ve liked other books by this author, but I hated the protagonist in this one so much that I just should have stopped reading. Dunne agreed to do a job that he knew was illegal, he got caught, he cheated on his pregnant wife, he acted like a jerk in court so was sentenced to a year in prison and yet, somehow, everyone else was responsible for his problems. After his release from prison, he started a company to aid victims of cybercrimes. But that was just a sideline, his overriding goal was revenge. Unfortunately, I did not care whether he got revenge. I wanted the bad guys to win. Frankly, I thought their plan was pretty clever.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I'm a fan a David Ignatius, but this is not his best book. It's good but left me somewhat unsatisfied. It's a typical revenge story. Spy follows orders. Spy gets in trouble for following orders. Spy's boss doesn't back him up. Spy goes to jail. Spy seeks revenge.

This was a very good techno-thriller. Kept me engaged and wanting to keep on reading. Not big on the back and forth timelines normally but this was pretty easy to follow. The plot concept is timely in the sense of self correcting AI, but not too wild and outlandish. Easy read. Recommend the book. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.

The Paladin by David Ignatius takes the reader on a thrill ride with the CIA, the FBI and the ever-changing world of high tech and high finance. Michael Dunne is assigned by the CIA to an undercover investigation of an Italian news group led by an American. There is evidence that secrets are being used illegally, However, Michael soon finds himself thrown to the wolves, charged with running a covert operation on Americans. No one speaks on his behalf and he is then sentenced to a year in prison, as his marriage falls apart and he loses custody of his young daughter. He has a long time to plot his revenge on the people who abandoned him at the worst time in his life. Upon his release, he sets in motion a plan to pursue his enemies, no matter what it takes. The Paladin is a high-energy narrative that will keep readers on the edge of their seat and will show how technology in the wrong hands and for the wrong purposes can lead to a world of trouble. Highly recommended. Thank you to W.W. Norton and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a very high tech cyber thriller that was told in alternating timelines. Michael Dunne, just released from prison, begins the story and it's quite clear he's out for some sort of revenge. The story alternates between before prison and the present day. The story involves the CIA, hackers, false information gathering, etc and I have to admit I was fairly confused by a lot of the technical jargon. I think if you have a familiarity with IT this might be for you. I didn't really connect with Michael's character either which made the story feel sluggish at times. I did like the setting involved many places around the world and I appreciated the spycraft throughout. Overall, I don't think cyber thrillers are for me

Published by W. W. Norton & Company on May 5, 2020

A CIA cyberintelligence agent named Michael Dunne is assigned to infiltrate a group called Fallen Empire, which is suspected of engaging in WikiLeaks-like activities. The main person of interest is an American named Jason Howe who claims to be running a news organization. The CIA regards it as an enemy intelligence service, in part because it is assisted by a team headed by an Italian computer nerd. Dunne understands that the assignment is probably illegal and against CIA policy because (1) the CIA isn’t supposed to spy on Americans and (2) the CIA has promised not to mess with journalists. But the DDO, George Strafe, assures Dunne that the CIA will have his back so he breaks the law anyway.

Before the operation goes sideways, Dunne falls into a honeytrap and finds himself on the wrong end of a video camera with his pants down. After the operation goes sideways, the video gets sent to his wife (whose image is also deepfaked into a separate salacious video) and Dunne is prosecuted for a couple of federal crimes. Dunne’s pathetic excuse for a lawyer wants him to plead guilty before he conducts an investigation. The only good advice that the lawyer gives Dunne is to apologize for being a bad boy at sentencing. Dunne does just the opposite, protesting that his misfortune is all the fault of his superiors, which predictably results in a year in prison rather than probation. He loses wife and daughter and emerges from prison a bitter man, but at least he has connections.

Dunne starts his own cybersecurity firm and promptly makes it his mission to seek revenge. His primary targets are Howe and Strafe. Along the way he discovers a scheme to disrupt financial markets using nasty technology, including the deepfake tech that was used against his wife. The plot is a moderately interesting variation of stories that have told many times before.

I assume David Ignatius wants the reader to feel some sympathy for Dunne, but I felt none. He broke the law and blamed his bosses for his decision to do what he knew was wrong. Then he fell into an obvious honeytrap and blamed the people who videoed him. Only rarely and reluctantly does Dunne acknowledge that he is at least partially responsible for his own misfortunes. Just a few chapters into The Paladin, I gave up caring about Dunne. He constantly portrays himself as a victim, but he’s primarily a victim of his own selfishness and stupidity.

