Prepare to be captivated, because Charles Cumming's "Box 88" is an absolute tour de force in the world of espionage fiction! This gripping and intelligently crafted novel weaves an intricate web of secrets, betrayals, and heart-stopping intrigue that will leave you utterly spellbound from start to finish.

"Box 88" follows the enigmatic and fiercely determined Lachlan Kite, a character who shines with complexity and depth. Cumming has expertly crafted Kite as a strong, formidable female lead, breaking the mold of traditional spy thrillers and bringing refreshing diversity to the genre. Her journey is nothing short of extraordinary, taking readers on a high-stakes ride through the darkest corners of international espionage.

The plot of "Box 88" is a finely-tuned machine, filled with unexpected twists and turns that will leave your mind racing to keep up. Cumming's ability to seamlessly intertwine past and present, layering secrets upon secrets, is nothing short of masterful. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the narrative takes an exhilarating turn, leaving you gasping for breath as you eagerly turn the pages.

The world-building in "Box 88" is a true testament to Cumming's talent as a writer. From the bustling streets of London to the shadows of clandestine meetings across Europe, every setting is vividly painted with a rich tapestry of detail that transports you straight into the heart of the action. It's evident that the author has done meticulous research, adding an authentic layer to the story that elevates it to a whole new level.

One of the book's most remarkable aspects is Cumming's prose. It's elegant, evocative, and powerfully immersive. The writing style effortlessly pulls you into the minds of the characters, allowing you to experience their fears, doubts, and triumphs as if they were your own. Cumming possesses the rare ability to craft espionage fiction with literary finesse, and "Box 88" is a shining example of this mastery.

What truly sets "Box 88" apart is its emotional depth. Beneath the thrilling exterior lies a story of human connections, sacrifice, and the price of loyalty. The characters' emotional arcs are so skillfully handled that you'll find yourself invested in their journeys, cherishing their triumphs, and mourning their losses.

In a genre that sometimes veers toward stereotypes, Charles Cumming breaks the mold with "Box 88," delivering a poignant, thought-provoking, and utterly gripping tale that will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page.

In conclusion, "Box 88" is a remarkable achievement that showcases Charles Cumming at the height of his storytelling prowess. With its compelling characters, labyrinthine plot, and evocative prose, this novel is a must-read for any espionage thriller enthusiast. If you're searching for a spy novel that goes above and beyond the ordinary, look no further than "Box 88." Trust me; you won't be disappointed.

Box 88 feels like an old-school spy novel (a good thing). it takes its time to build up. Lachlan is an intriguing character.

Charles Cumming once again delivers a trip-hammer blow of an espionage thriller in BOX 88, a novel which will have the reader's heart racing. With a keen insight into not only the machinations of the spy world but the paranoia, heroism, and perils of those who move through it, Cumming is surely one of the masters of the genre.

An intricate thriller that moves smoothly between 1989 when 18 year old Lachlan Kite was recruited to help an operation against an influential Iranian and 2020 when it comes back to haunt him. He's lucky, it turns out, the MI5 has been investigating BOX 88, the transtlantic MI6/CIA organization and is following him, and especially lucky that Cara. a young and slightly bored MI5 officer has been assigned to the case. This starts at the funeral of his friend Xavier, who hosted Lachlan in the South of France in 1989 but you won't learn the story of what happened for quite some time. And what's true and what isn't? Kite's a great character with an interesting back story of growing up in Scotland until he's sent to an elite boarding school. He's settled down with Isabel, a physician, who is pregnant with their first child. But can he get away from his past? The 1989 section of this is a bit overlong (too many notes too) but it's still a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of old fashioned (aka not high tech- although there is some intriguing tech used) espionage novels.

Published in Great Britain in 2020; published by Mysterious Press on January 11, 2022

Lachlan Kite works for an off-the-books organization created by intelligence agents from the US and the UK. The organization, known as BOX 88, hasn’t been authorized by either government. Few people know that it exists, although key CIA and MI6 agents divert their agency funds to BOX 88.

Kite was born and raised in Scotland, where his parents operated a hotel. When his father died, his mother sent him to Alford, a boarding school for the elite that Kite attended on a scholarship. Kite got into the requisite amount of boarding school trouble, usually in the company of his friend Xavier Bonnard, the son of an elite father. A “beak” (teacher) at Alford named Billy Peele spotted Kite’s potential for intelligence work and recruited him into BOX 88. Kite’s friendship with Xavier positioned him for a special assignment before he started college.

The story begins with Kite attending Xavier’s funeral. He meets a woman who has a flawed cover story. Kite correctly assumes that the woman is with MI5 and that she’s investigating BOX 88. Kite also meets an Iranian who claims to have been a friend of Xavier. Kite is inclined to believe the Iranian until he’s kidnapped and interrogated. The kidnapper questions Kite about his first mission. Kite weaves a story while denying that he was a spy when he visited the vacation home of Xavier’s family in France. As Kite answers or dodges questions, he recalls his childhood, recruitment, and efforts to gather intelligence on an Iranian guest of Xavier’s father, Luc Bonnard. He also recalls the passion he felt for Martha Raine.

