Chapter By Chapter> Tom Clancy’s Op-Center: Mirror Image chapter 46

Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter (or possibly multiple chapter for this one) of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

In our last chapter we checked in on Striker. Now we’re back to Russia, but not with Commie Op-Center. Instead we’re checking in with our infiltration team. So still Striker.

I’m all out of padding at this point. We’re around the last quarter of the book. I’m out of ways to discuss this story without spoilers. So let’s just get on with the review.

Tuesday, 2:06 PM, St. Petersburg

The good news is that there is no unnecessary trivia in this one, nor unnecessary backstory material. It’s just Peggy and George getting off of the submarine, using buoy checking as a cover, and getting onto shore. Except one of Rossky’s agents spots them making landfall and calls base. Frankly, I was expecting it to be the runner, though how she could have gotten back there I couldn’t tell you. I’m still hoping for Peggy to get payback for her friend.

Instead the agent is disguised as a dude on the beach. Curiously, his radio is a Walkman, like what Fields-Hutton had if I remember correctly. The book’s gone on so long I’m starting to forget smaller details, and all of the useless stuff isn’t helping me any. I don’t know if it’s the same fake Walkman reworked for Russian frequencies, but it’s an interesting idea. He also watches an artist, who was also a short suspect for the spy because I was totally expecting one (not sure how he knew where to be situated) drawing a blond tourist while her boyfriend watched and thought next time he’d be an artist. I guess so he could get close to a pretty girl in hopes she didn’t have a boyfriend, though it would make it harder to send his report out. Or maybe he’s hoping for a threesome. His life.

Overall this was a good chapter because it was short, stuck to the relevant parts, and didn’t bore me. I wish more chapters in this book was like that. Maybe next time we can go for two in a row, but I have my doubts.