Book Review: Damascus Station by Patrick
“Minus the grinding poverty and the terror, of course .” —David McCloskey, Damascus Station
Damascus Station by David McCloskey
Damascus Station is David McCloskey’s debut novel, but this engrossing and page-turning spy thriller possesses the prose expected of a seasoned author. A former CIA analyst, McCloskey masterfully utilizes his specialized knowledge of intelligence tradecraft to compose a riveting plot centering espionage, contentious bureaucratic rivalries, and devolving geopolitics.
Set in turbulent Damascus, Syria, Damascus Station contains two interwoven tales; the first, CIA officer Samuel Joseph’s attempt to avenge the loss of a colleague and recruit a well-placed asset within the Syrian government, and the second, a high-stakes sibling rivalry occurring within the highest echelons of the President Bashar al-Assad's autocratic regime.
Compelling from the first page to the last, McCloskey’s Damascus Station is redefining the espionage genre by constructing a world defined by historical realism and pragmatic spy craft. McCloskey’s well-anticipated second novel Moscow X, was recently released in October 2023.
ABOUT THE BOOKSELLER
Born in Hawaii, Patrick possesses an MA in Foreign Policy and National Security and has studied in Kingston, Jamaica. Unsurprisingly, Ian Fleming rests at the top of his favorite author list. Patrick is an avid reader of history, politics, and spy thrillers.