From Adam LeBor's review today in @FT: "For Michael Dunne, protagonist of David Ignatius’s enthralling new thriller The Paladin, abandonment by the agency is just the start. His family life collapses, his intimate secrets are blasted across the internet and he is imprisoned.
"Dunne is a sympathetic, engaging hero: brave, resourceful and in love with his ravishing Brazilian wife. His task is to infiltrate an Italian internet news organisation that is pushing the boundaries of deepfakes to new and disturbing limits. .
"Ignatius, a prizewinning columnist for The Washington Post, has covered the intel beat for almost 40 years. The Paladin feels completely authentic, from the inside of CIA headquarters to operational tradecraft — and the rush to disown Dunne as the bureaucrats scurry for cover.
"The narrative is finely engineered, switching back and forth between an account of Dunne’s fall and his revenge mission. Beyond the cracking storytelling, there are more profound, even biblical themes: of redemption, justice and a beautifully planned vengeance.
"Ignatius’s skillfully layered tale makes The Paladin stand out in a crowded field."
