Written by a former CIA analyst, Damascus Station is a gritty, brutal tale set in the midst of the Syrian Civil War. Syria is a land where everyone is tied to the State through threats and fears. No one knows what it is to be free. Even at the highest echelons of government are people who feel trapped by fear of what might happen to their families and the Syrians in exile are being approached and threatened. As the Civil War grows more deadly, Assad’s government grips power ever more tightly. Sam Joseph is tasked with recruiting a disaffected government official, an asset in Espionage parlance. Of course, Mariam is a stunning knockout and, against all protocol, a passionate love affair blossoms between these unlikely allies. Damascus, here, is somewhere beyond the gates of hell itself as torture scenes give way to sarin chemical bombings. Tightly written, compelling, and just what an espionage novel should be.

Published by ‎ W. W. Norton & Company on October 5, 2021

Damascus Station does what a spy thriller should do. It engages the imagination with tradecraft, appeals to the intellect with political intrigue, and excites the senses with action scenes. Some of the action takes place in the bedroom (or other convenient locations). More violent scenes play out in the streets and buildings of Damascus.

Much of the story takes place in Syria, where a brutal dictatorship is fighting a war against rebels. Samuel Joseph works for the CIA. His Levantine Arabic is flawless. He begins the novel in Damascus, where he has been sent to exfiltrate an asset, as well as Val Owens, the asset’s handler who is in Syria under diplomatic cover. The mission does not go well, particularly for Val.

A well-educated woman named Miriam, a Syrian general’s daughter, secretly opposes the government that employs her. Miriam’s cousin Razan makes no effort to hide her disdain for the Syrian president. She gets away with it because her father has a position in the government that allows him to shield her.

Sam is sent to Paris, where Miriam is attempting to coerce a brave Syrian woman into returning to Syria and renouncing her criticism of the Syrian regime. Miriam must threaten harm to the woman’s family to carry out her mission, threats that cause her to despise herself. Sam’s task is to recruit Miriam as a double agent for the CIA. The task is easy to accomplish, both because Miriam hates the ruling regime and because she feels an immediate sexual attraction to Sam. The rules prohibit Sam from acting on that attraction, but rules have never stopped fictional spies from hopping into bed with assets. Sam puts his career at risk and, as is the custom in novels of this nature, falls in love with Miriam.

Miriam is the kind of character a reader might love, as well. She’s intelligent, a fierce warrior, and willing to take risks to fight the leaders she serves. Sam is your prototypical spy, stalwart and loyal and an all-around good guy apart from his inability to keep it in his pants. My favorite character might be the tough chief of station in Damascus. She’s vulgar, lethal with a shotgun, and proclaims herself (with some justification) to be the Angel of Death.

The plot takes Sam to Damascus, where he follows Miriam as her handler, using the usual diplomatic cover for his spying. Spy novels are all about betrayal, and the time comes when Sam must question whether Miriam is playing him. That’s the kind of plot point that makes espionage novels so addictive.

Word gets the US that the Syrian president intends to use sarin gas to wipe out a city in rebellion. That’s a step too far for the US, as is the capture and beheading of an American. The US intends a targeted assassination in retribution for the murder and selective bombing to prevent the use of sarin. The story eventually brings the US and Syria to the brink (or slightly over the brink) of war. By the end, Sam and Miriam are both in peril. Quick thinking and sacrifice offers the only hope of averting disaster.

The story features the usual tradecraft — a good thing, because tradecraft establishes a spy novel’s identity — including dead drops and (perhaps too many) surveillance detection routes, all taught to Miriam in a frenzy. The theme of a spy breaking the rules by getting sexually involved with a source that he’s running is familiar, but it’s a credible theme that works well in the context of the story. The action scenes in the novel’s second half justify the novel’s categorization as a thriller. The balance between action, political intrigue, and relationship drama is just about perfect. And the ending, without being artificially happy, is at least hopeful.

RECOMMENDED

When I first finished, I was kind of disappointed. We didn't get the nice neat clean, wrap up, you normally get in books. However after I had some time to sit with it, it grew on me more and more. Most spy operations dont have nice clean endings. I respect that the author didn't coddle us or insult our intelligence. This book read more or less like a after action report, and I liked it. There was no super hero strength or unbelievable feats happening. There was no Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp type shenanigans going on (dont get me wrong, I love those characters). This book was probably the most believable spy novel I've read in a long time. I look forward to McCloskey's next book, because even though it was all very realistic, he wrote it in a way that makes it very interesting.

