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The Cormorant Hunt
This summer's smartest spy thriller
Part of The Cormorant Trilogy
By Michael Idov
Table of Contents
About The Book
‘This novel confirms Michael Idov as the real deal’ The Times
‘Idov writes with a wit and humour rare in the genre’ Financial Times
'Really does merit comparisons to vintage le Carré' Mail on Sunday
‘Nimble plot work and sheer storytelling audacity’ New York Times
‘An ingenious and exciting novel’ Literary Review
‘Smart, agile writing’ Irish Times
The quiet exile of CIA officer Ari Falk, as he lays low in the Republic of Georgia, is shattered when a mission arises – one perfectly suited for someone as jaded and unpredictable as him.
Enter Asha Tamaskar, a brilliant, neurodivergent CIA officer with her own secrets, and Felix Burnham, a chilling antagonist with radical alliances that could change the global balance of power.
Moving between Tbilisi to Prague, Andorra to Bethesda, The Cormorant Hunt brims with razor-sharp dialogue, heart-stopping twists and complex character dynamics that bring humanity to the chaos. Blending suspense, wit, and authentic storytelling, this is a sparkling spy thriller that remakes the rules.
_______________________________________________
‘This novel confirms Michael Idov as the real deal. . . The writing has the required sense of authenticity and lean pace . . . above all, there is an agile intelligence and lightness of touch’ The Times, Thriller Book of the Month
‘Idov invests even familiar staples of spy fiction – a mole hunt, a reckless love – with a vital spark . . . the plot has a ripped-from-the-headlines immediacy . . . Idov’s smart, agile writing moves so quickly it would be easy to underestimate how much is going on’ Irish Times
‘Michael Idov ups the pace with verve. . . He writes with a wit and humour rare in the genre . . . Falk wonders if the agency is still ‘the same clusterf*ck of bureaucracy, cruelty, hubris, and over-reach, just in a fun new millennial wrapper’. The answer soon becomes clear in this cracking tale’ Financial Times
‘Full of twists, turns, cynical wisdom and genuinely nail-biting border crossings, this really does merit comparisons to vintage le Carré’ Mail on Sunday
'An ingenious and exciting novel' Literary Review
‘Brilliantly written with twists and turns galore’ The Sun ****
‘Idov writes with a wit and humour rare in the genre’ Financial Times
'Really does merit comparisons to vintage le Carré' Mail on Sunday
‘Nimble plot work and sheer storytelling audacity’ New York Times
‘An ingenious and exciting novel’ Literary Review
‘Smart, agile writing’ Irish Times
The quiet exile of CIA officer Ari Falk, as he lays low in the Republic of Georgia, is shattered when a mission arises – one perfectly suited for someone as jaded and unpredictable as him.
Enter Asha Tamaskar, a brilliant, neurodivergent CIA officer with her own secrets, and Felix Burnham, a chilling antagonist with radical alliances that could change the global balance of power.
Moving between Tbilisi to Prague, Andorra to Bethesda, The Cormorant Hunt brims with razor-sharp dialogue, heart-stopping twists and complex character dynamics that bring humanity to the chaos. Blending suspense, wit, and authentic storytelling, this is a sparkling spy thriller that remakes the rules.
_______________________________________________
‘This novel confirms Michael Idov as the real deal. . . The writing has the required sense of authenticity and lean pace . . . above all, there is an agile intelligence and lightness of touch’ The Times, Thriller Book of the Month
‘Idov invests even familiar staples of spy fiction – a mole hunt, a reckless love – with a vital spark . . . the plot has a ripped-from-the-headlines immediacy . . . Idov’s smart, agile writing moves so quickly it would be easy to underestimate how much is going on’ Irish Times
‘Michael Idov ups the pace with verve. . . He writes with a wit and humour rare in the genre . . . Falk wonders if the agency is still ‘the same clusterf*ck of bureaucracy, cruelty, hubris, and over-reach, just in a fun new millennial wrapper’. The answer soon becomes clear in this cracking tale’ Financial Times
‘Full of twists, turns, cynical wisdom and genuinely nail-biting border crossings, this really does merit comparisons to vintage le Carré’ Mail on Sunday
'An ingenious and exciting novel' Literary Review
‘Brilliantly written with twists and turns galore’ The Sun ****
About The Author
© Ilya Popenko
Michael Idov is a novelist, director, and screenwriter. A Latvian-born American raised in Riga under Soviet occupation, he moved to New York after graduating from the University of Michigan. Michael’s writing career began at New York magazine, where his features won three National Magazine Awards, and he has served as the editor-in-chief of GQ Russia. He is also the author of The Collaborators, Ground Up, and Dressed Up for a Riot. Michael has worked on numerous film and TV projects, including Londongrad, Deutschland 83, Leto, and The Humorist. He and his wife and screenwriting partner, Lily, divide their time between Los Angeles, Berlin, and Portugal.
Product Details
- Publisher: Scribner UK (May 21, 2026)
- Length: 336 pages
- ISBN13: 9781398563261
Raves and Reviews
‘This novel confirms Michael Idov as the real deal. . . The writing has the required sense of authenticity and lean pace . . . above all, there is an agile intelligence and lightness of touch’
– The Times, Thriller Book of the Month
‘Idov invests even familiar staples of spy fiction – a mole hunt, a reckless love – with a vital spark . . . the plot has a ripped-from-the-headlines immediacy . . . Idov’s smart, agile writing moves so quickly it would be easy to underestimate how much is going on’
– Irish Times
‘Michael Idov ups the pace with verve. . . He writes with a wit and humour rare in the genre . . . Falk wonders if the agency is still ‘the same clusterf*ck of bureaucracy, cruelty, hubris, and over-reach, just in a fun new millennial wrapper’. The answer soon becomes clear in this cracking tale’
– Financial Times
'Full of twists, turns, cynical wisdom and genuinely nail-biting border crossings, this really does merit comparisons to vintage le Carre'
– Mail on Sunday
'An ingenious and exciting novel'
– Literary Review
‘Brilliantly written with twists and turns galore’
– The Sun ****
‘Confirms his elevated status amongst the current munificent wave of spy thrillers, alongside the likes of McCloskey, Berry, Fesperman, Vidich and Herron . . . Breathless but fascinating and with a sinister ring of truth’
– Crime Time
‘Another explosive, fast-paced and superbly plotted thriller which is as visually exciting as it is verbally entertaining . . . leaves readers gasping for breath’
– Lancaster Evening Press
‘Left me breathless with its nimble plot work and sheer storytelling audacity. . . As the plot careens along, Idov embellishes it with gorgeous descriptions. . . My expectations for Idov’s next book are very high’
– New York Times
Resources and Downloads
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