Spy Hook

by Len Deighton, James Lailey (Read by)

Overview

What Bernard Sampson, protagonist of BERLIN GAME, MEXICO SET, and LONDON MATCH, is about to know may hurt him. When word gets to London Central that a cache of millions of pounds has disappeared inside the Service, Samson is determined to learn the truth. But not even that discovery will help if the Department itself wants his blood....

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798874694135
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	07/02/2024
Series:	Bernard Samson , #4
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Len Deighton was born in London. He served in the Royal Air Force, attached to the Special Investigation Branch. He then attended art school and later worked as an illustrator and photographer. In 1960 he went to France, where he wrote his first book, The Ipcress File, which became an immediate and spectacular success. Since then he has published numerous books of fiction and nonfiction, all garnering international acclaim.

James Lailey is an actor, known for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre: Henry V, The Driving Seat, and Shakespeare's Globe: Romeo and Juliet.

Editorial Reviews

Initiating a second trilogy, Deighton mesmerizes the reader with the ongoing trials of Bernard Sansom, British intelligence agent who survived perils in Berlin Game , Mexico Set and London Match. Sansom's story begins with a fruitless meeting in Washington with former colleague Jim Prettyman, who denies any knowledge of the slush fund Sansom has been ordered to trace. Over half a million pounds is missing from money allocated to Bret Rensselear of the German desk by London Central before he was shot in Berlin. Later, in London, Sansom learns at a briefing that Prettyman has been killed, another ``incident'' pressuring Sansom's superiors to widen his investigation in East and West Berlin and eventually in France. All the people he questionseven trusted friendsdeepen Sansom's fears that Central is using him to bait their own hook. Persistent rumors about his wife Fiona, long since a defector to the Soviets, magnify his suspicions, particularly in view of Fiona's links to Rensselear and the vanished fortune. The suspense is inexorable, ensuring readers' anticipation of projected sequels, Line and Sinker. 90,000 first printing; BOMC alternate. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This is the first installment in a new espionage series, ``Hook, Line, and Sinker,'' a sequel to Deighton's masterful ``Game, Set, Match'' trilogy. Bernard Samson, still trying to straighten out his life after his wife's defection to the KGB, finds top level Secret Service complicity in the disappearance of a half million dollars in departmental funds. Is this a simple case of embezzlement or of mismanagement, or is it the work of a KGB mole? Has Samson stumbled upon a top-secret operation, one in which his wife is a double agent? At novel's end Samson is on the run in Berlin, and the reader is eager for the next book. Deighton is the only worthy rival to John LeCarre. BOMC alternate.Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.

Library Journal

‘Superb… The secret of Spy Hook is its readability… Deighton is the inspiration for Le Carre and Forsyth and a master of his craft’
Today

‘In Deighton’s best books – like this one – the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous entertainment’
Independent

‘Vintage, treble-crossing, East-West intrigue … written with Deighton’s usual punch and economy’
Daily Mail

‘The narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is a marvellous entertainment’
Independent

‘Mr Deighton’s touch is unfailing … never a false note’
New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

SPY HOOK is the first book in Len Deighton's highly regarded espionage trilogy, which includes later books SPY LINE and SPY SINKER. Bernard Samson, the cool, cynical British Secret Agent, is now stuck behind a desk at London Central, relegated to jobs no one else wants. Then he discovers millions of pounds missing and cannot resist pursuing the investigation far beyond normal channels. This production by Blackstone, with plenty of audio power and well-paced tape changes, is what more audio publications should be. Reader Robert Whitfield presents a diverse cast of international characters in a smooth, seamless delivery without a trace of forced accents or gender representation. Deighton fans are sure to love SPY HOOK, while newcomers may find the experience a bit stodgy. T.J.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

DEC 03/JAN 04 - AudioFile