Sentinel A Spycatcher Novel By Matthew Dunn HarperLuxe Larger Print (2012) ISBN: 978-0062128409 Genre: Thriller

Reviewed by Israel Drazin - August 20, 2012

Matthew Dunn’s Sentinel is the second in his spy novel series involving William Cochrane, a seasoned MI6 agent. It follows Spycatcher. It is filled with drama and suspense, with twists and turns. Dunn is well trained, physically strong, highly intelligent, and resourceful, but he meets an MI6 agent called "Sentinel" who may very well be better than him and a ruthless Russian villain who is determined to kill Sentinel and the agents Sentinel is running, and who seems to be physically stronger and more intelligent than the two of them.

Cochrane was groomed by both MI6 and CIA senior spies. He was tarnished in his youth by two events – the brutal murder of his heroic father, also a MI6 agent, after a long period of torture, and the death of his innocent mother. He was surprised by his swift response against his mother’s attackers who, although he was just a boy, he was able to kill. His college professor offered him a scholarship because of his intelligence so that he could become a professor himself, but he turned it down. He served instead in the harshest segment of the French Foreign Legion and became accustomed to facing and not fearing imminent death, and proficient is making swift proper responses. He was recruited by MI6 and rose to be what he thought was the agency’s top field agent, until he heard about Sentinel. He insists upon following no man’s orders, only his own skills and instincts, and is allowed to do so because he gets results.

He is surprised to learn about Sentinel who is also a loner. Sentinel, like his father, was captured by Russians and suffered six years of torture without revealing any British secrets, but unlike his father he survived. Cochrane’s mission is to fly to Russia, join Sentinel and to stop Razin who is killing Sentinel’s top agents. He discovers that Razin is trying to start a war between Russia and America for his own personal benefit. He also discovers that Razin is able to constantly outwit him and Sentinel and to beat him when the two are fighting.

• Spycatcher, by Matthew Dunn.
  Will Cochrane is a modern day British spy who works for MI6 and whose adventures rival those of James Bond.
  
  
• State of Fear, by Michael Crichton
  In this techno-thriller, Crichton explores how information is manipulated throughout the modern world, as a group of eco-terrorists launch a series of man-made catastrophes, of epic proportions.