Wish I had read this book sooner, was a great thrilling read with good established characters and plot. Will recommend to family and friends.

This is the first espionage novel I've read in a long time. It was very different than many of my recent reads, but I still enjoyed it. It was dry, detailed, and full of historical info about the events leading up to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.

It was fully written from the perspective of a US diplomat/ spy and I found myself curious about what a book from the perspective of an Iranian student, or Iranian professor who was forced to flee, for example, would have been like.

The author did a good job of showing all aspects of the political drama, including serious trust issues and backstabbing amongst all the players. It made me feel disillusioned about "foreign policy" and very disturbed to think about all the ways that the US has meddled in other countries, with the excuse of providing support, or stabilization, or even just straight up for preserving US interests.

It's not a thriller, but it is an in depth, historical fiction spy/ politics novel.

Night in Tehran is a very, very good historical novel, full of keen insights and insider observations. It's not a thriller, as the publishers' hype would have it. That didn't diminish my pleasure in reading it, but other reviewers were disappointed.

That era -- the transition between the Carter and Reagan administrations in the U.S., and between the Shah's and the Ayatollahs' rule in Iran -- was a critical turning point for both countries, sending out sonic booms we're still feeling and hearing today. Night in Tehran gave a delicious fly-on-the-wall charge, filling in myriad blanks in the public record of that time.

It may have been 40 years ago, but somethings don't change: Kaplan describes "White House types" as "inflated, self-aggrandizing, completely dedicated to the president as their channel to power, no matter their private views." There's still a lot of that going around.

Thanks to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for an advance readers copy.

Night in Tehran by Philip Kaplan is all you can hope for in a spy novel that isn’t written by Alan Furst: intrigue, excitement, and just enough twists that your stomach drops at regular intervals.

David Weisman, an American diplomat, is supposed to get the Shah of Iran out of power. This is already difficult and complex. It feels like one part game of chess and two parts high school intrigue wrapped up in the bow of idealism that’s diplomacy. But things aren’t going to be as straightforward as that. His life is continually in danger and you have a nasty game of wack-a-mole.

I read the book twice; the first time was to get through it since it was hard to follow for the first 50 pages. It’s densely packed with information and you need to take notes or you’ll be lost. The second time reading was much more enjoyable and easy-to-follow.

This is definitely a cool thriller, though probably not for everyone. Fans of spy novels will love this but I’d definitely recommend pushing through those first 50 pages.

“Diplomacy often worked this way. You make all the preparations' take risks, political and physical, and then what ? Nothing . It was an exercise in constructive ambiguity, passing smoke signals across a chasm of distrust. But it usually was better than war.” That’s what author Philip Kaplan tells us in his compelling new work of historical fiction, #” Night In Tehran”. Ambassador Kaplan should know - he served 27 years as a diplomat in the foreign service of the United States, most notably Charge d’Affaires to the U.S. Embassy in Manila during the overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos. His expertise is apparent on every page of #Night In Tehran as we follow David Weiseman on his assignment to find a suitable successor to the Shah of Iran when he is forcibly removed from power or dies.Taking place in 1979/80, the beauty of this book lies in its brevity. Kaplan chooses to not bog down the reader with the details of numerous subplots and extraneous characters; he cuts straight to the chase turning two very volatile years into three hundred pages. The narrative never lapses in this cautionary tale that beautifully mixes diplomacy with deception and what the two, when brought together, can create. As Ambassador Kaplan reminds us : “ People never believe the worst, even when it’s happening “. #Night In Tehran is a very exciting way to learn that lesson.

Night in Tehran is a classic spy thriller reminiscent of Tom Clancy. When reading you can tell the author has an intimate knowledge of the settings where international events take place on the ground and not just written from the clinical view point of an analyst.
That being said I found the book hard to get through and a slow read. I was expecting more Jason Matthews than old fashioned Tom Clancy which is not necessarily a bad thing but it certainly didn't set it apart. I would recommend this book to patrons who like classic spy thrillers but as a younger female reader I just don't think it was as well rounded as it could have been.

It is 1978 and David Weiseman, an American diplomat, is caught up in the intrigue and manipulations of the last days of the Shah of Iran, the struggle among competing forces as to who will next rule the country, and the race to free the American hostages, as well as safeguard those who have been of assistance to him.

Although I am not a particular fan of “spy” novels, I really enjoyed this book but don’t see it as a “thriller”. It read more like an historical account of the fall of the shah, rise of Khomeni, and the taking of American hostages. I’m not sure how much was fact and how much fiction, but I felt I learned a lot about this situation.

Although there were many names to keep track of, the story was tightly woven and engrossing. The author is an experienced diplomat, and his knowledge of Iran and the word of espionage is evident.

It is said that we should learn from history and I felt there were a lot of lessons for our times in this novel….as well as warnings….beware the ascent of religious zealots and authoritarians. In the author’s notes, he mentions the importance of “decent moderates of civil society to survive and safeguard American interests”. While he applies this to the mideast, it is oh so important for our country as well.

Know this is less a thriller than well done historical fiction using real events in a time and place that still impact the International political situation. David Wiseman finds himself at the tip of the spear when he's sent to Iran to find a candidate to replace the Shah. It's 1978 and the Shah is clearly no longer a tenable leader for Iran. Wiseman, a diplomat, is not really equipped to deal with some of the challenges but he copes as best he can with the wild swings in the political environment in the region. This isn't the most propulsive read but it captures the dynamics of the period. Those who remember the dark days of the late 1970s and what happened in Iran will enjoy this trip down memory lane while those who do not will learn a great deal. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Interesting and informative AND it sent me back to track down more info on various people and events.

Night in Tehran by Philip Kaplan is a superb read! It is an engrossing page turner of a read well worth the time spent

This book is descried as a thriller. Not sure that's how I would categorize it. It's a top notch spy novel set in a time that is not often the subject of spy novels--Iran just before the revolution in the 70s. Even though we all know who "won" the revolution, the author does a great job building suspense and increasing the tension to the last page.

Whatever I was hoping for, this book didn't deliver. A bit dry and rather bland for my personal taste. It is a great book for some, just not for me. I rarely feel bored by an international espionage novel with claims to being a thriller, so I don't know what else to say.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Melville House Publishing via NetGalley.

A pretty straightforward political thriller. Might be better on audiobook as the writing is a bit choppy and feels more like a story spoken rather than written.