The Zero-Cost Mission & The wily agent by Amar Bhushan

"The Zero-Cost Mission & The wily agent" by Amar Bhushan - Real life spy stories!

This book is published by HarperCollins India in 2018 and has 190 pages. This is a collection of two spy stories based on real events. 

The Zero-Cost Mission:

Jamat, a politico- religious outfit in Bangladesh, is spreading anti India venom and actively aids entry of Pakistan sponsored terrorists in India through Bangladesh. A mission is conceived to teach them a lesson by Indian intelligence. Sujal Rath, an unconventional officer, is tasked with the operation. The operation soon runs in funding crisis and is dangerously close to be abandoned. Will it go ahead? How will the funds be secured? Will Sujal and operation succeed? What will be the consequences?

Author has based the story on a real mission. As the author states in the introduction, real operations have boring phases. This story too has its share. Title of the story is best suited for the story. 

Buildup and planning of the operation is interesting. Quirky nature of the character of Sujal makes one wonders if such officers exist and are allowed to work freely. Climax is anticlimactic. The climax comes to the reader as a news from a cable. It saddens that even a successful mission has a price to pay. 

The wily agent:

Jeevanathan heads unit of India's external intelligence agency in the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. A Bangladeshi source is identified and recruited. The source provides quality input and also tries to recruit additional sources. He accuses Jeev as insensitive and aloof. How long can Jeev run this source? Is he insensitive?

It's a tale that hangs in balance. Is the source real or fraud? Is he scheming or simply greedy? Is he confident or over enthusiastic? Who is Wiley? Author has managed to maintain the see-saw. Readers keep guessing where the story is headed. 

Author does a fine job. He keeps the story interesting and also gives a small surprise at the end. 

There are some important points made by the author either overly or covertly in these two stories. Officers in high places either retire or are transfered. This causes loss of continuity and adversely impacts missions and officers. Our intelligence agencies are still marred in bureaucracy and petty politics that hamper missions. Decision making is still an issue and rather than national security, other implications of mission play a very important role. External intelligence agencies are short of cash. 

The book has two stories but the printing is unconventional. Second story does not start after end of first. You have to rotate book by 180 degrees and then flip it and you read second story. In short one side of book is one story and second side of book is second story. 

Why did I read this book? Curiosity. 

What did I like? Concept of double sided book. 

What I didn't like? Climax

Read if you want to read crossover spy stories rather than pure fiction.