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Argylle: A Novel Hardcover – January 9, 2024
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A luxury train speeding towards Moscow and a date with destiny.
A CIA plane downed in the jungles of the Golden Triangle.
A Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland.
A missing treasure, the eighth wonder of the world, lost for seven decades.
One Russian magnate's dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos.
Only Frances Coffey, the CIA's most legendary spymaster, can prevent it. But to do so, she needs someone special.
Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first...
- Print length384 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBantam
- Publication dateJanuary 9, 2024
- Dimensions6.52 x 1.3 x 9.58 inches
- ISBN-100593600010
- ISBN-13978-0593600016
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Aubrey Argylle is in his early twenties, all long limbs and broad shoulders, with clear eyes and a strong chin softened by a dimple, and dark, curly hair which he has tied back with a brown elastic band picked up that morning from the floor of the post office in town. The strands of hair that have escaped the band have ringleted with the heat. Yesterday the thermometer here passed one hundred degrees, and while today is a few degrees cooler the humidity is too high for the warm sweat to evaporate, so instead it forms a sticky coating on his skin.
One of Argylle’s narrow bare feet is on the wooden floor, keeping the hammock in motion, but the rest of him is still. The notebook he was writing in just a few moments before rests face down on his stomach, the pen forgotten in his hand. He hasn’t long returned from leading a small tour group on a hike up to Wat Phra That Pha Ngao, a Buddhist temple on a hilltop a few kilometres out of town. The temple itself is nothing special, but it provides a breathtaking view across the Mekong River and the mountain jungles beyond, into Laos. ‘Is this it?’ the tourists had asked him, straining to see in the other direction towards the rugged hills of Myanmar, although they still call it Burma. ‘Are we in the Golden Triangle now?’
Argylle is used to managing the disappointment of tourists who have come here expecting to see mule trains laden with bricks of opium marching across distant mountain ridges. The opium trade that made the area notorious from the 1960s to the 1990s has now largely moved on to Afghanistan. There are still tribal gangs operating, particularly the warlords on the Myanmar side, and opium is still being funnelled from the poppy fields on the mountaintops down through Chiang Rai and Bangkok and then on to America and Hong Kong. But now the remaining traffickers tend to deal in methamphetamine, which is lucrative though it lacks the old-school glamour the tourists have come to find.
Argylle could tell them there is nothing remotely glamorous about the drug trade.
If you asked Argylle exactly how long he has been scratching a living here in this tropical backwater, he would give you a vague answer. ‘A couple of years,’ he might say, even though it has been more like five. He doesn’t want to face up to the fact he has hit a dead end.
He knows why he came back here—in search of answers. But he has no idea why he has stayed.
He drags himself to his feet and drains his now-warm beer. Entering the hut, which consists of wooden boards laid across a wooden frame, bamboo walls and roof and glassless windows open to the muggy air, he crosses to a wooden board resting on two empty oil cans that serves as a bookshelf for a row of well-thumbed paperbacks—some standard airport fare, traded among long-stay backpackers, others more surprising. Camus, Kafka, James Baldwin. At the far end is a stack of notebooks, on top of which Argylle places the one he was writing in earlier.
Most of the notebooks are the cheap variety he buys in the town. Only the one at the very bottom is different, thick and leather-bound, with the tip of an integral satin bookmark ribbon just visible at the bottom. He doesn’t have to open it to know what it says on the inside leaf: The world is too wonderful not to write it all down. A present from his mother, the Christmas before she died. He never even opened it, just muttered his thanks and forgot about it at the bottom of his case. Only months later, after everything that had happened, did he open it up and, smoothing out the thick, cream-coloured lined paper, begin to write—descriptions of things he’s seen, little snippets of conversation. And he hasn’t stopped. All these books full of words.
He is writing to her. He knows that. Writing her the world she is no longer able to see.
Argylle raises the hem of the mosquito net that hangs from a hook on the ceiling and retrieves a pair of jeans from the thin single mattress on the floor. The first time he went up into the mountains, he’d worn shorts. He hasn’t made that mistake since. There’s a pair of tattered old sneakers on the steps of the verandah—they don’t smell so good so he keeps them outside—and he slips those on without bothering to untie the laces. A faded Johnny Cash T-shirt completes the look.
His plan is to take his motorbike north past Sop Ruak—the town where Thailand converges with Laos and Myanmar—and up into the hills. Technically, this crosses into Myanmar, still under strict military rule, but he has his cover story should he ever be stopped: a tourist guide scouting for new routes. It is not like the old days. Everywhere are signs that the region is moving on. Yet, despite the newly whitewashed image, Argylle is well aware of the dangers that still lurk here. Heroin might have given way to methamphetamine, but make no mistake, it is still a deadly trade. The rewards are staggering—billions of dollars—and so are the risks. International criminal gangs operate here in these jungles, despite the signs everywhere declaring the death penalty for anyone caught smuggling drugs. Warlords, triads—even the Russian mafia. These are not people you want to share a beer with, and it’s not unheard of for a dead body to turn up, horribly mutilated. You venture on to a rival gang’s turf at your peril.
And what is he really looking for, Argylle, as he scrambles his bike up the dirt track behind Sop Ruak? What takes him back into the jungle again and again, keeping him stuck in this holding pattern that is his life?
Ditching the bike, he begins his climb, following a just-detectable path through the increasingly dense undergrowth. Along with a couple of bottles of water, he has brought a small machete in his backpack, to hack back the dense vegetation. It is hot, unrewarding work, his feet kicking up red dust every step of the way. Through the canopy of the rainforest overhead, the sky is mud-yellow. Every now and then he comes to a thick whorl of barbed wire—Myanmar’s attempts at demarcating its borders. He is heading for one of the Akha villages. The Akha are one of the hill tribes, displaced peoples from China or Tibet, unwelcome in any of the three countries that meet here. In the past the tribe was closely linked with the growing of opium poppies, but now they make their living from selling the artefacts they make and decorating themselves in order to pose for photographs with the tour groups that make the trek up here.
Argylle speaks Thai fluently, along with Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, French, German and Russian, but the Akha speak a dialect all of their own and talking to them, asking his questions, is a slow process. He has the photographs of his parents in his pocket, the edges furry from handling.
But when he is still an hour’s walk from the clearing where the tribe’s distinctively thatched bamboo huts stand on wooden stilts above the earth, Argylle stops short.
Above the soft chirp of the frogmouth and the squeak of the emerald-green long-tailed broadbill and the call of a warbler in the high branches, above the thwacking of his sneaker soles in the dust underfoot and the cracking of dry leaves and twigs, there comes the low buzz of a light aircraft in the distance.
Immediately, Argylle is tumbling backwards through time to a tiny jungle airfield, just three or four planes, squeezed into a cockpit while his dad talks him through the instruments. The rush of adrenaline that first time the plane’s wheels leave the ground, knowing it’s all in his hands now. The airfields change—Brazil, the Philippines, West Africa, southern Spain, wherever his parents’ import/export business takes them—but always there’s a plane, and always his dad: impatient, mercurial, demanding, loving. Complicated.
Argylle steps into a clearing so that he can get a view of the plane.
Single-engined, maybe a six-seater, with a propeller on the nose and blue-and-gold markings. He has seen this plane before, on the tiny airfield in Mong Hsat across the border in Myanmar when he and his dad landed their Cessna there on a weekend jaunt.
‘Is it true the CIA once ran a heroin-smuggling operation here?’ one of Argylle’s tour group had asked him earlier. Argylle had shrugged. It’s possible, he told the group. The US wanted to keep Myanmar, Laos and Thailand free from the influence of communist China, just a few hundred kilometres away across the border. To this end, they’d backed the KMT, exiled Chinese trying to retake their country from the communists and funding their struggle with proceeds from the heroin trade. Whether the CIA was involved in that side of things, directly or indirectly, is anyone’s guess but it certainly built radio masts in the area, and also helped fund that tiny airstrip, now largely disused, apart from by the odd visiting contingent from the CIA or DEA.
Argylle watches the plane track across the sky, still lost in the past. A different lifetime.
Crack! A deafening noise cuts across the peace of the jungle, causing the birds to fall silent. For a split second, the world stops, all life stilled. The small plane hovers soundlessly in the air. Then . . . the unmistakable sound of a stuttering engine.
Product details
- Publisher : Bantam (January 9, 2024)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0593600010
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593600016
- Item Weight : 1.42 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.52 x 1.3 x 9.58 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #238,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,558 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)
- #3,917 in Mystery Action & Adventure
- #6,101 in Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story suspenseful and action-packed. They describe the plot as well-written and amazing. However, some readers feel the story is not believable or creative. Opinions are mixed on the character development, with some finding them engaging and multi-layered, while others say they're flat and uninteresting. Readers also have mixed opinions on the writing quality, with those who appreciate the smooth dialogue and descriptive writing mentioning they feel like they've been in each scene.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book suspenseful, exciting, and action-packed. They also say it's entertaining and a fast-paced thriller. Readers also mention the plot twists keep coming and surprising them.
"...It's pure fantasy, but the fun of reading it is exceptional...." Read more
"...adept at building the kind of tension and suspense that keeps readers turning the pages. And she’s done her research...." Read more
"...I couldn’t stop listening/reading, it’s a definite page turner. Highly recommend and hopefully this is the first of many in a series!" Read more
"...Great international scenes. The plot twists keep coming and surprising you." Read more
Customers find the plot well-written, suspenseful, and action-packed. They say the book is high-concept and relatable.
"...Author Elly Conway has given us a well-written tale of action and adventure reminiscent of authors like Ian Fleming, Robert Ludlum, Daniel Silva,..." Read more
"...In addition to being a great spy novel that keeps you on the edge, Argylle really makes you think about the history of our world that has been lost...." Read more
"...I bought the book and enjoyed the story...." Read more
"First, this book is not what I expected. Based on the movie trailers I thought this was going to be a spy rom-com. It really wasn’t...." Read more
Customers find the pacing of the book intelligent, unique, and fresh. They also appreciate the varied, exotic, and artfully described settings. Readers also mention the plot twists keep coming and surprising them. They describe the book as an immersive read with good character and team dynamics.
