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Originally Posted by caleb72
Loved this novel, John. I do think it could lead to disappointment for those expecting an action thriller, but I soaked it up.
I felt that this was an excellent study of a burnt-out intelligence agent and a real killer of the romance attributed to espionage. I liked the immediacy of the first person present tense and I liked having this jaded and warped filter throughout the narrative.
It came with some sacrifices. For example, I found the descriptions of the scenery to have lacked vividness and the action scenes a little disjointed. But this seemed to be true to the point of view you created.
I think I liked this a little more than The Survival of Thomas Ford, but both are going to linger in my mind.
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Thank-you, Caleb! I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed Agency Woman so much.
Yes, definitely more of a psychological/state of mind emphasis, with action erupting out of that on occasion! There is a trade-off to that first person point of view, yes: over the course of a long book it can allow a deep psychological furrow to be ploughed, but, especially perhaps with an occasionally unreliable, or even unwell, narrator, the external details can sometimes get a bit wild and woolly at the edges (seen through the protagonist's lens).
Really happy that you enjoyed AW as much as Thomas Ford (or maybe even, as you say, a wee bit more!)