Most spy novels are about betrayal. Kite feels that he is betraying his friendship with Xavier by taking advantage of the friendship to spy on Luc Bonnard’s Iranian friend. He feels that he is at least indirectly spying on Xavier’s family, a feeling that intensifies as Kite’s mission continues. In the present, Kite comes to feel that he has been betraying his wife by concealing the truth about his occupation, particularly after the kidnapper tries to gain leverage over Kite by threatening to kill his wife.

Charles Cumming balances action and characterization as the novel switches between Kite’s captivity in the present and his intelligence gathering as a teen. Both the scenes in Kite’s teen years and in the present build suspense. Aspects of the ending come as a surprise.

BOX 88 is apparently an origin story, the first in a series of books that will feature Kite and his clandestine organization. I hope that’s true. Cumming’s spy novels have generally been enjoyable if a bit uneven. BOX 88 is one of his best.

RECOMMENDED

Box 88 is an espionage thriller by Charles Cumming (New York Times bestselling author of The Trinity Six).

Lachlan Kite is a member of Box 88, a black ops group so secret few people know of its existence. But rumors persist... When terrorists kidnap Kite, they also take his pregnant wife as leverage, forcing Kite to reveal information about his recruitment and first mission. As Kite tells the truth in bits and pieces to buy time to escape, he relives those events, remembering the friends he betrayed and the horrors that followed.

The novel’s structure, which flashes between present and past, brilliantly reflects the cat-and-mouse game of espionage and propels the reader through the story. The characters are complex and nuanced, and the relationship between Kite and his wife is poignant, though I would have liked this developed more (but that’s what sequels are for). Finally, the reveal at the novel’s climax slakes the reader’s thirst for a smooth, sharp finish—a perfect martini, shaken not stirred.

Final evaluation: Five stars. Box 88 is perfect for fans of Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon series.

Juicy tidbit: What makes this story even more gripping is the author was an MI6 agent.

I enjoyed this book, although the structure of having the main character (currently in his 40s) recount his first mission at age 18 while under duress didn't quite work for me. Knowing that the MC completed that first mission successfully and went on to have a long career as a spy took a lot of the tension and thrill out of the plot for me. The writing was great as were the characters -- I just wish that the events of that first mission had been told as they were happening. There was a plot twist at the end (in current book time) that was a surprise, but IMO it reduced rather than increased the stakes. I would read the next book if it's told without dual past & present timelines.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mysterious Press for sharing this ARC. Overall, this was just a run of the mill spy story to me. The buildup was SO slow that I had a hard time continuing. Then it all wrapped up quickly. It’s teed up for a sequel I believe, but I don’t think I will read that.

I love books where the story you’re reading and the story you’re being told are not exactly the same thing. Such is the case with the rousing new novel from Charles Cumming, #Box88. With an essentially expositional narrative, Mr. Cumming artfully weaves #Box88 into an enthralling espionage thriller that entertains while enlightening. When Lachlan ( Lockie ) Kite receives a call from his former girlfriend Martha Raines telling him that his boarding school pal from the 80’s, Xavier Bonnard, has committed suicide, the intertwining stories of Kite’s lives then and now gets going. You see, Kite is a spy working for the highly secretive international Box 88 and is being sought by the likes of MI5 and the Iranians. The story spans nearly forty years, from the terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, through Kite’s recruitment and first assignment in The French Riviera, to his kidnapping and rescue in the environs of London. Going back and forth in time, Cumming finesses #Box88 into a duplicitous tale which develops before your eyes like a photograph which can’t be seen until it dries and the completed picture emerges, and it’s a beaut.

An interesting spin on the espionage thriller, but not my cup of tea. Strange beginning and the action and writing confused me. Perhaps I am the wrong audience for this.

First, I did not finish the book and maybe it got better after I stopped reading. 2.5 stars

BOX 88 is a secret organization that utilizes people from the US and UK special intelligence units. It first came into being back in the 1980's and Lachlan was recruited just out of high school in 1989. The story goes back and forth between the lead up to his recruitment and the present when info about the organization is starting to be revealed and he is kidnapped so others can find out about what he did back then.

I read more than a third of it, but could not get into it as it was dragging big time for me. I wanted to tell the author to hurry up and make it interesting. The characters were not ones to care about and it was a chore to pick it back up and try to get into it.

Maybe I missed out on something good, but I felt it was not for me so I stopped. I didn't even go to the end to find out what happened. I just didn't care.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Past, present, and future. We spend a lot of time in the past learning origins of the organization and history of the protagonist and his associates/activities. In the present, we deal with a death and kidnappings. In the future we’ll hope for a resolution as part of the next installment in the series

Box 88 is a fantastic love letter to old-school John le Carré styled espionage thrillers that shine with a slow-burn narrative involving two different timelines that intersect beautifully for bombshell revelations.

