Customer Reviews

Dead Line

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

M16 Agent Templeton in Cyprus reports that a contact Abboud insists Syrian deputy director of dreaded Idarat al-Mukhabarat Tibshirani believes that a London based Lebanese expatriate Sami Veshara and Chris Marcham intend to devastate the upcoming Middle East peace conference being held in Scotland. Disrupting efforts is expected by most counterterrorist groups, but what makes this allegation different is that the credit (and consequently the blame) will be given to Syria. With the leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran participating, MI5 officer Liz Carlyle is assigned to investigate the plausibility and if affirmed who they belong to.

As she follows leads, Liz fears time is running out. Clues either go nowhere or lead to more questions. She begins to revise her theory from these two nonentities to hypothesize whether the original source is using a ploy to cause some other unknown havoc although why remains out of reach. Liz knows a major incident could lead to devastating chaos in the Middle East and the end of peace negotiations for years to come.

This is a great espionage thriller that readers will fully appreciate. Thirtyish Liz is at her best in her latest tale (see At Risk, Illegal Action and Secret Asset) trying to connect dots that not only do not link but add more points to the increasingly convoluted equation. Readers will join Liz as she races to prevent a disaster but by whom and why remain just outside her analysis.

Harriet Klausner

...still not a thrilling spy novel. Ms. Rimington is dutifully writing in a manner that may mimic real world methodology of solving international espionage, but you've gotta toss a little something in for action. This supposed to be fiction with a hard gripping edge if you want to call it a thriller. Reads more like a case study and not the most interesting case, either. It's how she wants to write her novels and that's fine. She's said before that James Bond and all the other Hollywood spy work has given everyone false expectations as to what really goes on in the spy world, but when you are writing fiction you can let your hair down a bit and give it some action.

As much as I like the two other books I am reading, I immediately began reading 'Dead Line' the day it arrived somewhat unexpectedly in the mail. I had Pre-ordered it a month or so ago. After the first short chapter I did not want this book to end and I could not put it down. I had to think a bit along the way, and yes, keep track of characters, but Liz Carlyle's personality kept me engaged. Thank You Stella Rimington. I will be getting 'Rip Tide' when it comes out in Paperback. (I see it has been released to Kindle first, trying to sucker us into buying electronics!)

With clean easy to read prose, Rimington spins her yarn. I got pulled in after a dozen or so pages, then I inhaled the book. Definitely strikes me as a higher grade of literature than say your Brad Thor stuff, but there is nothing stuffy about it, and as i say, the prose is smooth and engaging -- no purple passages here. Compelling stuff, and i am looking forward to reading more!

I'm 4 books into this sieres and I enjoyed this book.I have a very easy time of transfering myself into books.I don't overthink what i'm reading I just read.The plot was good (stop an attempt on terror on peace talks).Deal with double agents,friends and would be lovers,a pompass co-worker and in the end save the day.I will buy and read the next book that comes out no question about that.Sometimes reviews are too harsh, it gives the person reviewing a misleading representation of whats entertaining,these books are entertaining. Namaste'

As a writer of spy novels, Stella Rimington is probably not the least capable of the wordsmiths who labor in the shadow of John LeCarré or Len Deighton, but her former connection with MI5 may not be serving her as well as it could. The intrigue in this yarn is approximately one layer deep, if that, and the characters are comparably devoid of complexity or humor. Indeed, a major question turns out to be when the ailing wife of Liz Carlyle's buddy over in MI6 will die so Liz can jump into bed with him. Only the first part of that question is answered, and that on the last page of the book. This is not a story you can relish for its apt turn of phrase, or psychological insight into the clandestine life, or surprise ending, but only for its straightforward unspooling of its rather mundane plot.

Retired MI5 director Stella Rimington presents another spy novel featuring MI 5 operative Liz Carlyle. In Dead Line, Liz tries to separate truth from fiction in rumored plots to disrupt a Middle East peace conference in Gleneagles, Scotland. Liz proceeds methodically, and readers are treated to the leaps of her intuition, and her ability to unravel all the confusing threads. This series continues to provide entertaining and reliable plots for fans of espionage fiction.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

In the newest entry in one of the better contemporary spy series, highlighting the activities of Liz Carlyle and her co-workers at Britain's MI5, "Dead Line" focuses on the Mideast situation. A conference is scheduled in Scotland for talks between the heads of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran and Israel. And naturally, intelligence information indicates there will be an attempt at a violent disruption of the conference, blame to be placed on Syria.

And once again it is Liz to the rescue, chasing after all sorts of clues, both*- false and true, relying more on her own instinct than on real intelligence-gathering. That is not to say that a real look at the intelligence apparatus is not provided by the author, who was the first woman to serve as Director General of MI5. MI5, MI6, and the CIA are all involved, along with various security forces, including the Secret Service, and local police guarding the Scottish resort where the meeting is to be held.

Written with a sure knowledge of the subject, the plot is a lot different from the standard spy story, all to the good. The characterizations are vivid, and the prose flows, and it is recommended.

I've read Rimington's MI5 series since it first came out, and -- while I'd recommend all of the books to thriller-lovers -- this is far and away the best novel. Rimington has always been good at characters; even her minor figures are memorable and interesting. I can remember the young Muslim man -- code name Marizpan -- from the second book as vividly as I can recall the Irish cleaning woman in the 5th book I just finished (here's to Amazon UK). The plots, also, are always gripping and well-constructed.

In Deadline, however, Rimington gives us something close to a multi-plot novel, with all of the narrative lines converging on a massive peace conference in Scotland. It's her most ambitious book and she pulls it off well. The ideology of the characters is more fully explored than in other books and this gives some needed weight to the action.

Rimington's weak point has always been endings. In the first three books she virtually throws up her narrative hands and gives the reader loud bangs and settling dust. Here she is more thoughtful, in both senses of the word, considering motives of the losers and the feelings of the survivors. The 5th book, Present Danger, while maybe not worth ordering from the UK unless you are addicted to thrillers, isn't quite as complexly constructed, but the up-tick in endings continues with the best action sequence yet followed by a satisfying reflection on consequences.

The series was marketed early on the strength of Rimington's MI5 past, but along the way she has turned from a successful spy into a successful writer.

The reader might want to take notes as new characters are introduced. Might help to follow what's going on as one gets deeper into the story. I am no great fan of a three-hundred page novel which turns into a more and more complicated puzzle.