Customer Reviews

The Company of Saints

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This is a fast, good read, even though the subject matter is now a little dated. It's a political thriller with murder, assassinations and all the usual "Third Man" stuff of an earlier generation. The old, hard line Russian leaders are about to be replaced by a more peace aware, younger leader and head of the KGB... a thinly disguised Boris Yeltsin. Davina Graham is head of the British SIS when a series of assassinations takes place around the world, committed by a group of mentally unstable young people who have been targetted and trained to murder on command. Intelligence agents everywhere are convinced that this is the work of a terrorist group who wish to prevent the formation of a softer Russian government, and work together to find an answer. Davina's current lover is proved to be in the pay of the KGB, while her relationships with her father and her sister Charlie are non existent as both of them resent her for having outed Charlie's husband as a Russian mole. If you like the cold war type thrillers, You'll love this one !

For Davina Graham a holiday in Venice with her lover Tony Walden is a rare chance to relax and be happy. Since her husband's murder by the KGB, she has worked and struggled to become the first female member of the SIS.
But her new happiness is short-lived. On the Grand Canal Henry Franklin, United States Secretary of Defence, and his daughter are blown into pieces by a bomb - with no apparent motive. Then begins a chain of random murders which seem to lead directly to Moscow... Yet Davina Graham's old adversary, KGB head Igor Borisov, is equally baffled. For who or what is the so-called Company of Saints?
A suspenseful plot and a nice reading by Carolyn Pickles are the strong points of this audiobook.

Davina Graham, newly appointed head of British Intelligence, begins a Venetian holiday. Her plans change abruptly when a bomb is thrown at the vacationing American Secretary of Defense. Within weeks, the assassins strike at a French diplomat, a British priest, even a KGB agent. Trusting noone, not even her lover, Graham takes a huge risk and arranges a meeting with her Soviet counterpart, hoping to end the personal and political chaos.

This is one of Ms. Anthony's earliest mystery novels. We find ourselves in Venice, which she calls the most beautiful city in the world. Ms. Grahan, head of British intelligence is headed there on a Venetian holiday and due to unexpected circumstances has to arrange a meeting with her Soviet counterpart. A good-looking blonde/blue eyes assassin has beat her there on a mission, traveling on a false name. He was not there to enjoy the beauty and pigeons or anything else.

First target is the Secretary of Defense from the United States when a bomb is tossed his way. Then, attempts are made on the lives of the French diplomat, a British priest, and a KGB agent. The assassin was instructed to leave the modest pensione where he had rented a room after his mission was accomplished and go to a house on the Street of the Assassins, as nobody would think of looking for him there. Sometimes, the devil's advocates like to think of themselves as saints; I am aware of some in L.A. and Denver, perhaps that one in New York, who conspire to cause havoc and keep their jobs at the same time. Two are saints, Winston and Charles. The other two are devils of the worst sort.

Davinia finds that her personal chaos and the political consequences make her not trust anyone even her closest allies. This intrigue is fairly typical of Evelyn Anthony. I read her 'Doll's House' a long time ago. She knows the Russian way of thinking and doing, you can say that for her.