The Network by Jason Elliot

I had put this on my "to-read" list sometime last year and somehow remembered it as being a computer crime book - it's not.  But it is a really unusual book that I'm glad I read.

The novel follows Anthony Taverner, who reports in first person his experience being recruited into MI6 (the British Intelligence agency, like the US CIA), being trained by senior agents, and then being sent into Afghanistan on a secret mission.  While there is an action-packed climax, this isn't a book to read for adventure purposes - it's slow-going at times, and leverages the author's first-hand experiences in Afghanistan to paint a very clear, detailed picture of what that country was like before 9/11.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of Anthony's training, as well as his mission in Afghanistan.  Both were like reading a really detailed letter from a friend who had been through these experiences.  I was amazed at how ingenious some of his escapades were, as well as how basic and not high-tech other ones were.  The author also did a good job developing Anthony's character and his relationships with his mentors and colleagues. 

This was different from what I usually read, but I enjoyed it.