Cover Story (Charnwood Library) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Colin Forbes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1986 | Series: Charnwood Library

"Adam Procane has to be stopped..." It was the last message his wife ever sent, and even as he read it, foreign correspondent Bob Newman knew she was dead. The killers had sent a film of her murder to London with the warning - tell other people to keep away from Procane...Procane, a top Washington official, is about to defect. With the Presidential election two months away, it's the last thing the Americans want. Trouble is, until they know exactly who he is, they can do nothing to stop him. In London, Tweed of SIS watches and waits. Four highly suspect Americans have already passed through en route to Scandinavia - the Deputy Head of the CIA, the National Security Adviser and his wife, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Any one of them could be Procane. Meanwhile Newman has slipped off to Finland, bent on revenge. It's time for Tweed to act. To get back into the field. To stop Newman and find Procane - before he - or she- takes vital secrets to the East...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When a journalist stumbles upon a defection story, a vicious warning is sent to British intelligence and shown to her husband. He is Bob Newman, the resourceful foreign correspondent first introduced in last year's Terminal. He sets out for Scandinavia determined to avenge his wife's death. His single clue meshes imperfectly with a much larger plan to monitor the defector, supervised by another figure from Terminal, the plump investigator Tweed. Newman's clever forays upset Tweed's delicate strategies, creating an involuted double tale of exacting suspense. With his draftsman's eye for precise detail, Forbes enlivens the espionage with a veritable Michelin guide to Helsinki and Tallinn. Once again Forbes has produced an agreeably complicated tale for fans of the shadowy world of wily spies. Barbara Conaty, Medical Coll. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: Charnwood (December 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0708983731
• ISBN-13: 978-0708983737
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,692,993 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 Very typical 1980s Cold War classic!, June 12, 2000

By 

Mr N Forbes-warren "author of RESURGENCE and ... (Newport, South Wales, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cover Story (Paperback)

When international foreign correspondent Bob Newman is shown a film sent to Britain's MI6 from the KGB of his wife Alexis being brutally murdered, he sets out to track down her killers. As he is not authorised by his MI6 bosses to do so, special agent Tweed must track him down. But what is the mysterious secret behind Adam Procane, a CIA spook defecting to the East with space weapons data in the upcoming months to the re-election of Reagan(this book was written in 1984, by the way). And what is Procane's link to the murder of Alexis? The trail leads Newman and Tweed across Europe to Sweden and Finland, also Estonia where events lead to a showdown, and all is revealed - or will it be? This is a very typical but much more realistic early Colin Forbes entry in his TWEED series. The characters are well-developed, the dialogue is not so cheesy as his later ones(i.e. THE CAULDRON and FURY - see said reviews) and as ever, the pacing and the intrigue is very engrossing. Not to mention the authentic European locations and an overall easy-to-read narrative. This one is a Cold War thriller that still packs a punch. Enjoy.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Newman, January 28, 2011

By 

rhytre - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover Story (Mass Market Paperback)

A mid-80's Forbes focusing on foreign correspondent Newman and Tweed the spymaster. Newman's estranged wife, also a reporter, is filmed being run down in the shadow of a 'weird castle.' He's off on his own to Finland and Estonia to investigate, while Tweed pulls strings in the background. A cast of shadowy characters drift in and out of the narrative spotlight, while Newman seeks closure and Tweed aims to protect Britain from the evil empire. Reminiscent of Forbes' 'Terminal' (written a year earlier) in its emphasis on Newman, but lacks its more frenetic pace. As I note elsewhere, Forbes and the Tweed gang are an acquired taste, but fun.

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, August 3, 2008

By 

NoWireHangers (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cover Story (Paperback)

"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner.