The Spy Who Came for Christmas

David Morrell

For the past few years agent Paul Kagan has been a mole in the Russian Mafia located in Brighton Beach. As he moved up their hierarchy, he committed acts that sickened him but were needed to gain their trust. He has become friendly with his boss, Andrei. But Piotr, as he is known to the Russians, cannot stomach this action they are taking. It's Christmas Eve. They have been ordered to kidnap a 1-month-old baby to hold hostage over his Middle Eastern parents. The baby is supposed to be the Baby of Peace. If kidnapped, he will become a pawn in an international game and eventually be trained to be a suicide bomber.

When Andrei's crew is successful in kidnapping the baby in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kagan knows he has to stop this. He grabs the baby boy and runs. He is shot in the arm while escaping but he is determined to keep the baby safe. Kagan hides out in the Christmas Eve crowds enjoying Santa Fe's celebration. Eventually he finds his way to a home where he has to hide out.

Meredith and her son Cole are in the home. Her drunken husband had struck her earlier and stormed out. Now the mother and son are planning to leave before the man returns home to add to his abuse. Instead, Meredith and Cole are now trapped by Kagan. Kagan knows Andrei and crew are hunting him. He can only hope his diversional tactics worked to throw them off track. Even so, he turns the cozy home into a fortress until he can get help from the police.

The Spy Who Came for Christmas - that sound likes a bad mixture of spy thriller and the Christmas story. David Morrell takes that premise and turns it into a rousing action thriller with a redeeming ending suitable for Christmas. The Spy Who Came for Christmas only covers a couple hours in "real time" but has flash backs throughout to Kagan's involvement with the Russian Mafia. Morrell blends these into a good suspense that keeps the reader involved.

Kagan has to keep Cole, the boy, occupied while they wait. He tells the spy's version of the Christmas story. In theorizes that the magi were actually spies from Persia who planned on using the rumors of the foretold prophet as a way to get into Israel and learn secrets. Morrell uses all the Bible references used in the Christmas story and gives them a different slant. It is actually quite good and a sound theory. That added to the enjoyment of the book.

The Spy Who Came for Christmas is an exciting mixture of spy thriller and the Christmas story.

Notice:  Graphic violence