Near the novel’s end, I thought Ignatius might be setting up a truly daring ending, but the actual ending is predictable. The Paladin moves quickly and the story isn’t dull, but a mediocre plot, a disagreeable protagonist, and Ignatius’ lackluster prose offer little reason for thriller or spy novel fans to spend time with the novel. The Paladin isn’t an awful book, but there are better choices.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

David Ignatius writes reliably entertaining spy novels, and when I saw that this one was available, I hopped right on it. Big thanks go to Net Galley, Edelweiss, and W.W. Norton for the review copies. It’s for sale now.

Michael Dunne is a career operative for the CIA, and he’s sent to sniff out what appears to be an enemy intelligence service fronting as a news organization. This particular assignment is risky because it’s illegal to run surveillance on journalists, but his boss tells him that he’ll run interference for him, and like a good soldier, he goes. He does what he’s been told to do, and next thing he knows, he’s been arrested for spying on the press, and nobody at the CIA will go to bat for him. What the hell just happened? With his career in tatters, and his family torn asunder, Dunne’s only interest, upon emerging from the year he spends in prison, is vengeance. He wants to find the guy that set him up and ruin him. From there come multiple surprising twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.

My first David Ignatius book was The Director, which I won in a Goodreads giveaway in 2014. I liked it so well that I bought one of his older novels during my annual pilgrimage to Powell’s City of Books that summer. In 2018 I read and reviewed The Quantum Spy, a title perched on my favorites shelf not only for its brilliant pacing and suspense, but also for its insightful take on the challenges faced by Asian Americans within sensitive government positions. The strong impression I received reading it is likely to blame for my being slow on the uptake this time around. I realized when I finished reading The Paladin that it wasn’t as strong as his earlier novels, but I don’t think it’s fair to judge an excellent writer against himself when rating a novel. I initially rated this book five stars because there’s still no other spy novelist whose work I like better than his…except.
There’s a serious problem with his use of gender roles here, one I am surprised not to have noticed from the get-go, because it’s so obvious. Another reviewer opened my eyes and made me ashamed of myself for not homing in on the problem, because it’s not a small one.

There are two women that play important roles in our protagonist’s life. One is the virgin, and the other is the whore. Frankly it is so obnoxious that for any other writer, I would have given a negative rating and a scathing review. I am being measured in my response because I still see this as atypical of this author’s work, and I suspect it’s a slip rather than a true reflection of his own ideas. Then too, protagonist Dunne is portrayed as a hawk with regressive attitudes, and so the value he places on his wife’s virginity when he married her may have been a deliberate choice in developing this flawed character. I surely hope so.

The second female character is the seductress that lures Dunne into a “honeypot trap,” his sole but egregious infidelity that makes his overseas behavior all the more contemptible and costs him his family. Whereas this is a classic element of a great many spy stories, both old and new, it would have been more acceptable if Ignatius had included some other female roles that were more nuanced and that fell into neither category.
It is perhaps a measure of the author’s ability to write tense, believable tales of espionage that I had to have this major flaw pointed out to me. Because of his track record, I give this story 3.5 stars and round up. I will be interested to see what he writes next time.

If you read this one, I recommend doing so critically.

I always enjoy reading David Ignatius’s columns in the Washington Post, especially when he is writing about the CIA or the Middle East, both of which he has covered for decades. So when I had the chance to read a copy of The Paladin in exchange for an honest review (thanks to W.W. Norton and NetGalley), I jumped on it! And (be still my heart!) it is about BOTH the CIA and the Middle East…

Subtitled “A Spy Novel,” the protagonist in this techno-thriller is CIA operations officer Michael Dunne. He had been assigned to infiltrate a cyber operation, headed by an American journalist (lots of first amendment issues to untangle, for sure). He knew that running an operation (especially a covert op) against an American journalist was illegal, but his boss assured him he would be protected, so he went all in. When his cover was blown, the operation fell apart, and someone leaked a story about his on-the-job extramarital affair, the CIA threw him under the bus. He took the fall, going to prison for making false statements to the FBI, and ended up disgraced.

Although his attorney had coached him to show remorse and contrition for his crimes, he wasn’t contrite and told the judge that he did what he thought was right, and was only sorry he had failed in the mission. As the story begins, he has a “throbbing, consuming anger and a determination to someday eventually obtain justice” (not to mention revenge.

Dunne sets up a fake business to provide defense against hackers, and off we go into a complex plot with plenty of twists and turns. There is interesting detail about technology, hacking, financial crimes, and media manipulation (including “fake news.”) It’s fascinating, entertaining, and downright scary in many ways. I really wonder what the actual spies think when they read something like this. When I started it, I just went with the idea that Ignatius is so knowledgeable that it was pretty much factual, or close to it. Good fun. Thought-provoking. Five stars.

