Wow. Just wow! This is one fine espionage-thriller novel. This is the first book that I’ve read by David McCloskey, and it’s clear that he’s playing at a whole different level than his contemporaries. What a book!

‘The Seventh Floor’ is an outstanding addition to all the espionage fiction novels out there. It delivers a gripping narrative with great storytelling and brilliant characters that immerse the reader in a wonderfully-realized world of intelligence operations, geopolitical intrigue, individual struggles and interpersonal conflict. I haven’t read the first two books in the series, but that’s okay - the novel stands well on its own. I do want to read the other novels, however, so I can experience more of McCloskey’s talented writing.

Check out the synopsis of the book on Goodreads, but the short version is that one of the main protagonist’s (Artemis Procter’s) agents, Samuel Joseph, ends up being tortured in a Russian SVR prison. Artemis is blamed for the mission having gone wrong, leading her to be ousted from the CIA. Samuel is released, and he has learned that there is mole in the upper levels of the CIA. Artemis deduces that the mole must be one of her closest friends and colleagues, and it is they who are responsible for what happened to Sam and for Artemis' firing. Artemis is on her own as she seeks to find the mole and bring justice for Sam.

McCloskey is a master at character development. His characters are deeply drawn with complex motivations and inner conflicts. They are dynamic with development arcs that reveal, among other things, the psychological toll of being a spy. I want to draw attention to one character, Artemis Procter, just to give you an example of how creative at characterization McCloskey is. So, Artemis is one of the protagonists. She’s barely five feet tall, but she is a force of nature to be reckoned with. She has a fierce exterior that hides a turbulent inner world. She has unique quirks, from wrestling alligators in Florida to blasting EDM music while deep in thought. She also has an unyielding sense of duty to those she commands. Yet she is a flawed and troubled character as well. It’s clear she struggles with some kind of personal demon, but McCloskey doesn’t directly tell it what it is, choosing to show just Artemis’ thoughts, feelings and actions instead. We also get to see Sam’s perspective of Artemis, and what he sees helps the reader piece the puzzle together. I think it is showing us what something is versus telling us what something is that is one of McCloskey’s strong points.

McCloskey steers away from cliches about the Russian ‘villain’. While the character is, by trope, a ruthless SVR agent who harbors illusions that he is actually a good or artistic man at heart, Rem Zhomov is much more complicated. We see not only his roles in the SVR, but we also get a view of his domestic life as well. Zhomov is a morally ambiguous character who acts as a foil to Artemis, who similarly can be ruthless with a questionable ethical framework. This blurring of right and wrong of both the protagonist and the antagonist adds depth to the narrative.

McCloskey also captures well the Russian sense of disgust at America, a country viewed as repulsive and in decline. We see how different characters, from those in the SVR to secret agents in the United States, are motivated by some variation of this sentiment. McCloskey does a wonderful job mixing this sentiment with individual strengths and flaws to create utterly unique and rounded characters. How the novel’s elements of geopolitical conflict shape the psyche’s of the characters is another one of McCloskey’s strong points.

In general, the novel's atmosphere is palpable, with McCloskey's writing style enhancing the story's tension and suspense. His prose expertly sets the mood, immersing the reader in a world of clandestine operations as well as into the souls of the characters. The dialogue is realistic and sharp. Each scene is effortlessly crafted, original, and rich with detail, showcasing McCloskey’s ability to balance action with introspective moments. His use of flashbacks is especially effective.

In ‘The Seventh Floor’, McCloskey not only respects the reader's intelligence but actively engages it, presenting a multilayered puzzle that is as intellectually stimulating as it is thrilling. The espionage elements are authentic and well-researched, in a world of covert operations and geopolitical intrigue. McCloskey’s personal and in-depth knowledge of the CIA shows.

