Set right before the beginning of World War I, David Downing’s new novel Jack of Spies concerns Jack McColl, a would-be spy, helping to gather information for the still-forming British intelligence service. Under the guise of being a high-end luxury car retailer, McColl travels the world hoping to demonstrate his value and turn his part-time job into a full-time position. It isn’t until he falls for a journalist whose family is in direct opposition with his country’s geopolitical goals that he realizes he must choose between the job and love.

Having authored the John Russell spy series, Downing is an experienced scribe who deftly moves from scene to scene in an attempt to keep the pace of his new novel charging forward. Page by page the plot unfolds in a way that isn’t entirely surprising considering the genre, yet the fusion between romance and espionage appeals to the reader well enough to sustain interest.

The book’s true success comes in the form of the lead, Jack McColl, who more than anything wants to become a real spy despite the complications it poses in his life. The character, adept in nine different languages, spends a large portion of the novel earnestly trying to do right by his country, though more often than not, as with any inexperienced worker, struggling with his objectives. To be clear, Jack McColl is no James Bond. In fact, it wouldn’t be shocking if Downing’s main character strained to produce 007’s favorite cocktail, shaken or stirred. Of course it’s this intrinsic quality that makes McColl worth following and Jack of Spies worth reading.