Jurjevic provides a powerful testament to the Indochina conflict, not only with a writer’s eye, but also with having served in the war himself. This combat experience strengthens the authenticity and realism of his work, making it very reminiscent of the the work of such Vietnam War chroniclers such as Tim O’Brien and Philip Caputo…

What I found particularly impressive about this book was the sheer wealth of detail that Jurjevic injects into the book in a relatively slim page count. Not only does the reader get a real sense of the socio-political life of Vietnam during this period relating to the dictatorial grip of Vietnam’s rulers and the host of global interferences in the day to day life of the country, but also much more besides. There are references to not only the extreme corruption that lays at the heart of society, the influence of the supernatural on the mindsets of the citizens and the undercurrents of tensions on a country divided, and on the cusp of a major conflict. The air is rife with tension, and as a cunning and inventive assassin roams the streets, Jurjevic keeps the reader on a knife edge throughout. Not only does he focus on the powerplays and subjugation impacting on the citizens, and the US military personnel, but he also cleverly weaves in references to life back in America, with the rise of the civil rights movement and the growing unease at America’s involvement in what we now know with hindsight to be a particularly contentious and catastrophic intervention.

There are a wealth of characters in the book, some we get to know up close and personal and some we only view through the yes of others. I particularly liked the two main protagonists, Sergeants Miser and Robeson, who have had to undertake the dubious task of tracking the female assassin stealthily wreaking havoc amongst the military community. Miser in particular is a world weary and cynical individual whose dry humour and pragmatism adds an edge to his character, and endears us to him. As he finds himself negotiating the upper echelons of the American political hierarchy, and keeping ahead of the killer, we get an even greater sense of the corruption and potential power grabs that underscore this volatile situation. He has a little time for a romantic entanglement along the way, which again heightens the undercurrent of the communism vs capitalism ethos of the book, and along with Robeson gets into some very tight and dangerous situations indeed. Along with the references to the civil rights unrest at home, we also see this nicely played out with Miser being white and Robeson black, and how Robeson is often thoughtfully, and not so thoughtfully, excluded from some situations that arise purely due to his skin colour and not his rank.

The book nips along at a good pace with some good action packed set pieces and a satisfyingly violent and almost ethereal final scene. Jurjevic keeps a solid control of the escalating feel of peril, as Miser and Robeson close in on their target, and the contrary influence of others so involved in the central theme of corruption. I must confess that this genre is close to my heart having written my MA dissertation on representations of the Vietnam War in fiction, so it’s likely that I enjoyed Play The Red Queen as an assured representation of this genre. It oozes with realism, is packed with detail, and has a perceptive use of tension and scene setting, bolstered by strong characterisation. Recommended.

Vietnam, 1963, a female Viet Cong assassin is gunning down US servicemen on the streets of Saigon. Firing from a moving scooter and at some distance, she demonstrates remarkable skill and accuracy with a pistol and has disappeared into traffic before anyone has any chance to react. Tasked with hunting the Red Queen down and bringing her string of killings to an end are Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson, two US army investigators.

The Vietnam War is a conflict that has produced a large canon of literature and movies. I chanced upon a previous novel by the author, Juris Jurjevics, completely by chance and loved it. Red Flags told the story of a US army investigator who happened upon corruption amongst Green Berets advising Montagnards and South Vietnamese government officials and it was a brilliant book, so I couldn’t wait to read this.

Once again, corruption is the real villain in this novel, and as Miser and Robeson investigate the Red Queen murders they discover just how venal the South Vietnamese state really is. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the author himself served in the Vietnam War and was a US Army investigator, and as corruption is the focus of both his Vietnam novels (he also wrote one non-Vietnam novel) I can only assume that this was something he discovered in real life.

I really wanted to like Play The Red Queen, because as I say, I loved Red Flags. Alas, while this title was good, I didn’t feel it had the magic of the previous title. Red Flags explored a little told story – the Green Beret units who mentored ethnic Montagnard soldiers and were stationed in remote outposts – and it had a real atmosphere, and the stakes were high. While Play The Red Queen does a good job with its Saigon setting it just can’t compete with the author’s previous title.

That said, this remains a strong title and is well worth a read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Oldcastle Books/No Exit Press and Juris Jurjevics for the ARC in return for an honest review. Admittedly I don't read or know enough about Vietnamese history other than what is portrayed in American films. This book is hauntingly beautiful. I really enjoyed it, well written and let me eager to learn more.