This is an awesome book, and I hope you check it out and have as much fun reading it as I did!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

David McCloskey, a former analyst with the CIA, brings his experience to The Seventh Floor, giving the reader a feel for life within the agency. After the agency is contacted by a Russian agent with important information a meeting is set up at a casino in Singapore. When the meet goes wrong, Sam Joseph, the CIA agent, is smuggled back to Russia for interrogation. Artemis Procter had arranged the operation. Blame fell on her shoulders, resulting in her eventual firing. Months later an exchange brings Sam back to the U.S., where he finds Procter working at her cousin’s gator farm. Someone had betrayed the operation and Procter and Sam are determined to discover the mole at the CIA. Their suspects are all agents that they have worked with over the years, people who had gained their trust and became like family. While Sam has been put on desk duty, he is still in a position to gain access to files. Procter obtains a safe house for them and begins to meet with her former colleagues to reconnect and get a feel for their parts in the operation. Their hunt takes them across France to witness a meeting between the mole and a Russian agent. They are up against a seasoned Russian spymaster who will do anything to protect his high level American asset. It is a game of cat and mouse as McCloskey takes you to the inner corridors of the CIA and Russian Intelligence. With moments of humor among the growing suspense it asks how well you know the people that you work with every day and will appeal to the fans of Le Carre. I would like to thank NetGalley and W.W. Norton and Company for providing this book.

Has a Russian asset infiltrated the top levels of the CIA?

Sam Joseph, a CIA agent with a black mark on his record already, is tasked with meeting Boris Golikov (a Russian who claims to have valuable information to sell) in a casino in Singapore. By the end of the night Sam is snatched by two Russians who demand he tell them what Golikov told him during their brief “bump” meeting and ultimately incapacitate Sam and bring him to Moscow for further interrogation (ie, torture). Golikov is the second Russian asset to be outed in a short period of time which does not reflect well on the branch of the CIA focused on Russia (known as the Russia House), particularly Artemis Procter (head of the division known as Moscow X) who was responsible for Sam being given the Golikov assignment. A shift is going on at the CIA, with two former agents who had left for the private sector years earlier being brought back in as the new Director and the Deputy Director of Operations (DDO), with offices on the Seventh Floor. Many at the Agency aren’t happy with these appointments, including Procter and her three friends (nicknamed the Russia House Mafia/Bratva). The four became friends back in their training days at the Farm and for a time the now Director and DDO were a part of their group as well, until an op in Afghanistan went south. Procter is made the scapegoat for what happened to Sam and is fired from the job that is her life; her friends are able to enact a swap to bring Sam back home, but he has been damaged by the experience. He also comes back with a secret, the information that Golikov gave him and which he was able to keep from his Russian captors….someone now at a high level at the Agency is feeding high level information to the Russians and is part of a long-game play to so undermine the CIA that it collapses. The list of possible suspects is small, namely the Russia House Mafia, the Director and the DDO, and it is up to Procter and Sam to figure out whether that information is true and, if so, who the traitor is…before they become the next people to disappear, permanently.
For fans of spy fiction, The Seventh Floor brings the goods. Author David McCloskey’s résumé makes it clear that he knows the world about which he is writing, and it is not the glamorized world of 007. It is a world full of bureaucracies, rivalries, quests for power and endless abilities to abandon friendships and shatter trust, but within it there exist people who are genuinely passionate about doing what they do and putting duty over self. Artemis Procter is one such person, and her dedication not only to her job but to the people with whom she works has not made her career easy. The same is true of other people in the business like Rem Zhomov of the Russian SVR and Petra Devine, one of the CIA’s mole hunters. Main and supporting characters are fully developed and full of nuance, the culture of working in the world of deception and the toll it takes on those who live it (hint: lots of alcohol) is depicted with brutal honesty, and the search for the possible mole grabs the reader’s attention from the start and holds it till the end. The Seventh Floor is the third in a series which started with Damascus Station (where the dynamic between Procter and Sam begins); it can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the preceding two titles (before or after, your call) as well. Readers of McCloskey’s previous books will certainly want to grab a copy of this latest release, as should readers of John Le Carré, Charles Cumming and Paul Vidich (amongst others). Many, many thanks to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for allowing me early access to this brilliant work of espionage fiction.

