“Blistering, daring, and impossible to set aside. The Persian proves that David McCloskey belongs on the same shelf as le Carré, Silva, and Matthews.” — Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy and Author of Gone Dark
(Note: This is a condensed version of a review posted to The Real Book Spy’s Substack. To stay up to speed on all things mystery & thriller, and to see the longer, but still spoiler-free version of this review, along with other additional exclusive content, please follow our Substack here.)
Rarely is a thriller more fascinating—or more gripping—than The Persian, the latest high-stakes spy thriller from David McCloskey, whose latest offering takes readers inside an unforgiving chess match between Israel and Iran through the eyes of a man who’s been used by both sides.
Opening with a dual timeline, readers are introduced to Kamran “Kam” Esfahani, a once weary dentist in Stockholm who reluctantly agrees to spy for the Mossad—reluctantly being the key word. As we follow his story, written as a book within a book, readers see things unfold in the form of a written confession that explains his recruitment and dealings with Israel’s spy agency.
Kam’s first-hand account, which doubles as his detailed confession, explains how he eventually returned to Tehran under the guise of opening a dental clinic, only to quickly find himself entangled in operations that grew more daring (and deadly) by the day. From helping Arik Glitzman, the Mossad’s chief of clandestine operations, smuggle weapons to kidnappings, each mission pushed him further into peril until a failed recruitment of an Iranian widow exposed him and, ultimately, landed him in the clutches of a brutal Iranian prison commander known only as “the General.”
Having already undergone a torturous thirty-six months of unspeakable torment, Kam continues to write his confession, but is unwilling to give up one secret he’s managed to keep hidden all this time . . .
With the precision of a former CIA analyst and the skillful art of a born storyteller, McCloskey takes readers into the deadly shadow war between Iran and Israel, where betrayal is currency and survival comes at an unthinkable cost. Giving off strong The Sympathizer (Viet Thanh Nguyen, 2015) vibes, Kam Esfahani is an intriguing and well-developed protagonist—and McCloskey skillfully weaves Kam’s harrowing present with the choices and compromises that led him there, creating a layered narrative that gradually tightens as the story forges ahead. That said, this is quite a bit different than Damascus Station and Moscow X, for which he’s known. Some may find the shift in narrative style jarring, but once you settle into Kam’s story, the pages seem to turn themselves.
Blistering, daring, and impossible to set aside. The Persian proves that David McCloskey belongs on the same shelf as le Carré, Silva, and Matthews.
Book Details
Author: David McCloskey
Series: New Hercule Poirot #6
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1324123194
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Release Date: September 30, 2025