Charles Cummings introduces the world to Lachlan Kite, an operative for a super clandestine organization born of an alliance between American and British intelligence agencies. When Kite is abducted by Iranian mercenaries who believe him to hold a vault full of secrets pertaining to the Lockerbie incident, he must walk the delicate line of giving out misinformation without getting caught in the lies, for he and his pregnant wife face imminent danger. The answers lie in the past, where readers get to experience the origins of Kite as a young man in the early 90’s plucked from a strict boarding school for his first ever intelligence mission to infiltrate a family with ties to terrorist financiers. It’s a race against time for Kite to figure out a way to escape his predicament before he has to divulge the secret his captors are looking for.

The narrative constantly jumps back and forth between present and past to propel the story in harmony, giving keen insights into what made Lachlan Kite the man he is today. However, the back-and-forth does not detract from the fulfilling experience of reading a fleshed-out story that’s as riveting as it is emotional in establishing the events and characters as thoroughly believable. Box 88 peeks behind the curtains to emphasize the personal consequences of secretive lives and constant deception.

Along with a strong emotional epicenter, Box 88 is filled with realistic tradecraft for espionage operatives utilizing creative intelligence-gathering apparatuses to further their investigations, placing a premium on subtlety and discretion, perfect for fans of nitty gritty espionage thrillers.
Box 88’s strength lies in the superb creation and sustained development of a brand-new spy icon with the cerebral charm of the golden-era spies, dramatic flair for rich expressions, and strong stomach for inflicting violence in a world where cutthroat politics has given birth to extreme measures. You will feel compelled to get your hands on the sequel.

Review with blurb image posted at: https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain/box-88-by-charles-cumming

Geez, Charles Cumming sure can write. This guy writes smart, character and plot-driven espionage stories that don’t skimp on action and suspense, but still remain a step above your average thrillers.

“Box 88” is his latest, starting a new series with a new protagonist, Lachlan (“Lockie”) Kite. He is a member of Box 88, a joint US-UK black ops group founded during the height of the Cold War that does the work that other intelligence agencies can’t or won’t. Their very existence is a secret, which leads to MI-6 spying on Lockie to find out whether Box 88 actually exists. When Lockie attends the funeral of a childhood friend, he is kidnapped under their noses by an Iranian splinter group that is looking for information.

But not just any information about any current situations – Lockie’s captives want to know what happened 30 years ago, when he was first recruited right out of school to spy on his best friend’s family and their (Iranian) guest in the south of France. And so begins the cat-and-mouse game as the clock starts ticking. Lockie is handing out information bit-by-bit, mixing the truth with lies in small doses hoping that his team will find him before it’s too late. His pregnant wife is being held hostage, but Box 88 is there (along with an MI-6 agent) – will they rescue her before it’s too late? And will MI-6 find Lockie and learn the truth about Box 88?

All of this drama takes place as Lockie takes us back to the south of France in summer of 1989. A brand new summer love, a friend turning into an alcoholic, angry conversations behind closed doors, family drama between father and son, Iranian protestors, a taciturn bodyguard with secrets of his own. And Lockie trying to negotiate it all while doing his duty for country.

A fascinating mix of traditional cold war espionage, modern politics, and a coming-of-age story. Mr. Cumming vividly paints his scenes and then populates them with wonderful, 3-dimentional characters. A wonderful start to a promising new series.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Mysterious Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Lachlan Kite is a member of Box 88, a transatlantic black ops outfit so secretive only a handful of people know of it's existence. The CIA and M.I.6 have heard rumblings here and there but have been unable to substantiate the rumors. Blacker than black, Box 88 was created in the 1980s too bridge the gap left after the Cold War to do the things the respective agencies could not or would not do. While attending the funeral of his best friend in London, Kite is kidnapped by Iranian nationals because of something that had happened 30 years earlier.

Charles Cumming has created an espionage masterpiece that harkens back to the old days of the spy genre. This is the first book in a new series and the first one of read of Mr Cumming. Cumming deftly jumps back and forth from 30 years ago to present day, which if done poorly, could ruin a story. However, Cumming employs the flashback scenes so intelligently it enhances the story not retract from it. In fact, if he had done it any other way, I don't believe it would have worked nearly as well.

I cannot begin to tell you how good Box 88 is. Cumming uses multiple storylines and brings them together in a number of shocking twists. Box 88 is an original, intelligent slow burn spy thriller with excellent spycraft, multifaceted characters that develop before our eyes, teenage angst and love and heartbreak with a little history and humor thrown in. If you enjoy the spy masters of yore you will not want to miss Box 88!

Thank you to Charles Cumming, Mysterious Press, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing an advanced copy of Box 88.

Lachlan Kite is a great character who gives the heft to Charles Cumming's Box 88, a novel that kept me intrigued throughout. Kite's history is fascinating, and his relationships were well-developed. (I would have liked to know more of Xavier). Cumming keeps parallel plots and rotates between them. It kept the thrill going. The terrorists were given their due, but the connection to the Lockerbie plane crash was a bit muddled, at least for me.
Author Cummings has written many top-notch novels, and I am glad to report that Box 88 is yet another.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Excellent start of a new series I’m sure from Cumming. Great character development with a modern and relevant plot line.