Debut novelist I S. Berry has written a spy thriller that reflects the morés of modern thrillers and presents a rich literary tapestry. THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW is about a CIA officer, Shane Collins. He’s 52 years old and on his final tour of duty in Bahrain, located in the Persian Gulf. This peek at this world is not picturesque.
Berry’s spies are not scintillating, steady, clever men like James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan or even George Smiley. Collins is a pathetic loser of a man. He has one confidential informant whose information is doubted by Collins and his superiors. He drinks so much that he has a serious liver disease. Not only that, he’s a bad drunk. He doesn’t drive a BMW or Aston Martin, he drives a beat up Mitsubishi Lancer. His antagonists are not evil billionaires who live in castles, wear tuxedos, and play baccarat. Collins is marking time until his tour is over, so he can retire to some “reasonably-priced city in Florida, to drink, play bocce with creaking men, go to cheap strip clubs, and wait for my liver to finally give out.” It’s not a pretty picture.
Berry’s description of Collins and his colleagues is probably more accurate than most, considering that she herself was a CIA “operations officer” who served in Bahrain and Iraq. Her American Embassy in Manama, Bahrain is populated with a few social climbers and overly-confident Ivy-Leaguers and Naval Academy men (almost no women) who are biding their time until they can get better assignments. Mostly, Collins is surrounded by incompetents, bureaucrats, drunks, adulterers, and thieves. No one is happy.
Collins becomes involved with a local artist, a Shia woman named. Almaisa. There is something off about her. His informant is a Shia local named Rashid. There is something off about him, too. The United States, purportedly, is neutral, however, it is clear the government is supporting the ruling Sunni regime. Everyone knows it. It seems as though only Collins has sympathy for and supports the Shia involved in the Arab Spring. Even that sympathy is muted. His motivations are unclear. What he appears to want from all is honesty, fair treatment, and equity. Even that seems off.
Berry knows the people, the landscape, and the politics of these places, and it’s not pretty. She describes Bahrain’s few privileged elites— the royalty, government retainers, and ex-pats —who live in palaces, safe houses, and gated communities and have untold wealth. Then there is the vast majority of the population, scraping by and living in deep poverty and squalor. They seem to be biding their time until the revolution. Any dissent is ruthlessly put down by the authorities.
What makes this book special is its feeling of realness. Berry’s extensive descriptions of the country and its people feel unusually genuine. She describes in vivid detail the alleys, squalor, heat, sweat, and hopelessness of the inhabitants. There is no place that is “nice.” Even the several tourist attractions are disappointing and reek of urine.
Berry has a knack for describing places and people. Her descriptions are rich tapestries Intricately woven and detailed. Unfortunately, at times, her descriptions get in the way of the story. This results in the major complaint I have with her novel. The pacing is slow at times and uneven. Berry has wonderful, intricate, multi-layered descriptions, but they are so detailed and lengthy that I found myself skimming to get to the next scene. Nevertheless, by the middle of the story, you are completely sucked in to Collins’ journey, efforts and questionable practices.
I’ve peeked at some of the other reviews and a number have said that this book does not feel “realistic,” comparing it to spy novels written by others. I’ve read many of those novels, and perhaps they were realistic in the 1960s and seventies. No more. The CIA and the world have changed considerably since those earlier novels were written. Also, recognize that, like many newer thrillers, the pacing of this one is slower, to provide us with all of Berry’s exquisite detail. Like it or not, this represents the modern trend in thrillers.
By the way, while the descriptions of the people and places may be real, Berry’s Bahrain is fairly fictional. She has created a place that is called Bahrain and resembles it in many ways, but perhaps should have been named “fictional Middle Eastern country.”
For readers of Ian Fleming and Tom Clancy, this book will be a disappointment. For readers looking for a book that I suspect (how would I know?) more accurately describes the world of modern spies, it is spot on.
I recommend this book.
Charles H. Litz
Joel Burcat