The Thyssen Affair by Mozelle Richardson

Canyon Eliot, Colorado rancher and ex-OSS WWII agent is brought back into action by a CIA friend to do a simple investigation in Munich. As Canyon says “nothing the CIA does is simple”. he finds himself tangled in a web of twisted convoluted intrigue with both the Israeli mossad and the Russian KGB that requires him to use every bit of cunning and improvisation, physical and mental, he learned in the war. (Taken from the front of the book)


Picking up this book, I was expecting it to take me forever to read. It’s relatively thick with small print. I breezed right through it, however. The writing is so fast-paced and exciting that you get lost in the story and find yourself halfway through before you’ve even blinked. I’m not a follower of most spy novels or movies, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be bored or not. The characters are so well-crafted that I enjoyed every moment with them. Their brilliant deduction skills, wit and thirst for adventure kept me guessing at their every turn. The fact that each spy is infused with personal problems and a past only added to the enjoyment for me. Although the direction of the main plot was pretty simple to figure out, the individual actions of each character kept me guessing throughout the book.

Since I haven’t read many spy novels, I really don’t have much to compare this book to. While discussing it with a few friends they suggested it was similar to James Bond. For myself, I found myself identifying with the Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. They have a similar tone and quality with similar plot twists. You just don’t expect what’s coming next from page to page, although you already know how it’s going to end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It isn’t my normal reading fare, but it may be a turning point for me. I found it similar to a mystery, but I liked that it kept me guessing throughout. After you read so many mystery stories you get to the point where it becomes difficult to be surprised by the ending. This way, I wasn’t surprised by the ending, but the entire book constantly surprised me.

The author, Mozelle Groner Richardson, and her husband currently reside in New Mexico. Other books written by Mozelle include: Curse of Kalispoint, Portrait of Fear, Masks of Thespis, A Candle in the Wind, Song of India, Daughter of the Sacred Mountain, The Thyssen Affair, Dear Daddy Never Let Mother Travel Alone and Six Days From Sunday.