Book cover of The Persian

Book description

Kamran Esfahani, a dentist living out a dreary existence in Stockholm, agrees to spy for the Mossad after he's recruited by Arik Glitzman, the chief of a clandestine unit tasked with running targeted assassinations and sabotage inside Iran. At Glitzman's direction, Kam returns to his native Tehran and opens a…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Persian as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I have always enjoyed McCloskey’s spy novels, especially those set in the Middle East.

His newest, a tale of espionage and betrayal set in Iran, appealed to me because of its characters—an Iranian dentist recruited by Mossad as an agent, his Mossad spy handler, and their Iranian adversaries. I loved the realism and grittiness of this tale, and its portrayal of the human costs of espionage, and its betrayals, fault lines, and tragedies.

I love how McCloskey, a former CIA analyst, humanizes his characters, both the Israelis and the Iranians, showing us their human frailties, loyalties, and passions.

From Kenneth's list on spy thrillers read in one sitting.

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