Damascus Station, (Norton, $27.95, 400 pages, ISBN 978-0-393-88104-2) by former CIA analyst David McCloskey, features a CIA case officer named Sam Joseph, who in his second espionage adventure is attempting to recruit a Syrian woman named Mariam Haddad, a highly placed official working for the Syrian Secret Service called the Mukhabarat.
The story begins in Paris, France, where Sam elbows his way into a diplomatic cocktail party in order to meet the Syrian noblewoman. When he spots her being badgered by a Syrian diplomat, Sam moves in and rescues her, then strikes up a conversation. One thing leads to another, and as the CIA officer recruits Ms. Haddad, he breaks all the rules and they become romantically involved. In spite of this, she agrees to spy for the Americans, despite the incredible dangers posed by the Assad regime. Sam gets posted to Damascus . . . where he’s assigned as the case officer for the newly recruited spy. His plan is to hunt down a brutal pair of brothers who are not only Syrian Palace officials, they’re also responsible for kidnapping and torturing a female American spy to death.
McCloskey portrays the incredible tension and the mission dangers so well, that the reader will feel sweat breaking out on her neck. 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. Readers will also learn the basic elements of spycraft, such as avoiding tails, the operation of a safe house and how to make a dead drop. This sobering and electrifying novel is a nail-biter that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last page is read. If you’re a fan of spy novels you don’t want to miss this one!!

I Expected To Like This Spy Thriller A Lot But Wound Being Somewhat Disappointed!

Based on Damascus Station’s intriguing plot concept — which is very representative of the type of books I enjoy — and the advance praise it generated, I highly anticipated it to be a book I’d be recommending highly. However, I must admit that, while I found Damascus Station to be interesting enough to finish, I felt that, overall, it was just an okay read. That’s because, for me, the pace of the book too often got bogged down by the author providing so much descriptive detail about so many aspects within the plot and its characters that I found myself putting the book aside for long stretches of time. 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.

#Damascus Station #NetGalley

Damascus Station, by David McCloskey, is a first-rate, old-school espionage thriller. Over the last year I have read a few spy novels I considered some of the best ever written and Damascus Station might be the best of the lot. The characters are top-notch: the good guys are great but the bad guys really shine. Most are vile, sadistic a-holes but one bad guy is like most of us, just trying to survive. As the novel progresses the tension ramps up, each progressive sentence feels like it could all collapse. By the end, you are absolutely invested in the characters and want nothing but the best for them. What I wasn't expecting was the amount of heart Damascus Station emitted. I can't adequately express how good Damascus Station is.

I would like to thank NetGalley and W.W. Norton & Company for the absolute privilege to review an advance copy of Damascus Station.

Damscus Station by David McClosky

Starred Review

Summary: A CIA recruiter is tasked with recruiting a Syrian women with ties to the West to help find an American CIA agent being held is a Syrian torture chamber. Cloudy relationships may impede progress.

Comments: One of the best spy novels in the last 20 years. Original stunning writing with hands on expertise. Think The Constant Gardner by John Le Carre. Highly recommended.

An excellent spy novel, if not quite a great one. The spying parts of the narrative were engaging and well written. The personal relationship parts, on which many of the spying parts depended... not so much.

It seems to me that the depth of emotion which was supposed to be motivating the two principle characters was on the gratuitous side and difficult to believe. It felt more like a plot device than real human emotion.

Still, a solid book. Well written on the whole and worth a read.

Absolutely fantastic spy novel. Solid character development coupled with intriguing plot lines. Pacing did drag for from time to time, but nothing that will put readers off. Overall, fantastic book.

This is one of the best books I have read this year. It had shades of Red Sparrow but somehow I think Syria may be a little more ruthless and plays by fewer rules than Russia. Ben works to recruit Mariam, a Syrian intelligence official to help the United States find out more about what is going on behind the scenes in Syria. A lot of double crossing, edge of your seat action. I really hope the author keeps writing. The secondary plots in this story is what really takes it to the next level. I can't overstate how good this book is.

Thank you NetGalley, W. W. Norton & Company and Author for this amazing ebook!


Damascus Station by David was an outstanding read. Honestly I've never read a book with spies before.
I'm here to say I'm hooked! His writing style was outta this world. The characters they immediately drew me in and kept me interested and very intrigued throughout the entire book!
Easy 5 star read.
A spy thriller I never would have guessed would be something I would get so into..... And I can't wait.for this to hit stores in October. David you have gained a new reader here!

Thank you for the chance to read and review this copy!
I will post to my Facebook, Goodreads and Bookstagram accounts closer to pub date!