The Seventh Floor David McCloskey
A CIA mission goes sideways and an agent gets captured. He’s later released. The circumstances are suspicious, and a mole is suspected. But that notion is nicked and a couple of agents get pushed out.
An unofficial mole hunt begins. A few crazy characters and lots of interesting situations are presented. Who dunnit? Another thrilling ride thanks to David McCloskey.

A really clver spy thriller. Much like the previous 2 in the series it leaves you guessing right to the last second. A must read for spy thriller fans

Another great novel by David McCloskey! So many twists and turns that keeps you guessing until the end. David McCloskey is becoming one of my most favorite authors of intelligent spy fiction.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC to this book.

The best McCloskey novel yet. If you’re looking for an American version of slow horses, this will be right up your alley. Love the characters, the spycraft, the window into the CIA. Can’t wait for the next book- Artemis Proctor gives Lamb a run for his money!

Fascinating spy novel. Marvelous plot with many twists and turns. Another great novel by David McCloskey. Will there be more in the series? Exciting.

Dark, gritty and teeming with authenticity, The Seventh Floor is a classic US vs. Russia espionage tale from the pen of David McCloskey that’s filled with deceit, betrayal and honor.

An operation goes bad in Singapore with the CIA losing the asset and their agent ending up in a Russian torture chamber. Operations chief Artemis Proctor is made the scapegoat by the new leaders of the CIA, one of which holds a grudge against Artemis for past transgressions. Months later the missing agent, Sam Joseph, shows up at Proctor’s trailer in Florida with an explosive revelation: there’s a Russian mole high within the CIA. They start an off the books investigation that puts every one of Proctor’s closest friends on a shortlist of suspects. Putting her personal feelings aside, Proctor will do her duty to root out the mole in service the country she has sworn to protect. But what she finds will haunt her and she may never be the same again.

This is a story about a good old fashioned espionage mole hunt harkening to the days of the cold war where the US and Russia were focused on recruiting and running spies deep within each other’s intelligence organizations. Paranoia reigns supreme, literally no one can be trusted, and each side is pushing the envelope on what they can get away with. Unwritten rules are broken, spies are captured and swapped, sleepers are activated, and people who know too much are in danger of elimination. It’s violent, intense and heart wrenching, but highly engaging and absorbing. A novel that fans of old-school spy stories will devour.

The Seventh Floor has an interesting premise that fails in execution because David McCloskey feels like he is ripping off Tom Clancy or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in this Cold War esque spy thriller.

This cleverly written spy thriller kept me guessing until the end. I highly recommend this book and McClosky’s other two books if you like well-written espionage novels. What I enjoyed the most as the reader was reuniting with the main character Artemis Proctor and learning more of her backstory. This is not only a plot driven book, but also a character driven book. The characters and story keep you turning the pages and I was sorry when the book ended. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC and I definitely will recommend this book to friends and book clubs.

A Russian with secrets to sell arrives in Singapore and does not live long. Local CIA agents contest to find answers. A CIA agent goes missing but returns with the info that there is a mole in their department. This is the kind of stuff I like to read about in spy thrilers and author David McCloskey has not shortchanged me in The Seventh Floor. I hope that his next novel is out soon!
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Great spy thriller that is absolutely riveting units intensity.
Artemis, aka Proctor,, has worked for the CIA forever with her little band of merry men, on the infamous seventh floor.: secret missions, secret Intel, secret meetings. They work together, fight together and always look out for each other. They have each other's backs.
All the time..
No matter what.
Or do they?
When a mission goes sideways and one of their own is taken hostage, Artemis is the token job sacrificial lamb, so the bosses can look like they are doing "something". Samuel Joseph, the spy taken hostage is beaten and nearly killed until suddenly being released in a trade off.
Spy for spy.
When Sam is released and comes home, he visits Proctor at her new job at her cousin's Florida alligator land attractuon and tells her there is a traitor in their group, the story takes off.
Spies chasing spies, but all on the same side, makes for thrills, non stop action and mayhem that seems too fantastic to possibly be true, but, probably, really could be.
McCloskey does a great job with the gang from the seventh floor.
Here's to missions not so impossible!!

