Achilles' Heel [Mass Market Paperback]

Sean Flannery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1999

Ex-KGB agent Valeri Yernin, known as "the Surgeon" for the accuracy of his hits, is supposed to be dead. But the National Security Intercept Center identifies a telephone call originating from Karachi as a ninety-eight percent voice match. In the call, Yernin vows to finally get even with military intelligence analyst Bill Lane.

The Barents Sea, Russia's graveyard for nuclear reactors, is where a Romeo class diesel-electric submarine is supposed to be scuttled. After a mysterious explosion, the sub disappears without a trace and the ship and its crew are presumed lost. Bill Lane suspects that the Russian sub hasn't sunk, and follows a trail of sub-sea anomalies to the coast of Morocco. There he discovers that Yermin has masterminded the theft of the sub to use it as a bargaining chip on the black market.

Yermin has captured Lieutenant Commander Francis Shipley of the British Intelligent Service, planning to use her relationship with Lane against him -- and he may have finally discovered Bill Lane's Achilles' heel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Top-flight adventure writer Flannery brings back U.S. military intelligence analyst Bill Lane and his lover, British agent Frannie Shipley, this time hot on the trail of an old Russian submarine, which is said to have been sunk with all hands but has in fact been sold to unfriendly powers. While Lane (perhaps the best-dressed espionage agent since James Bond) tries to locate the sub and identify the purchaser, he and Frannie must also deal with Valeri Yernin, a psychopathic Russian assassin who has sworn to kill them both in revenge for a previous mission they foiled. The scenes shift swiftly among Switzerland, London, the Channel Islands and the sub's ever-changing locations as it slides underwater toward its mysterious destination. Plenty of shoot-em-ups set the stage for the final violent confrontation between Yernin, Lane and Frannie (herself no mean markswoman), capped by a final explosive submarine event. As in the previous Bill Lane adventures (Winner Take All and Kilo Option), the good guys are sympathetic and responsible and even most of the bad guys have some humanity. One hopes we'll be seeing more of Bill and Frannie.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

"Flannery's Lane is the equal of Clancy's Jack Ryan and almost as charismatic as Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt." --The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Flannery's latest geo-political thriller is a winner." --San Francisco Examiner

"Sean Flannery's novel serves admirably the oldest and most primal of literature's purposes--to divert us, to transport us, and to allow us to dream." --The Washington Post

"Sean Flannery is good at what he does--very good." --Minneapolis Star Tribune

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books (August 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812550331
• ISBN-13: 978-0812550337
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,053,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another writer as good as Clancy, July 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Achilles' Heel (Hardcover)

The word on the oceans is that a Russian nuclear sub exploded in the Barents Sea and was deserted by everyone. However, the ship seemingly vanished and the crew disappeared without any further evidence. American military intelligence agent Bill Lane and his British counterpart and lover Frannie Shipley investigate the incident.

They soon learn that the sub has been sold via the black market to a nation unfriendly to the west. The pair tries to locate the missing sub, which is steadily making its way to its new home. They also inquire into the identity of the purchaser, which leads them to Morocco. When Bill finally ferrets out the brains behind the sting, he knows that his worst nightmare has occurred. His old enemy, Valeri "the Surgeon" Yernin, is behind the nefarious plot while also seeking vengeance against Bill for a previous failed caper. However, this time around the former Russian espionage agent is holding all the cards as he has in hi! s possession the joker better known as Frannie.

Sean Flannery may be the best writer of action-packed, modern day espionage thrillers with his Bill Lane stories being among the best novels of the nineties. His latest Lane tale, ACHILLES HEEL, may be Mr. Flannery's best to date, which is an incredible accomplishment after novels like WINNER TAKES ALL and KILO OPTION because this time Bill has to deal with a personal dilemma interfering with his accomplishing a mission. The story line is crisp and loaded with action, and all the characters, including Yernin, invoke reader empathy because they are so humanly motivated. This book is a great globe-trotting novel that deserves full reader attention as Lane is equal to or perhaps even better than Jack Ryan.

Harriet Klausner 7/26/98

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bazooka is better, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Achilles' Heel (Hardcover)

I just finished reading Achilles' Heel by Sean Flannery. Can I get a refund? Flannery may have been a good cryptographer in the Air Force, but, because someone is good at one profession doesn't make them good at another. It's like an actor trying to run for the presidency. The writing is just awful. Flannery's description of the people in this book are practically nil, and conversation between characters puts them around the third grade level. Combine that with a story line that is absurd leaves a book that should never have been published! Who are the people reading this book? Is this the reason that SAT scores are so low in America? This is not literature! I've read bubble gum wrappers with more substance than this!

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Book From Flannery!, November 3, 2001

By 

Melvin Hunt (Cleveland,, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Achilles' Heel (Mass Market Paperback)

This book picked up right where "Kilo Option" left off. Bill
Lane and Frannie Shipley are in pursuit of a submarine that was
supposedly sunk by the Russians. Linked up in this conspiracy
is Lane's bitter enemy Valerie Yernin.Lane and Yernin are headed for a final showdown. Before the big event there are several
gun battles and several killings. Lane and Shipley are also recieving problems from the British government.This book proves to be very exciting and readable from start to finish. The ending is also very unique. This is another good read from Flannery. Be sure to read it. You will know who wins the final showdown,Lane or Yergin.