Hopscotch, by Brian Garfield, is an old, old book. Published in 1975 (yikes!), it’s the story of a CIA agent who is retired against his will and decides to get revenge on the Agency by publishing a tell-all memoir of all its dirty tricks.

The book was made into a wonderful, hilarious movie starring Walter Matthau back in 1980. My dad was a huge fan of it and rented it often. I watched it with him and really enjoyed it, which is why I recently decided to track down the book and read it.

And oh my God. It is so good! For a thriller, it is gorgeously written. I mean, I was absolutely blown away by the prose. If you like beautiful writing, I urge you to check out Hopscotch. Yes, it’s an old book, but it feels timeless and relevant, and the writing will have you rescanning every page, just to drink it in again and again.


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