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William E. Buckley

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Mongoose, R.I.P. (The Blackford Oakes Mysteries) Kindle Edition

by William F. Buckley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

49

Book 8 of 11: The Blackford Oakes Mysteries

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Blackford Oakes launches a wild attempt to kill Castro on behalf of the CIA

Ever since the botched invasion at the Bay of Pigs, Fidel Castro has run amok. He has executed thousands of his enemies, driven his countrymen to emigrate, and done everything possible to run Cuba into the ground—all in a deliberate attempt to humiliate the White House. At least, that’s how the situation looks from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where hatred of Castro has grown into an obsession. Under orders from John and Bobby Kennedy, the CIA will do anything necessary to kill Castro—no matter how ridiculous.

Even-tempered CIA agent Blackford Oakes is dismayed at the agency’s wild schemes, which include everything from poisoned wet suits to mafia hit men. But the evil of Castro’s regime is not a joke, and Oakes won’t be laughing when he tries to knock the dictator off his throne.

Mongoose, R.I.P. is the 8th book in the Blackford Oakes Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

Book 8 of 11

The Blackford Oakes Mysteries
Print length

386 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
Publication date

August 25, 2015
File size

3097 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Arguably, this is the best of the Blackford Oakes series. Since we first met him at a callow 26, in Saving the Queen, Oakes has maturedhe's become more worn around the edges, less abrasive and, as a result, more likable. It is now 1963; Castro and Khrushchev are bickering. With the help of the CIA (Operation Mongoose), President Kennedy is involved in three separate plots to assassinate Castro. The first twopresenting Castro with a toxic wetsuit and supplying his mistress with poison pills (both were actually attempted)fail. The third, providing a disillusioned Castro protege with a rifle (also a real CIA plan) looks the most promising. Oakes is sent to Cuba to help coordinate the uprising that will inevitably follow. Suddenly the CIA discovers that Castro is about to launch a medium-range missile (left from the Cuban missile crisis) at Dallas, Tex., and the president. It's up to Oakes to prevent an escalation of the Cold War. Buckley has abandoned straightforward narration for a series of rapid-fire, cinematic scenes that are sometimes confusing as they jump from Washington, D.C., to Moscow to Havana. On the plus side, this high-flying thriller is grounded in reality, thanks to Dorothy McCartney, research editor of the National Review, whose help Buckley acknowledges. Readers will enjoy the sheer exuberance of this all too plausible caper. Major ad/promo; Troll Book Club Main selection.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Blackford Oakes plays a relatively quiescent part in this retelling of the Kennedy assassination, which links Oswald to the Castro regime. Learning that the Soviets have secretly left behind a single missile after the U.S. challenge, Castro masterminds a scenario that will see Kennedy dead whether by bullet or ballistic missile. Vital to the story's plot are various documented attempts on Castro's life, one Oakes's assignment, and the love affair between Blacky and Sally Partridge. With a deft ear for the Cuban phrase and respect for technical detail, Buckley has again loosed the fox among the pigeons with satisfying results. Troll Book Club main selection. Barbara Conaty, Library of Congress
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Compelling and literate...His best book.

-- "New York Times Book Review"

Blackford Oakes plays a relatively quiescent part in this retelling of the Kennedy assassination, which links Oswald to the Castro regime...With a deft ear for the Cuban phrase and respect for technical detail, Buckley has again loosed the fox among the pigeons with satisfying results.

-- "Library Journal"

Buckley details a macabre (and largely factual) comedy of errors in which the CIA devises some murder weapons (poisoned wet suits, for example) that would do Maxwell Smart proud...Once again, Buckley proves to be an ingenious plotter, creating suspense even when we know what will happen.

-- "Booklist"

Buckley's best Blackford Oakes thriller, ...for here he wades into the shadows of the Kennedy assassination and gives us a somber eye throughout...Gripping.

-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"

Arguably, this is the best of the Blackford Oakes series. Since we first met him at a callow twenty-six, in Saving the Queen, Oakes has matured-he's become more worn around the edges, less abrasive and, as a result, more likable...This high-flying thriller is grounded in reality, thanks to Dorothy McCartney, research editor of the National Review, whose help Buckley acknowledges. Readers will enjoy the sheer exuberance of this all too plausible caper.

