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The strength of the book is the recounting of historical events, many now forgotten or having occurred in another generation. Vidich vividly describes protests in the street and the suspenseful hours as East Berliners learn the order had been given to open the border. History, it appears, is worth studying, for the lessons it delivers. --Authorlink Praise for The Matchmaker: A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice The Matchmaker is an intelligent, atmospheric, richly written and quietly gripping spy novel. Vidich also deals sensitively with real moral issues around spying and there is a depth to his themes. In all, it is a very impressive achievement. It is still very early in the year, but I think that The Matchmaker will end up being one of the best spy novels of the year. - Jeff Popple, Murder, Mayhem and Long Dogs The absorbing drama/mystery takes hold of your attention as Anne's plight unfolds. The looming fall of the Berlin Wall intertwined with the fate of Anne and the spy she's tasked with finding make for a riveting read. --Philip Zozzaro The Manhattan Book Review A woman's life takes a stunning turn and a wall comes tumbling down in this tense Cold War spy drama. Intrigue, murder, and vengeance make for a darkly enjoyable read. -- Kirkus Reviews Readers interested in learning more about the Stasi should look for Paul Vidich's novel The Matchmaker, [which is] tightly written and carefully plotted. It grabs you in the first pages and never lets go. --J. E. Leonardson, CIA's Studies in Intelligence Shades of Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and John le Carre hover over the pages of Paul Vidich's The Matchmaker, a Cold War thriller set in West and East Berlin in the eventful years of 1989 and '90. The innovative Mr. Vidich subverts expectations in ways that surprise. --Tom Nolan The Wall Street Journal There is a casual elegance to Vidich's spy fiction, a seeming effortlessness that belies his superior craftsmanship. Every plot point, character motivation and turn of phrase veers toward the understated, but they are never underwritten. The Matchmaker is an ideal entrance into Vidich's work, one that should compel new readers to plumb his backlist. --Sarah Weinman The New York Times Book Review Vidich adds a welcome feminist twist to the familiar espionage theme of human lives trapped in the vice of competing and equally ruthless governments. From An Honorable Man (2016) through The Mercenary (2021), Vidich has established his position in the forefront of contemporary espionage novelists. -- Booklist With a capable female protagonist, Vidich brings a modern sensibility to the complex machinations of the traditional spy novel. --Becky Meloan The Washington Post With a great narrative and powerful plot twists, the story comes to life and all is slowly revealed by the final chapter. This surely lives up to the standards of Graham Greene and John le Carre, as denoted in the dust jacket blurb. Kudos, Mr. Vidich, for an entertaining read that left me reminiscing of the days of the Cold War. -- Mystery and Suspense Magazine

"""The strength of the book is the recounting of historical events, many now forgotten or having occurred in another generation. Vidich vividly describes protests in the street and the suspenseful hours as East Berliners learn the order had been given to open the border. History, it appears, is worth studying, for the lessons it delivers.""--Authorlink ""This taut, nuanced spy thriller centered on Lebanese American CIA agent Analise Assad further establishes Vidich as a new master of the genre. Vidich ably describes daily life in a war-torn setting and convincingly highlights the dangers Analise faces as a woman in her position. He brings the action to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, and John le Carré will be eager for more.""--Publishers Weekly Praise for The Matchmaker: A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice ""A woman's life takes a stunning turn and a wall comes tumbling down in this tense Cold War spy drama. Intrigue, murder, and vengeance make for a darkly enjoyable read.""-- ""Kirkus Reviews"" ""Readers interested in learning more about the Stasi should look for Paul Vidich's novel The Matchmaker, [which is] tightly written and carefully plotted. It grabs you in the first pages and never lets go.""--J. E. Leonardson, CIA's Studies in Intelligence ""Shades of Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and John le Carré hover over the pages of Paul Vidich's The Matchmaker, a Cold War thriller set in West and East Berlin in the eventful years of 1989 and '90. The innovative Mr. Vidich subverts expectations in ways that surprise.""--Tom Nolan ""The Wall Street Journal"" ""There is a casual elegance to Vidich's spy fiction, a seeming effortlessness that belies his superior craftsmanship. Every plot point, character motivation and turn of phrase veers toward the understated, but they are never underwritten. The Matchmaker is an ideal entrance into Vidich's work, one that should compel new readers to plumb his backlist.""--Sarah Weinman ""The New York Times Book Review"" ""Vidich adds a welcome feminist twist to the familiar espionage theme of human lives trapped in the vice of competing and equally ruthless governments. From An Honorable Man (2016) through The Mercenary (2021), Vidich has established his position in the forefront of contemporary espionage novelists.""-- ""Booklist ""With a capable female protagonist, Vidich brings a modern sensibility to the complex machinations of the traditional spy novel.""--Becky Meloan ""The Washington Post"" ""With a great narrative and powerful plot twists, the story comes to life and all is slowly revealed by the final chapter. This surely lives up to the standards of Graham Greene and John le Carré, as denoted in the dust jacket blurb. Kudos, Mr. Vidich, for an entertaining read that left me reminiscing of the days of the Cold War.""-- ""Mystery and Suspense Magazine"""

"""Beirut Station is a perfectly executed fictionalized snapshot of a time when the Middle East was in the news for all the wrong reasons. Paul Vidich has created a story worthy of Le Carré and Graham Greene.""--Authorlink ""First and foremost it's a compelling story, one that gripped me from start to finish, but it also awakened in me a dormant interest in the complex politics of the Middle East.""--Mystery and Suspense Magazine ""This well-plotted thriller deftly mixes spy craft with questions about identity and justice.""--The Christian Science Monitor, Top 10 Books of October ""Extraordinary. A compelling spy novel set during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.""--Mal Warwick, Malwarwickonbooks.com ""Vidich's oeuvre already solidifies his place in the genre. Readers unfamiliar with his work will be dazzled by his vision.""--Peter Handel, CrimeReads ""There is plenty of death to avenge in this tense, fast-moving novel.""--Kirkus Reviews ""This taut, nuanced spy thriller centered on Lebanese American CIA agent Analise Assad further establishes Vidich as a new master of the genre. Vidich ably describes daily life in a war-torn setting and convincingly highlights the dangers Analise faces as a woman in her position. He brings the action to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of Eric Ambler, Graham Greene, and John le Carré will be eager for more.""--Publishers Weekly Praise for The Matchmaker: A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice ""Shades of Graham Greene, Eric Ambler and John le Carré hover over the pages of Paul Vidich's The Matchmaker, a Cold War thriller set in West and East Berlin in the eventful years of 1989 and '90. The innovative Mr. Vidich subverts expectations in ways that surprise.""--Tom Nolan ""The Wall Street Journal"" ""There is a casual elegance to Vidich's spy fiction, a seeming effortlessness that belies his superior craftsmanship. Every plot point, character motivation and turn of phrase veers toward the understated, but they are never underwritten. The Matchmaker is an ideal entrance into Vidich's work, one that should compel new readers to plumb his backlist.""--Sarah Weinman ""The New York Times Book Review"" ""Vidich adds a welcome feminist twist to the familiar espionage theme of human lives trapped in the vice of competing and equally ruthless governments. From An Honorable Man (2016) through The Mercenary (2021), Vidich has established his position in the forefront of contemporary espionage novelists.""-- ""Booklist"

Author Information

Paul Vidich is the acclaimed author of The Matchmaker, The Mercenary, The Coldest Warrior, An Honorable Man, and The Good Assassin. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, LitHub, CrimeReads, Fugue, The Nation, Narrative Magazine, and Wordriot. He lives in New York City.

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