The Pope is missing. Three mysterious specialists are dispatched to Europe to find him.
The Vatican claims not to know anything about the Pope’s disappearance.
A secret arrangement is made for Ayden Tanner, a covert agent, to meet Rafael Rabolini, the Papacy’s press secretary, in Geneva, who might be able to tell him more.
But trouble unexpectedly starts from the moment Ayden arrives in the city that winter day…
Professional Reviews
BuddenBookReviews
In his political thriller, Incognito, Khaled Talib drew me hook, line and sinker into a world where I didn't know who was on whose side, or whom I could trust in higher levels of law enforcement and government agencies.
In its simplest plot, Incognito is about a Pope who was kidnapped and three people (living incognito, presumed dead) who were recruited to find him, hoping to spare his life. However, the story is much more complex as layer upon layer of violence erupts around them in their efforts to find the Pope. It seems their every move is being tracked and those in pursuit are adamant that the trio will not live to make it to their final destination, wherever that may be.
Talib - having been an international journalist who traveled many countries around the world - has firsthand experience in witnessing the chaos which can erupt in the blink of an eye, and the ensuing fallout as one country retaliates against another while innocent people get hurt in the midst of their tirade.
In Incognito, accusations are made against the Muslims - saying they've kidnapped the Pope - but it comes to light early on that the Muslims are not responsible for the travesty at all, that they are being targeted as part of a bigger picture.
Given the current political climate, especially in Europe, with Islamophobia at an all time high, it is my belief Talib wrote Incognito in the hopes of educating others that everything is not necessarily as it seems, regardless of what may be broadcast on the news or printed in newspapers. Deceit can come from any person, at any level of an organization or in society, itself. Just because a person wears a set of stripes, a uniform or other insignia doesn't mean he/she is the person who will help in a crisis, especially from a legal or political standpoint.
Furthermore, I believe Talib wants people to realize that not all Muslims are terrorists or prepared to become a victim of a suicide bombing. Many Muslims live with a heart filled with peace which seems to get overlooked because of the stigma now associated with being a Muslim in the western and European worlds.
Granted, there are Muslim terrorists - just as there are Caucasians and terrorists from other nationalities around the world - and they are filling the hearts of people across the globe with fear and uncertainty about tomorrow. However, despite the havoc they wreak, they form the minority of the population and not everyone from every nationality should be painted with the same brush.
It has been a pleasure acquainting myself with Khaled Talib's writing and I will be sure to read other titles as time permits. If you are interested in checking out Incognito - a book which will take you on an international journey into places you may never otherwise visit.
Chocolate Pages
The Author begins his book with an acknowledgements section, and this gave me a taster of what was to come as he mentions what we now know as ‘fake news’, and how we should question “what has been deemed to be the truth”. Incognito is a very fast paced thriller, which begins with the Pope going missing, presumed kidnapped. An ex SAS solidier and 2 other agents are given the task of finding what has happened and returning the Pope safely.
There is plenty of mention of religion, Muslims and Catholics and it all seemed very relevant to everything that has been going on in the world recently. For me, it seemed like the words were chosen very carefully, there is political correctness. I wonder if the agents would have been so ‘correct’ if this story was not fiction.
The story is very fast paced and I would not be surprised, if this book reaches a wide audience that it would be suggested to be made into a film, it gives a real idea of a James Bond type theme and the Author actually mentions Bond in his words. There are a few parts of this book which made me smile, amongst the thrills and kills!
“Just because you’ve got a James Bond accent, doesn’t mean you’re more intelligent than me”
I think the lives of the agents were portrayed well. (I guess based on my knowledge of those Hollywood movies!). Moving fast and almost unseen, with a variety of passports and identities. They are loners who are given jobs and risk their lives doing them. However, when they have their ‘down time’….
“Yeah, I’ll stay here…..they’ve got Netflix” 😉 (like I said some bits of this made me smile at the normality, whereas other parts were full of action and suspicion.
My favourite parts of this book are the beginning where the Author adds in some thoughts which I found close to my heart:
“it is always advisable not to make permanent decisions based on temporary emotion”
I also liked the end where the action comes to a final conclusion. To be honest I found the middle part a little to fast paced in a James Bond kind of way for me. I am not a fan of these types of films, and the book gave me that impression a little to much. However, this is just my opinion and I’m sure that kind of book would appeal to many readers.
The book was well written, and the characters developed. I can actually quite imagine the main character Ayden to be waiting for his next mission to be given to him.
Rosie Amber Review Team
Incognito by Khaled Talib is a European based, action packed political thriller. Like most stories of this genre, the plot is fanciful in parts, but contains just enough credibility to keep the reader guessing.
The novel begins when the pope is kidnapped by an anti-Muslim organisation called The Sword. In response, an anonymous, apolitical, non-religious group known as The League of Invisible Nights, sends three agents to help the Vatican locate the pope. The plot centres around their efforts to uncover who is behind the kidnapping and save the pope.
The political aspect of the novel is what I found most interesting. Corruption is in evidence everywhere – from the Vatican to the police and at the highest government level. The Sword originated as a guerrilla force created by the CIA and NATO after WW2 but is now funded by big business and headed up by a Dutch Senator. It consists of a group of individuals motivated by their opposition to immigration and in particular Muslims.
The novel is very topical given that Islamophobia is on the increase due to fear often perpetuated by the media. Talib uses his novel to show how easy it would be to manipulate the public mood by staging acts of terror and blaming a specific group of people – in this case Muslims. The kidnapping of the pope is played out in front of the world’s eyes and Muslim extremists are presented as being behind the potential atrocity. Talib very cleverly captures our obsession with news as the kidnapping story is played over and over on a loop on every news channel.
Talib uses his novel as a means of challenging stereotypes about Islam. For instance, he goes to great lengths to show that women are not oppressed, pointing, for instance, to the fact that they don’t have to change their name to that of their husband. While I applaud this, I did feel that it was slightly overdone, and not necessarily fitting with the genre of the book.
Another strength of the novel is the way it spans different parts of Europe: Geneva, Venice, Rome and The Vatican City are all brought alive by Talib’s descriptive skills. The sense of awe, history and beauty are successfully conveyed which lends an added layer of mystery to the proceedings.
Incognito is a novel written for readers who love plot driven, fast paced action and adventure. The action is relentless and there are very few quiet, reflective moments to try and figure out what’s going on; I think some contrast might have improved the reading experience for me.
The pace of the novel also has a massive impact on the characterisation. This is a novel with lots of characters but the death count is phenomenal. A new, potentially interesting character would be introduced only to be killed off by the end of the chapter. We are told that they all have backgrounds in the armed services but that’s about it. A little more insight into the characters would have made me care more about what happened to them.
The biggest disappointment for me is Isabelle Gaugher who Talib presents as being equal to the men. However, when we are first introduced to her she makes a coarse comment about her menstruation that is clearly meant to show she’s ‘one of the men’ but it just felt inappropriate. Her tough no-nonsense attitude is then justified by the fact that she has previously been raped. I think Talib had good intentions in wanting to create a strong female character but then felt he had to make her ‘damaged’ which effectively offsets her strength. Couldn’t she just have been strong, full stop, without being coarse or having ‘issues’?
I am probably not quite the target audience for this novel which, despite my misgivings, has many merits. If you enjoy fast paced action adventure that is very much plot-based then this one is for you. I can imagine it being a great holiday read for anyone who wants to lose themselves in a political thriller.
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