-- "Publishers Weekly"

From the Publisher

8 1.5-hour cassettes

About the Author

John MacDonald (1952-2008) was a director, producer, and founder of the Washington Stage Guild in Washington, DC. A graduate of Catholic University, MacDonald was a popular figure in the Mid-Atlantic theater scene. He made dozens of recordings for the Talking Book program at the Library of Congress before entering the commercial audiobook field.

William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008) was the founder of National Review and the host of one of television's longest-running public affairs programs, Firing Line. The author of more than fifteen novels, many of them New York Times bestsellers, he won the National Book Award for Stained Glass, the second in the series featuring Blackford Oakes.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0116EBXLI
Publisher ‏ : ‎ MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (August 25, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3097 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 386 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #425,554 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,175 in Espionage Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #2,465 in International Mystery & Crime (Kindle Store)
- #2,959 in Espionage Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

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Ron Scott

GREAT ENTERTAINMENT BY A GREAT WRITER

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2014

well written novel, love Buckley's style, am reading the entire Blackford Oakes series

One person found this helpful

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ladyadnyl

Not the book I had read previously.....!

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2012

Very disappointed, thought I was getting a copy of a book I'd read previously, titled simply, MONGOOSE by William F. Buckley. This was a much watered down twisted version of that great insightful book!

2 people found this helpful

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Dan Berger

The Kennedys plot to kill Castro

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2022

Verified Purchase

I never tire of the Blackford Oakes series, and this story reminds me why.

It’s 1963. It’s about plots to kill Castro and launch a coup, and the Kennedy assassination is on the horizon. You know from history that the plots to kill Castro will (sadly) fail, and the one to kill JFK will (tragically) succeed.

In some authors’ hands, this would be such a downer you’d trudge through the pages. In Buckley’s capable hands, that never happens. I don’t know exactly why. Maybe it’s the quality of his writing, the wit and verve, the lifelike and entertaining portrayals of historical characters. Maybe it’s the drama created as characters motivated by personal tragedy turn against Communism and make a move. Maybe even the side drama of Oakes’ long-lasting but unresolved romance with Sally Partridge. We finally see the back story, plus a twist and yet another twist and yet another..

You roll it around in your mouth like fine wine. As always, the fine detail: Che Guevara suffers from asthma and has oxygen tanks stashed in key government offices. Fidel Castro has a sixth sense which uncannily bails him out of danger again and again. Che needles Fidel’s brother Raul about his penchant for executions. Bobby Kennedy slams doors. We get into lesser historical characters like Rolando Cubela.

The Latin settings - the manners, the language, the different flavors of Miami and Mexico City and Havana and the Cuban countryside - all contribute. So do Buckley’s defiantly retro values, from good guys who tend to be Christians religious enough to pray for guidance, to Oakes being secretly relieved that someone doesn’t ask his permission to smoke. One Latin character won’t approach his fiance for sex because they’re not married yet. It’s refreshing to encounter people like that in a spy novel.

The plot certainly pulls its own weight. It’s a fateful period, a dream for a spy writer. There are the U.S.-Cuba, Kennedy-Castro tensions of course. All’s not well behind the Iron Curtain, either. Castro was humiliated by Khrushchev’s abrupt stand-down ending the Cuban Missile Crisis, done without Castro’s buy-in.

To get even he’s flirting with Red China, as the Sino-Soviet split worsens, touting it as the more sincerely revolutionary of the two Communist giants. Khrushchev can’t abide potential loss of further prestige if his favorite puppet state, a most wonderful thumb stuck in the eye of the United States 90 miles from Havana, suddenly jilts him for a new suitor.

Buckley has plenty to work with. In an afterword he documents how much was based on real history, notably the Senate’s Church Committee investigation of the CIA in the 1970s.

Part of the plot here is Moscow having secretly left a nuclear missile behind, in violation of the deal with the US resolving the missile crisis, and even Castro doesn’t know about it. New York Senator Kenneth Keating charged this in 1963, based on reports from Cuban emigres. True, too, are plots to kill Castro with a poisoned wetsuit, through poisons to be delivered by a prostitute, or by being shot by someone from his inner circle.

Helpful

James Hagerty

One of the best in Blackford Oakes series.

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2021

Verified Purchase

I have read most of Buckley’s CIA novels and this might be the best. A fun and engaging book. Marvelous character development and a plot both exciting and plausible.

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