Kaleidoscope Birthday: A Spy Game Serial (part 2)
Written by Michael Frost Beckner & Reviewed by Noreen in the Cell
Part two was on par with book one in terms of enjoyment but it was a bit muddier and convoluted. This story is at its best when it focuses on characterization and not plot. In book one, the plot was treated like an inconvenient errand that must be run before the reader arrives at the final page. But in this book, the plot seems to be more at odds with the characters as opposed to previously being at odds with the author.
Book two opens where book one left off, Lynn in triage after being stabbed in the neck at an airport by two knit wielding Chinese women. The Prologue then details construction of the Kingston property in 1693 when bought from the local tribes. That man was named Silas too and it sounds like he took some Indian against her will as his bride. In the present, Silas drives to the Hoover building to confess his lifelong treason. Pretty rad start to be honest.
On July 6th, Russell Aiken visits Lynn in the hospital. He tries to tell her about Michael’s survival but he also seems contentious toward her. POV from Lynn was unique but a bit too full of itself (like on the rare occasion there is a Leah POV chapter in Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon series – disengaging due to the character’s lack of lucidity) Clive talks with his handler Fergus? Clive willingly blew his cover to Paige while flirting, though it sounds like she was well aware of the tapping and surveillance. He’s to act as if he’s quit British intel and is on sabbatical to get her guard down. There’s an anecdotal interlude of the matriarch Doris flirting with her painter Boone as he composes her portrait. Boone ominously thinks to himself that Doris will be his last portrait.
“A butch dance between Silas Kingston/KALEIDOSCOPE and Nikoláj “Kolya” Yurenev/Kalaydoskop. The two of them had been rubbing up against each other for thirty years.”
That’s how it’s described. Silas is in interrogation at some safe house. He’s connected via burner phone to Kolya/Kalaydoskop, making Silas Kaleidoscope, despite his demanding to speak to Kaleidoscope in book one. They exchange veiled threats and references to Michael being leveraged. Silas recalls his first conversation with this voice years ago in USSR when they had pregnant Doris captive and sobbing.
Michael is at some French place following up on leads that Father Cevik provided from last book. Helene runs the place and she seems very familiar with Michael and his quest. He’s hunting some rich man with an adulterous history when Helene conveniently provides a photo of the man that also includes a young Doris in the photo.
On Wednesday July 7th, Lynn is recovering and can’t speak because of severed vocal cords but she has an iPad to communicate. She inquired about visitors then checks for old emails from Aiken’s assistant Gladys. Gwen files divorce papers and plans to do so without Michael’s knowledge, using her promiscuity to secure a notary for Michael’s forged sig on the divorce papers. Clive continues to woo Paige, her birthday is right around the corner. Silas returns home and sneaks off to some corner of the property to sit on some hidden bench that was used during the plantation years. He recalls Koyla’s warning about their arrangement regarding family being off limits now in jeopardy. Silas laments his failures as a family man. He’s a generational traitor, but the reader is supposed to sympathize because he has regrets as a father?
On Thursday July 8th, Lynn is still convalescing. (obviously?) A boss Gary - former mistress - shows and wants intel from Lynn re Michael. Keeps pleading that he can assist if she loops him in. Then Paige shows to ask Aunt Lynn questions about how to handle her new boyfriend. Silas meets with Hal at Doris’s tomb and tells him he must change his story and say that he 100% witnessed Michael’s death. This will cut Gwen out of Michael’s cash and pension since she divorced him right before he left (with forged docs) Hal is furious at the request. Michael devises a method to contact Lynn discreetly. Silas meets with Harker, head of CIA, and basically implies that he’ll admit to being kaleidoscope if he’s granted active status. Lynn finds Michael’s Craigslist ad detailing a dead drop spot. Super far fetched method that isn’t the least bit believable as a means of comm.
On Friday, July 9th, Lynn discharges herself and recruits Hal to go to Michael’s location under false pretense to the family. At dinner Silas goes after Gwen about her secret divorce and she snaps and intends to leave after getting her spousal money. Melody and Lynn chat when Lynn sorta says she plans on killing her father for what he’s done to the family. In the past, Boone and Doris flirt. Doris admits that foxtail farm used to house slaves that tried to escape Virginia plantations. Boone admits he plans to kill his wife. Paige returns home from her last day with Clive. Hal meets his old friend Pietro in Italy, they go way back because Hal killed Pietro’s girlfriend’s boyfriend so that Pietro could have her.
On Saturday July 10th, Michael is surveilling Abbatantuono. He’s a cheater so Michael approaches the wife who wants a divorce with “biz intelligence” that would ensure her settlement. Michael mentions kaleidoscope to no avail. Michael assumes the wife will tattle to her hubby which she does. Michael uses this to kidnap Abbatantuono and secure some kaleidoscope thumb drive that the man just happened to have with him (pirate’s treasure goes down with the ship, it’s never buried at the X) later that night the man kills himself after Michael got the best of him.
Part three of July 10 was a confusing chapter. Flashback to Melody shooting her mom Doris dead while Boone Kelso beat her and Silas watched??? Then some weird conversation with Gwen in the present then Drexler (I’m assuming father/handler of Clive maybe?) approaches Lynn’s nurse in an effort to snoop through her correspondence. Clive and Paige go to a party at an abandoned amusement park near Indian creek. They begin hooking up but Clive stops out of guilt because he has to betray her for work but has caught feelings instead.
It's Sunday July 11th - Paige’s birthday. Hal zeroes in on Michael thru various spy communicating. A cool chapter of demonstrating various signals to communicate. Lynn chats with her nurse Janella about the agent that approached her before. Lynn also received an update from Hal and says not to initiate contact with Michael yet. Michael thanks his host Helene and drinks to Paige’s 18th alone. Hal is nearby but Pinwheel, not kaleidoscope, sits at his table. They exchange veiled threats and Pinwheel explains Michael is not worthy to meet the Russian Kalaydoskop yet. They exit and Hal kills some guy trying to abduct Michael and
Pinwheel departs. Michael also recalls a Russian that cucked Silas at his birthday party by kissing Doris in front of everyone.
Lynn visits Nancy Wilmont, a retired agent that had an affair with Russell Aiken before leaving CIA. She wants her to comb the data she got from Hal. Nancy deduces it’s a bunch of savings and slush funds, and some of it resembles CIA accounts. Lynn leaves and sees the elder Drexler/Wexler who says he’s offering rope to the three kids before he takes down Silas. MI6 Morgan tells Clive if he can’t bang Paige then bang Gwen. Doesn’t matter who. The party goes off and Charlotte and Paige and Clive go swimming near the original posts in the water when foxtail farm was first built. Paige catches her mom Gwen and Clive, all hell breaks loose. Paige tells Clive to F off but she won’t blow his cover. He says screw you, Silas got three Brit’s killed by tattling on seven agents. Paige and Silas have a moment at the church, he knows what Clive is up to.
Hallie and Michael fight when Helene is discovered dead. Michael says he’s not going home because the family is evil and Hal tries to force him, citing Michael’s wife’s secret divorce and Hal’s deteriorating marriage. Silas calls a secret phone in the Hoover building after Lynn leaves the party and says only “she’s been removed.” Lynn parks in front of Russ Aiken’s house with gin observing him with his wife and daughter. Apparently one of Lynn’s children is Russ’s…
In conclusion, this series will only continue once Kindle Unlimited offers another free trial…