David McCloskey's novels are only getting better. Moscow X was one of my favorite books last year and The Seventh Floor has surpassed it.

With the regular characters that we have gotten to know, with a few new ones thrown in, this story grips you right away. . Artemis is a hard to love character who rubs everyone she meets the wrong way. That does not change here, and if anything we see a deeper side to Artemis in this novel that we don't see beforehand. She is still brash, abrasive and rude, swearing like a sailor whenever it pleases her.
You are kept guessing until the very end who the mole is. All of the little storylines have satisfactory conclusions and you finish the book happy with its conclusion. I would not change anything about this book.
As soon as Artemis learns that a mole is hidden in the CIA, the book is almost un-put-downable. Excellent writing, excellent characters and scenes that leave you wanting to read the next chapter right away
One thing that I really enjoy is that the chapters are short. It is easy to keep reading and lose yourself in the novel.
The chapters jump between stories and characters to leave you with enough angst that you need to find out what happened.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy to review!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC to this book.

What an ending to this trilogy by Mr. McCloskey! I often hear how his books follow in the footsteps of John Le Carre's spy novels, but I have to admit I haven't read them. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and became engrossed in how the story of Artemis and Sam unfolds. I absolutely bought into the characters and loved the shadow play between the Russians and the CIA. If spy thrillers are your thing, this book is it! I look forward to Mr. McCloskey's future works. 5-stars for me!

I was terribly disappointed. I thought DAMASCUS STATION was one of the greatest spy novels ever written, and I thought MOSCOW X was a good read, if not nearly as impressive. I had hopes that THE SEVENTH FLOOR would return to the greatness of DAMASCUS STATION, but it doesn't. It's not anywhere close. Sadly, the narrative is frequently muddled and sometimes it's downright silly. A woman is forced out of the agency and then becomes an alligator wrestler in Florida living in a broken down trailer? Oh, please.

I must also note that the formatting of the ARC I received was a ridiculous mess. Random capitalization (or lack of capitalization), random paragraphing (or lack of paragraphing), and many whole paragraphs so jumbled and muddled that they were unreadable. Why a major publisher would circulate an ARC this poorly formatted simply baffles me. A sixteen year old kid sitting at home with his laptop and a $200 piece of off-the-shelf software can turn out a perfectly formatted book with minimal errors in a couple of hours, and a big-time New York publisher sends out garbage like this? It's insulting to readers and, most of all, it's insulting to their writer. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Okay this is a spy thriller. You can tell this writer has some experience. For me the book is ion 3 parts.

It starts off like a JATO-130, the firing sequence of one of the main characters is so real it might be. Never will you read several chapters about someone getting canned and just be enthralled. The middle lags, I don't know if it was filler, if his keyboard got away from him, if they lost interest, but I thought about quitting.

Thankfully the third part made me glad I stayed. No James Bond, no females who beat up all the men, or men who can always beat up everyone else regardless of numbers or size. I think you will like this intelligent (BUT NOT BOIRING) spy thriller. It was a breath of fresh air.

McCloskey just gets better and better with every book. He writes about CIA tradecraft with the authority of someone who's been there, and in his third outing the writing is sharper, characters are better rendered, and the pacing is tighter. If there are still a few scenes that feel like they owe more to movies than reality, the book is largely grounded and kept me invested from start to finish.

McCloskey acknowledges his debt to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- which the story does, for a while, too closely mirror. But if he isn't yet in John Le Carre's league, he seems to be well on his way.

David McCloskey is rapidly becoming one of my most favorite authors of intelligent spy fiction. His stories are superb, and this latest novel is no exception - it's absolutely brilliant and full of the what I am coming to expect from him: poetic writing, fantastic plot, and unforgettable characters. In "The Seventh Floor" we have six spies who have known each other for years, and a devious Russian mole buried deep within the CIA. What follows is some of the best spy fiction I have ever read. John Le Carre could not have done better. I highly recommend this book to all!