"...Her settings are varied, exotic, and artfully described, ranging from Moscow to Delaware to Thailand to Greece to Poland and beyond...." Read more
"...detail, overall I found it to be very intelligent with some aspects being quite unique and fresh...." Read more
"...Love the range of scenic locales. Argylle is a likable character for his doubt and flaws, working to overcome the past...." Read more
"...Great international scenes. The plot twists keep coming and surprising you." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the character development of the book. Some mention the characters are engaging and multi-layered, while others say they're not well-developed and flat.
"...Had the potential to be great, but lacked character development and clarity...." Read more
"...In fact, most of these characters had real pathos...." Read more
"...Even the main character seems to fall flat. It doesn’t end on too much of a cliffhanger but it’s definitely set up to leave another story to be told." Read more
"...Her characters are engaging and multi-layered, with heroes readers can root for and villains they can detest...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book. Some mention the dialogue is written smoothly and flows well, while others say they find the spelling errors and vernacular choices distracting.
"...However, as picky as it sounds, the many spelling errors and vernacular choices were distracting and would bring my mind back to reality and out of..." Read more
"...I counted so many typos (hate to be that person, but it's glaringly noticeable throughout) and I never quite understood if the main character was..." Read more
"...The dialogue.is written smoothly & flows well. I highly recommend this book & look forward to reading more of her books." Read more
"...The writing is extremely poor (I knew immediately it couldn't be TS but I bought it might as well read it) and it's clear where editing revisions did..." Read more
Customers find the story quality of the book to be poor. They mention the plot is stupid, unrealistic, and uninteresting. Readers also say the book is not believable or creative. They also mention the characters are too flat and uninspiring.
"...Second, they didn’t spend enough time developing the characters or the story...." Read more
"Move sucked, book sucked, it's all what you like." Read more
"The first book I got in was missing over half the story, it just kept repeating the same 3-4 chapters...." Read more
"...Very disappointing. Could have been so much better. The trailer of the movie looks like it has nothing in common with the book. Waste of money." Read more
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The best part is that, while the mole gave themselves away quite early, I cared about both Argylle and his Chief of Ops, Coffey. In fact, most of these characters had real pathos. And...the part in Greece, fleeing the monks was one of the funniest passages I've read since Bernie Samson's adventures many years ago. The deft way the author takes the reader on a journey with the characters, at times scary then hilarious and at times quite touching make this a quick and easy read.
My only confusion is why a book about Americans working for the American intelligence community by an American citizen is filled with British spellings and word choices. I don't mind, but it made me wonder quite a bit and when I read Conway's bio, I was surprised.
In Moscow, uber-villain and wealthy tycoon Vasily Federov seeks the Russian presidency on a nationalistic, anti-immigration platform. He hopes to unite right-wing groups across Europe and rebuild a Russian empire. The West considers him to be “the greatest threat to current world security.”
He has promised the electorate that he will return to Russia “The Amber Room,” a priceless work of art stolen from the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg by the Nazis during WWII. If he makes good on the promise, he’ll probably be elected. If he doesn’t, he won’t.
In Thailand, young Aubrey Argylle ekes out a bare-bones existence guiding tourists while mourning the death of his parents, two forward-thinking “purveyors” of marijuana, murdered by a vicious drug cartel operating out of Southeast Asia’s “Golden Triangle.” His parents and their lifestyle gave Aubrey some skills, which enable him to help rescue several kidnapped U.S. agents, which brings him to the favorable attention of the CIA. They recruit and train him and then assign him to the team charged with stopping Federov.
Author Elly Conway has given us a well-written tale of action and adventure reminiscent of authors like Ian Fleming, Robert Ludlum, Daniel Silva, and Clive Cussler, as well as any of the films starring Jason Bourne, Indiana Jones, or Ethan Hunt. Her characters are engaging and multi-layered, with heroes readers can root for and villains they can detest. Her settings are varied, exotic, and artfully described, ranging from Moscow to Delaware to Thailand to Greece to Poland and beyond. She is adept at building the kind of tension and suspense that keeps readers turning the pages. And she’s done her research. I learned some things I previously knew nothing about, the “Golden Triangle” and “The Amber Room” most notably.
The plot is decidedly high-concept, more suspense-laden and exciting than believable. There were times when it seemed convoluted or attenuated, causing me to ask: Wait, where are we? What are the characters doing? How does this relate to what’s gone before? But any confusion I might have experienced never lasted very long.
All in all, a very good entertainment.
Second, they didn’t spend enough time developing the characters or the story. Plus the missing Amber Room is so interesting and we barely spend two blips on it.
I had really high expectations for this one and it was just “meh.”
Like I said, still get the book, but just know it seems like a great final draft that needs one last revision before being sent to press. I’m not used to reading novels where I feel this way.
Top reviews from other countries
In fact reading it first would work well.
I loved the film so this was a great addition to it.
Reviewed in France on February 2, 2024