Rating: 3.5 rounded down to 3 sneaky cyber stars

This my first foray into David Ignatius’ fiction. I do however know him from him from the journalistic realm. He writes for the Washington Post, and often appears as a contributor on television news stations. I understand that most of Mr. Igantius’ works of fiction have espionage as a main plotline. True to form, this book centers on spying. Both sanctioned and unsanctioned spying and the trouble that can cause. This is a high-tech cyber thriller told in dual timelines.

As the book opens, Michael Dunne, our main character, was just released from prison. The story switches back and forth between events that occurred before prison, and after his release. One timeline explains what got this CIA tech geek sent to prison, and the other takes us on his journey for revenge after his release. Michael Dunne was just following orders. However, when details were leaked about whom he was spying on, the CIA went dark. It denied all knowledge of his mission and left him to fend for himself. Now he wants to know who caused that, and why they did it.

This is a deep dive into the high-tech world of hackers, market manipulators, and false information peddlers. Can you say ‘Fake News’? It was both enlightening and very frightening. I work in IT. I understood most of the digital talking points. I suspect that it might be harder for non-tech-savvy readers to follow some of the technical nuances. Sometimes I thought that the description of all the tech toys, and server farms, and processes slowed down the plot. Occasionally it was a lot to wade through.

Other than that, this story took me around the world, introduced me to some interesting characters, and kept me turning the pages. It was a good solid read. I would recommend it to readers who enjoys a tech thriller with a bounty of spy craft scenes.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, W. W. Norton and Company; and the author, David Ignatius, for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“The Paladin” is a fast paced story of espionage and revenge. This is the first book I have read by David Ignatius, but it won’t be my last.

While I did not find this story to be the most riveting of tales, I found it to be a clear illustration of a very real and very scary scenario. It also reminded me, sadly, that advancements promising great benefits also create exploitive opportunities.

A technothriller espionage novel ! Michael Dunne was hand picked by a senior CIA officer to infiltrate a hacker group based in Europe which is deeply entwined with US journalists. He should have walked away. This novel moves between the op in 2016 and its aftermath in 2018, after Dunne has lost his family, his job, and spent time in Federal prison for making false statements to the FBI about what he did and how it violated EO12333 (which governs CIA activity). Set aside the unlikelihood that any of this would have happened, Ignatius has created an interesting plot about global conspiracy in the cyber age. Those familiar with CIA and FBI will no doubt read it and snort periodically (especially with regard to the op, FBI procedure, and Dunne's tradecraft, or lack thereof). Residents of Northern Virginia will enjoy the local color and trying to guess the bar and how Dunne used Glebe Road to get to Old Town. Those who don't know EO12333 will get an introduction. There's an unrealistic amount of movement in a compressed time frame and the transformation of Dunne into an action figure near the end is, well.... The technology part is easy to follow, the fake news part disturbing, and the target of the bad guys not surprising. There are oddly old fashioned references (some of which should have been edited out) to the physical appearance of characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fast read and you might learn something.

Oof, this book was bad. Very disappointing novel from Ignatius, whose previous novels are by far more enjoyable.

The worse part of this new novel were the characters, all unlikeable and bland. The main character is painfully unlikable and WAY too much time is spent describing in obnoxious detail his Pittsburgh, blue collar roots. The hacker kids (because that is what they are in the story, of course) in this are laughably stereotypical and the dialogue is horrible, like Ignatius watched a few episodes of NCIS and figured that how smart kids who are good with computers are like. Everyone else in the story is completely unremarkable and painfully stereotypical as well. As for the plot itself, I got bored with it half way in and so did the author it felt.

By far Ignatius' worst novel, definitely recommend reading any of his earlier novels.

Fake news is a term that has often been thrown around, but David Ignatius takes it to a whole new level in The Paladin. Michael Dunne works for the CIA and has been chosen to investigate Fallen Empire, believed to be a front for a foreign intelligence group. The problem is that the group Involves an American journalist, making Dunne’s operation illegal. Even though he receives reassurances that he would never be prosecuted, the operation is blown and Dunne is arrested. The group takes images from Dunne’s phone and manufactures damaging videos that destroy his marriage and career and he is sentenced to a year in prison. Now he needs to know who set him up and destroyed his life. On his release he receives an anonymous letter with information to assist his search.

Dunne’s first step is to set up a business to provide cyber defense for others who have been hacked. Created with the help of a friend in the FBI, Paladin LLC’s first case involves a celebrity whose private pictures and falsified videos were splashed across the media. In his investigation, Dunne discovers malware that he recognizes from his original CIA assignment. In searching for the hacker from Fallen Empire, Dunne becomes a target himself. There is a conspiracy tied to the group that Dunne must stop if he is to clear his name and keep his family safe. The clock is ticking and there are not many people that he can trust.