"Play The Red Queen" by Juris Jurjevics is set in the cauldron of Saigon in 1963 with the city full of American "military advisers" propping up the corrupt regime of demagogue Ngo Dinh Diem as a coup is the air and the Viet Cong are infiltrating the city and its institutions. As tensions rise a deadly female assassin begins to target American Army officers.
Tasked to find, and kill, the assassin are U.S. Army Investigators Ellsworth Miser and Clovis Robeson and the book initially appears to be a crime thriller in an exotic location.It's very far from that as Miser and Robeson find themselves drawn into a web of conspiracy ,CIA chicanery and political plotting and scheming. The Saigon of that era is perfectly drawn with locals living in poverty while young American girls ride their ponies in the parks, politicians siphon off millions of dollars of aid money while children gleefully pick up brass bullet casings in the midst of a fire fight to sell for scrap and America manipulates and pulls string behind the scenes for its own ends. Jurjevics brings Saigon alive,the smells, the sounds,the ex-pat bars full of expense account journalists and the maze of stalls and side streets ,streets where many locals sleep because they have nowhere else to go.
Miser and Robeson are great characters, sadly Juris Jurjevics passed away in 2018 as there is plenty of mileage in both characters.. Miser is from a poor background and is not averse to breaking the law if it's to his advantage, African American Robeson comes from an affluent family and his conscience dogs him after a serious incident that Miser shrugs off .
This is a great read,one of my all-time favourite books is Graham Greene's ,"The Quiet American" so I already had a fascination for for pre-Vietnam/American (depending which side you were on) War Saigon and it's heady atmosphere. I enjoyed "Play The Red Queen " just as much as Greene's classic . It has everything,it's a murder mystery, a spy story,a political intrigue ,a history lesson. and best of all an all-round great book.

Thanks to Oldcastle Books/No Exit Press. and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Juris Jurjevics sadly died not knowing that this book was going to be published, it's a credit to him. R.I.P.

An Albert Camus quote, 'Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth', perfectly captures Juris Jurjevics’s blend of historical fiction with fact as he shines a light on the less well known aspects of 1963 Saigon in Viet Nam under the then presidency of Diem and the huge US political and military presence, ostensibly under an advisory and training role, focusing particularly on countering the 'commie infestation' of the likes of the Viet Cong (VC). The Catholic Diem, along with his more ruthless and murderous younger brother, Nhu, and his powerful wife, are brutally wiping out any form of opposition, real or otherwise, particularly the protesting Buddhist monks, their paranoia knowing no bounds. All the parties involved are ignoring the rules of war and the Geneva Convention, such as the illegal bullets, and the horrifying American deployment of phosporous artillery and napalm.

In the sweltering heat, and unbearable humidity, Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Miser and African American Sergeant Clovis Robeson, military CID investigators are on the scene of the random third assassination of a member of the American military, by the VC in the form of the young Lady of Death, or the Red Queen as she is known, as she rides by on a bike, making her impossible shots and disappearing immediately. When it appears her next target is going to be a more important 'old fox', it is thought that this could either be Diem or the American ambassador, Henry Cabot Lodge, who has put the squeeze on Diem and his supporters by stopping the treacherously eye watering levels of corruption by which the elites have enriched themselves. In a narrative where very few are as they appear, the hell hole that is Saigon is portrayed with expert local knowledge, Miser and Robeson try to locate the Red Queen amidst the dangerous, tension filled times, where intrigue comes from every corner, rumours of a coup escalate, and no-one can be trusted, least of all their own side.

Jurjevics storytelling is so atmospheric, haunting and gripping, that he makes you feel you are right there in the horror show that is Saigon, where life is cheap, people disappearing, barbaric torture and industrial level killing is the norm, a place teeming with spooks everywhere, including the big CIA presence with their black ops.. The American ambassador is sheltering Buddhists, and whilst overtly apparently appearing to have nothing to do with Viet Nam politics, is not above shady, below the radar pulling of strings, the Americans staggeringly complicit in Viet Nam's elites corruption, set to replicate their Korea experience of can't win, can't lose, and can't quit. This is a superb piece of historical fiction laden as it is with the truth of the US, Saigon and Viet Nam in this particulary turbulent and wretched period of history. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Oldcastle Books for an ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Oldcastle Books for the arc of Play the red queen by Juris Jurjevics.

The story follows the Army Criminal Investigation Division officers whom are called Miser and Robeson, They have been giving a task with discovering and even stopping a scooter-riding called The Viet Cong hit woman in Saigon. There is a seemingly odd couple whom is a white and an African-American one poor, one wealthy one. . However, the hit woman is really just wants for the real story that Jurevics wants to tell, namely, about the corruption of the Diem presidency and the 1963 coup that deposed him.

4 Stars
recommend