Despite two-dimensional characters and some incidents that strained credulity, it kept me turning the pages. ( )

Won through GR First Reads Giveaways.
I seem to have been reading a lot of books about the Middle East lately. All fiction, but all have given me a little more insight into the similarities and differences between their culture and our own. No exception to that trend with The Tehran Conviction. More about that in a bit.

First, let me start out by talking about the word "conviction". The book begins by defining the term:

Conviction (n.)
1. A fixed or strongly held belief.
2. The act of being found of proved guilty.

Obviously, both of the definitions have their role to play in the story, but the first is the one that had the most effect on me. Gabbay's way of showing idealism vs. realism with regard to individual and personal freedoms as well as what it means to love your country was very moving to me. His way of describing these ideas and thoughts are almost poetic, but still practical and practicable at the same time, if you've a mind to do so. These themes are universal. We all want the right to be free and to do as we choose and to live as good a life as possible.

I felt that Gabbay represented Iran and the world of the CIA very fairly through Jack, who was willing to be their man, but still, despite his words and actions, I felt didn't really believe that the CIA was right in everything it did. I know that's ironic, because they always say that actions speak louder than words, and here Jack is using both to say one thing, but I just FEEL that he means another. I like that Jack's character was fleshed out enough so that I could get that impression. He wasn't the regular one-dimensional "Action Hero™". He was a regular guy who was drafted to do something extraordinary, and he did the best that he could with what he had to work with.

I'll just briefly mention one of the things that most affected me in this book, and that is the theme of deceit and betrayal. It just runs rampant! Nobody can trust anyone else. But what really struck me, is that the United States would take the step of deceiving a nation simply in order to exploit it in the first place. I know, I know, you're probably yelling at your monitor right now, asking me where I've been for the last 27 years (which happens to be my age, if you're wondering), under a rock?? But no, I've been right here, in the Good Ol' U.S. of A. watching things go from bad to worse right along with you.

I think deep down, we all hold the conviction that our country is the greatest on earth. Love of country runs in our blood, as it should. You have to love where you come from in order to love who you are. But that is NOT the same as letting that country run rampant and do anything and everything it wants to while the citizens turn a blind eye. There are people who denounce anyone who doesn't agree with "High Level Government Decisions" as unpatriotic. But I disagree. It is unpatriotic to sit by and let your country lose itself.

But I digress. My point, in all of that, was that in 1953 America decided to stage a coup in order to overthrow the government in Iran as a means to access their oil. Perhaps I am an idealist, but I grew up thinking that my country was better than that, that we treated people fairly and helped other countries and their people. "Fool me once, shame on you... Fool me twice - you can't get fooled again." -- Pres. "Dubya".

Anyway, I'm rambling on and turning this into a little political rant. Oops! I did really enjoy the book. Gabbay's descriptions had me feeling as if I was there. I could see the streets, I could see the people, I could feel the arid heat. I loved this aspect of the book, because after all, I read for escapism.

This book isn't exactly one that I would want to literally escape into, though. Iran in the book is at a cross-roads, with political upheaval knocking on the doors and religious zealots climbing in the windows, it's not exactly a restful place to be. I was happy to see that Gabbay didn't sugar-coat daily life in Iran. I've never been there, but I can't imagine it's all sunshine and daisies. There are aspects of every culture that we'd rather not see, but they are there nonetheless. And Gabbay didn't shy away from them or beat around the bush. Good for him.

I wanted to give this book 5 stars, but there were some things that prevented me from doing so:
First, the book opened with a poker game, although I only figured that out in context. Actually the book opened with Jack holding "the dead man's hand", which I thought was a literal dead man's hand, not being a poker player. So, I would have liked that to be a little more clear.
Secondly, some of the editing could have used a bit of work. On the same page (4), we have both "prizewinning" and "prize-winning" make an appearance. I probably wouldn't have noticed the difference, except they were on the same page.
Finally, some of the sections ended rather abruptly. I don't mean "cliff-hanger" abruptly, I mean, "starting a new thought then oh new section!" abruptly. It was a little distracting.

Those things aside, I really did enjoy the book very much. The changes from 1953 to 1979 were well done and well placed. They never felt forced or rushed and kept the momentum up with both story lines. At the end of the book, I felt as though there were appropriate resolutions to both story lines. It was not hard to follow at all, as some books which change time periods can be.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good political thriller, or who has any interest in the Middle East. Very good. I will keep an eye out for Gabbay's other books as well.

P.S. A special thank you to Tom Gabbay himself, if you're reading this, for letting me know that I could read the book without having read the first two. (I am a stickler for reading series books in the right order, back to back.) Anyway, Tom, thank you for the information, and for listing your book with the FirstReads giveaway, too. :) ( )

Although I generally like to read series books in order, this is the first book of the Jack Teller series that I have and a chance to read. It stands well on its own, however. The novel is quick paced once it got going (got off to a slow start) and entertaining. I found the historical setting especially interesting and felt the author did a good job of putting me right in the middle of the story. I look forward to reading more by this author. ( )

Tom Gabbay has written an entertaining page-turner that takes the reader to Tehran during two tense historic periods: the 1953 CIA-driven coup d'etat of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh and the 1979 mullah-driven take over the US Embassy.

Jack Teller is back for the third time (The Lisbon Crossingand The Berlin Conspiracy), but The Tehran Conviction shows his initiation into the fledgling CIA. The reader meets some colorful characters among his fellow spooks, including the real life Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. as the agent in charge of Operation Ajax. He also particularly befriends an Iranian brother and sister. The brother happens to be a close associate of Mossadegh, which is of more than passing interest to Teller et al.

In 1979, he is drawn back to Tehran on a hopeless unofficial mission to spring the same Iranian from the notorious Qasr prison. He pays a call to the US Embassy and has the misfortune to be there just when the takeover occurs.

Gabbay details the ways and means used in Operation Ajax and I found that part of the book quite interesting. He does not do the same with the hostage taking. His portrayal of Islamic mullahs is cartoonish. The Tehran Conviction is an entertaining diversion that falls short of the better works from the spy genre. ( )

I liked this book very much with a few reservations. The book was not slow going at all; I read it in about five sessions. The most glaring fault is the unbelievable descriptions of the CIA activities. It is very hard to believe the CIA would recruit and hire immedeately from a bar. It is also hard to believe the CIA would throw millions of dollars around Tehran, willy nilly as Donnelly does. Otherwise, I found the plot fast moving and interesting. I thought I would learn a little more about modern Iran, but, alas, the book takes place in 1953 and 1979. Who knows, we may find many many more books about Iran as they seek a nuclear presence in the world. ( )