Ignatius’ story is not only a tale of revenge, but also a fascinating look at the manipulation of events and the potential damage that it may cause. I would like to thank NetGalley and W. W. Norton Publishing for providing this book for my review.

There is nothing like an espionage thriller that gives behind the scenes insights into the workings of our intelligence agencies. Great characters, high tech espionage, and a fast paced plot make this a very engaging novel. Strongly recommended

FREE ARC from the wonderful Net Galley for this review

Well all aspiring wanna-be take note, here is a master of the craft at work

Covering 2016-2018 and easily slipping back and forth you read the reality of human revenge with NO SUPER HERO spy's that we get some much drivel you will not find in here. If you like this one you will like the rest he has written

Thanks to David Ignatius, W.W. Norton & Co., and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. Ignatius is a gifted writer, and his knowledge of the subject matter shines through with details that light up the novel with authenticity. This is a smart, first-rate spy thriller, that is made all the more interesting because it is so timely. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a good spy thriller.

The story alternates between 2016 (when the operation takes places) and 2018 (when Dunne tries to destroy his destroyers). Tension and suspense fill this well-developed plot. A few of the big "reveals" underwhelmed me, though, and there were a few lucky breaks that felt too convenient. It also felt strange that some of Dunne's former colleagues are willing to help him, even if they have to side-step legal issues to do this.

But the storyline spins so steadily, slowly rising toward the explosive climax, that I barely noticed. I was spun deeper into this web of deceit along with Dunne. So much feels real about this story: privacy violated, photos altered, whistle-blowers-slash-traitors alternately applauded or condemned by others. Reality and fiction mingle in the novel until it is hard to know the difference. 

Ignatius includes lots of insider details about the CIA. I can't confirm whether gauging a person's response to stressful questions is almost as reliable as a polygraph test. Or that a "Lemon Squeezer" used to be someone specializing in secret writing. Or how the class system of the CIA compares with a typical suburban high school (!) All I know is that Ignatius sounds convincing. Since he covered the CIA for the Washington Post for three decades, he knows more than the average person. 

The Paladin isn't as heavy on the character development as I like. Besides Michael Dunne, few of the characters feel "real" to me. For example, his Afro-Brazilian wife feels like a 2D figure included to raise the emotional stakes, rather than a vital part of the story. What Dunne's betrayers do devastates her in many ways. 

But as a look at the sophisticated ways technology influences our world, this book fascinates me. Videos and photos can be faked until it's impossible to tell the difference between the real and unreal. This is frightening, especially if people use it to provoke outrage or violence. In the book, those behind the fraudulent photos/videos exploit real issues (for example, Antisemitism or racial violence) to further their agenda. "Seeing is believing" is no longer a safe option when what we see is unreal. 

Recommended, especially for those who love spy thrillers. 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5.

Thanks to W.W. Norton and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review will appear on my personal blog on May 4, 2020.

As a longtime reader of David Ignatius’ columns in the Washington Post, I was curious how his sources in American intelligence would inform his fiction. A lot, it would seem. The Paladin delivers solid suspense in the story of Michael Dunne, a CIA operative whose 2016 efforts to investigate a foreign plot ended disastrously, leaving his life in a shambles. The narrative jumps back and forth between the doomed mission and 2018, when Dunne emerges from prison determined to figure out what happened and, to put it plainly, get even.

The bad guys in this tale are exploiting a technological leap in using artificial intelligence to make nearly perfect deepfakes, digital manipulations that turn the truth on its head. Ignatius explores the competing interests interested in getting the jump on this dark art for political or financial gain. In a world where it seems the truth is under siege daily, this is a grim prospect made quite believable. Readers looking for an imaginative story built on today’s headlines will feel better informed reading this.

The Paladin is largely plot-driven, but it's a delightfully sharp and informed plot. Ignatius does a nice job describing locales from Urbino, Italy to Erie, Pa. His characters aren’t quite as fully realized, but they do seem like real people more than the cartoonish characters who sometimes populate the genre, although Dunne’s relationship with his Afro-Brazilian wife is, frankly, puzzling. Heavy on intrigue and light on violence, The Paladin has something interesting to say about the likelihood that the public can and will be manipulated in ways we haven’t even begun to suspect.

David Ignatius is a smart, very well informed observer of government, politics and espionage who writes vividly about the secret world of sports. This newest in his extensive backlist didn't grab me the way his other books do - it's very heavy on cyberspeak, not easy to care deeply about. His protagonist does, though - enough that even though he knows there's something fishy about then job his CIA boss has handed him - infiltrating a mysterious group of cyber crooks - he takes on the assignment. But that boss is a no-show when it comes to defending him against trumped up charges that land him a year in jail, cost him his marriage, and set him on a mission to destroy not only the network he infiltrated but the traitor in the CIA