Dead Reckoning (Soundings) [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Clive Egleton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000 | Series: Soundings

A victim of brutal mass murder is discovered to have been using the identity of SIS agent Peter Ashton's wife. It quickly becomes clear that someone has breached the top secret SIS personnel files and that an all-too-deadly game is being played out. With every lead ending in a dead end and dead body, time is running out for Peter Ashton and his deadliest adversary is one step ahead.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The best spy novels function both within the real world and deep inside a convincing world all their own. This disappointing novel from the usually excellent Egleton (Blood Money) fails on both counts. Secret Intelligence Service agent Peter Ashton, always willing to bend the rules, has more reason than ever to push the envelope when one of the three people found dead in a London psychiatrist's office is discovered to have been using the identity of Peter's wife, Harriet. Also an occasional operative, Harriet is alive and well, but the SIS believes the impostor took advantage of a security lapse in a database containing agents' personal files. From there, the investigation proceeds through an unruly tangle of coincidences and dead ends. It's revealed that the murdered psychiatrist is related to a powerful Hindu terrorist, and that the dead woman who pretended to be Harriet is related to a Russian diplomat. The unsecured database serves as a possible hit list for the provisional IRA, while a middleman between a computer hacker and the Hindu dies with his head placed on a busy train track. Spy craft requires a certain amount of facelessness, but the unrelenting wash of characterless operatives here makes for bland reading. Moreover, the villain's motivations are never satisfactorily explored. Despite some good action sequences that will remind readers of vintage Egleton, this latest novel from the veteran author produces more sound than substance. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The problem of what to do with SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) once the Cold War ended has been nicely solved by Egleton in his latest book. Here he brings back Peter Ashton, Grade 1 Intelligence Officer, General Duties (Warning Shot), to solve the triple murder of three women, one of whom is identified as Harriet Ashton, Peter's wife. The convoluted, sometimes almost nonexistent trail of evidence leads to India, where a plot is being implemented to stir up tension between that nation and Pakistan. When there is another murder, the IRA and INLA (a militant splinter group of Sinn Fein) get involved. Add to this a couple of troublemakers from Russia who see a chance to seize power and make some money, and Egleton has a perfect vehicle to bring this novel of political intrigue into the new millennium. Ashton works with a black female detective sergeant from Special Branch and his driver (a former member of the royal military police) to bring justice to the world. This powerful book by a highly skilled writer has enough suspense, plot twists, action, and excitement to keep anyone enthralled. For all fiction collections.AJo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette: 14 pages
• Publisher: Soundings Ltd; Unabridged edition (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860426662
• ISBN-13: 978-1860426667
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.7 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,721,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent espionage thriller, October 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dead Reckoning (Hardcover)

Victor Hazlewood, the Director General of England's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), has to tell the bad news to one of his best operatives Peter Ashton. Apparently, Peter's wife Hazel, a former operative, was found brutally murdered in the office of psychiatrist Dr. Ramash. Two other females besides Harriet were also found dead in the doctor's office. However, Peter soon learns that his beloved Harriet is still alive, which leads him to believe that someone obviously penetrated SIS to have obtained the information about Harriet being found in the doctor's office.

Soon evidence surfaces that other secret information has leaked. Peter begins to investigate the situation even though his superiors seem more apt to slow him down if it furthers their personal agenda. Clues fail to lead to anything new and more murders follow. Peter knows one thing is certain. Someone(s) is playing a dangerous game in which major power shifts could occur if they succeed.

Anyone who believes that that espionage thrillers died with the collapse of the Berlin Wall obviously has not read Clive Egleton. With DEAD RECKONING, Mr. Egleton keeps his spy out in the cold even though Peter has family obligations. The story line is typical Egleton as it's filled with head-butting action, twisting plots, and a good mystery. Peter retains his charm even as he swim a bureaucratic ocean filled with sharks and barracudas. Fans of espionage thrillers need only turn to Mr. Egleton for a post Cold War chiller that keeps the audience on the edge from start to finish.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plodding, but good., December 9, 1999

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dead Reckoning (Hardcover)

I don't recall reading anything by Clive Egleton before "Dead Reckoning." Of course I also admit that the vast number of books I read never quite distinguish themselves in my mind and get dumped into a kind of cerebral soup. "Dead Reckoning" is perfect for several nights pre-sleep reading or, if you're in a warm climate (lucky you), take it to the beach. The opening sets the stage beautifully for the rest of the story. Peter Ashton is revealed to us as a brave, cunning, loving but somewhat limited man, hemmed in by the politics of his bureaucracy. Ashton's first goal is not protecting his nation as a "secret agent," but shielding his very competent wife from harm. The story never stops moving. Egleton reveals one detail after another, introduces one plot twist at a time. The book never becomes heart-stopping, but it never becomes dull either. Egleton's involvement of technology is different than that employed by others (i.e., Dale Brown): Egleton has actually taken the time to research the limited technology he describes - and gets it right. (I am always jarred when I read someone like Brown or Clancy and they describe something that is flat out wrong.) Overall, "Dead Reckoning" is a good read. It will not keep you awake into the early hours, turning pages - but in the end it will leave you with a very satisfying feeling.

Jerry