Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Catching Hanif’s Eye
AUTHOR: Patrick Doyle
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 270 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 31, 2025
BLURB:
Tom’s a data analyst. It’s not a passionate affair. Neither is his relationship with Mario, although Mario thinks it is. That’s Tom’s way. He makes things work, whether they work for him or not. With anyone else it would be called low expectations. Not Tom. His passion lies elsewhere. He’s a secret writer.
The commitment is unusual and he keeps it to himself. Life has already dealt a few blows and he’s reluctant to test its limits. Undemanding relationships. Unpublished books. A job that requires little thought. A bad attitude. These are the markers that keep him in place.
But when an accident leads him to discover he’s losing his sight, life screeches to a halt. His writing, his career, his very independence are at stake. Time, once the future, is turning into the past.
Then a man appears. Beautiful yet damaged, Hanif brings light to Tom’s darkness. The irony isn’t lost on him, if it’s irony at all. Just when he’s about to give up on life, he finds a new reason to live. But things may not be as they seem. Lies can be told. Accidents can be arranged. Identities can be assumed.
Tom’s story is a trip down a nebulous road. From an easy life to an erotic adventure, from a modest employee to a man on the run, he must see the truth while he still can. Ophthalmologists. Optometrists. Lovers. Friends. Some wish him well. Some don’t.
Played out against a backdrop of political intrigue and haunted by ghosts from the past, is this story of love at first sight no more than a game of blind man’s bluff?
REVIEW:
While in a relationship that basically passes the time, Tom has been told that he’s going blind. But while at the hospital, he befriends another partially sighted man, so all’s not bad. However, strange encounters make Tom wonder. Who is a mark, a friend, being used or a willing participant? There’s also the question of why, and does love conquer all?
This story had me in a bit of a quandary. On the one hand, the ‘who dunnit’ side of espionage was sheer brilliance. But I struggled to connect with any of the characters, and I like a connection. Then again, given that undercover activities are afoot, and anyone could be lying, would I make myself open to a connection? Would I have a choice? If in Tom’s position, would I know? Is this a dilemma that plagues the MC, or was he a bit of a dufus to begin with? Tom’s state of mind flip-flops like a fish on dry land, but if I were in his position, would mine? Does that make me have a connection to the characters or not?
The story is told in the third person from the sole viewpoint of Tom. Worldbuilding evolves from everyday life to one of checking the shadows. To this extent, the tale is exceedingly atmospheric. The blurb mentions Tom’s blindness, so I’m not giving anything away here. The opening chapter has me questioning Tom’s character because it includes Tom’s potential blindness, and the stress makes him want to have sex with someone who is not his boyfriend. Mmm – I guess stress affects everyone differently, so fair enough, but also WTF. This is where my struggles with Tom began and were never silenced. One way or another, every situation gave Tom a stiffy. However, while there were intimate activities, the majority of them were behind closed doors, and I don’t believe the story suffered for it.
I’m not going to say anything about Hanif, because to do so would give spoilers. Anyhoo, by the end, I had a few unanswered questions, such as how did X get Y, and what about Z, and as this is a standalone book, they’re not likely to be answered.
Soooo, as spy novels go, the intrigue and complexity is some of the best I’ve read, and if you like characters that are off the beaten path, then this is a must for your library. However, if relatable MC’s are a must, you could struggle a bit.
RATING: 
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Thanks for the insight and the review. I appreciate both. Yeah, Tom is a conundrum for sure.