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Kyd's Game

By: Marc Rosenberg
Publisher: Vine Leaves Press
Publication Date: September 2024
ISBN: 978-3988320834
Reviewed by: Katie Specht
Review Date: March 20, 2024

From debut author Marc Rosenberg comes Kyd’s Game, the story of Neil Kyd, a former CIA operative, who has been accused of assassinating a Russian presidential candidate.

Kyd (as he is referred to in the story) left his job at the CIA when his daughter, Molly, was diagnosed with a fatal nervous system disorder, and moved to a farm in Kansas so he could focus on taking care of her. One day, Kyd is working on his farm trying to fix a stubborn tractor when an old colleague of his, Paul Wexler, surprises him with a visit. During this visit, Paul offers Kyd an unexpected proposition: Kyd retrieves a memory card containing incriminating evidence of the Russian President attacking Syria and in exchange, the Agency will ensure that Molly is accepted into a cutting-edge medical trial to treat her disease, with all associated costs covered. While Kyd is not thrilled about the idea of leaving his daughter, he is drawn to the possibility of finding a cure for Molly, so he agrees to carry out the mission.

Once Kyd arrives in Russia to complete his mission, he meets up with his ex-girlfriend, Irina, who recommends him for the job. She takes him to meet up with her brother, Nicoli, who is a Russian presidential candidate, and who Kyd is told is in possession of the memory card that he is to retrieve. When Kyd arrives, however, Nicoli is shot by an assassin named Zarefsky in Kyd’s presence, and he quickly figures out that he is being set up for Nicoli’s murder. Kyd is barely able to escape and now finds himself on the run. Meanwhile, Irina sees a report on the news that her brother has been assassinated by an American spy, and she faints while feeling the sting of betrayal.

As Kyd works to clear his name, he encounters many more players in the murder set-up and he discovers it goes much deeper than he could have imagined. The plot development in the second half of the story is second to none, which makes for a very compelling read. The conclusion of the story is quite a shock, so much so that I was expecting there to be more to the story. With the way Rosenberg left it, there definitely could be more that could be explored in Kyd’s story.

Rosenberg has crafted a thrilling crime story with Kyd’s Game. The pace of the plot moves along well and the action doesn’t stop throughout the story. Readers will quickly form a bond with the main character of Kyd as they witness him try to clear his name and get back home to what matters to him the most, his daughter.

Quill says: With Kyd’s Game, Rosenberg has created a story that is riveting, page-turning, and will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the shocking conclusion.