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Good News, Bad News [Hardcover]

David Wolstencroft (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)


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Book Description

August 19, 2004
There are two ways out of the spy game. Heads you run. Tails you die.

It starts and ends with a coin flip. In between, Good News, Bad News turns the rules of the spy game upside down with a story of intrigue and suspense that is chock-full of delicious surprises right up until the final spin.

First, there’s the good news: George and Charlie are on their last posting for the Agency before retiring from the spy game. But in this business, the bad news is never far away. And in this case, the bad news could not be worse. In the blink of an eye, these two friends become lethal enemies—until it occurs to them that some orders just aren’t meant to be followed. The two are catapulted into a gauntlet of international espionage to uncover secrets that lie in the heart of the Agency—secrets that no one wants them to find. Using their spy tools against their old masters, George and Charlie live on their wits, fight for answers—and soon realize that the only people they can trust are each other. But in a world where no one is to be trusted, how much can you trust a fellow spy?

Offering surprises on every page, pitch-perfect dialogue, and two unforgettable heroes, Good News, Bad News heralds the coming of the next great spy writer in David Wolstencroft.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolstencroft takes a spy novel convention—the wrongly accused agent on the run from his own agency—and gives it a clever twist in this quirky, literate book: two British spies, each ordered to kill the other, go on the run together. Charlie Millar and George Shaw work in a tiny, two-man photo-developing station—but unbeknownst to the other, both work for the Secret Service. After George and Charlie save each other from being killed, though, the two cop to their real jobs, and shortly thereafter, each receives orders to kill the other. Thinking this must be another mistake, they attempt to straighten it out with their bosses and just miss getting blown up by a missile-firing motorcyclist. They flee London and, after many close escapes and twists and turns of the plot, eventually end up in Canada. Back at the Secret Service home office, upper-level manager Rose Willets and the mysterious agent Latham are involved in a secret mission called the Project, which relates to the Charlie and George imbroglio. Wolstencroft leaves his final pages open-ended, but readers will be so enthralled with his intelligence and breezy, amusing style they'll hardly notice a few minor ragged edges and inconsistencies. FYI:Wolstencroft is the award-winning creator of the British TV spy series Spooks, known to American A&E viewers as MI-5.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Award-winning writer and creator of the A&E spy drama MI-5, Wolstencroft offers a smart, witty homage to past spy masters like John le Carré. With his intelligent, amusing style, Wolstencroft adds some tantalizing twists to the genre. His two main characters speak in pitch-perfect dialogue and leave readers in suspense about their motives. A few ragged edges and plot inconsistencies may put off true espionage obsessives. But, overall, Good News, Bad News is an impressive first novel.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 307 pages
  • Publisher: Dutton Adult (August 19, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0525947949
  • ISBN-13: 978-0525947943
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,774,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hello everyone, and thanks for stopping by.

My name is David Wolstencroft. I'm the author of two thrillers, GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS, and CONTACT ZERO. Both of these are published in the US by Dutton.

I am also creator of the BAFTA-winning spy series MI-5 ("Spooks" in the UK and Australia)

This is just a stub for the moment as I'm thrilled that the kindly souls at amazon are offering this service to authors. It really does help to know that there is a throughline to readers.

Thanks again, and keep checking in. I promise there will be exciting news about Good News Bad News, Contact Zero, MI-5 and more!

In the meantime, check out my website (soon to be overhauled) at:

http://www.davidwolstencroft.com

Best wishes,

David




 

Customer Reviews

22 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wolstencroft...What A Find, August 22, 2004
By 
This review is from: Good News, Bad News (Hardcover)
I brought the book on a lark because I love the writer's television series (MI-5 on A&E)...and boy was I rewarded for listening to my spirit of adventure. Wolstencroft is an extremely clever and entertaining writer who rewards his reader with every turn of the page. You will love his rich characters, relish his creative plot twists and marvel at his sheer talent for storytelling. I simply couldn't put the book down. Now if only it were December, all my Christmas shopping would be done.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A one-night read . . . because you can't put it down, April 10, 2005
This review is from: Good News, Bad News (Hardcover)
"Good News, Bad News" is just plain fun. It takes the classic aggrieved spy tale, betrayed by his masters and turns the genre on its head.

George and Charlie work at a photo kiosk. Charlie suspects George is a spy and, so, spies on George. Charlie also suspects one of the customers of the photo kiosk of being a spy as well and stakes out her hotel. Some sleuth Charlie is: the woman sends over a drink and invites Charlie to her room. Some very interesting events occur, resulting in the rather odd bonding of Charlie and George.

A few days later, some film arrives at the photo kiosk to be developed. Both Charlie and George look through the developed prints and learn something: they are to kill each other.

Turns out Charlie and George are both spies.

From that point on, Wolstencroft weaves a marvelous tale. It kept me awake through the night. I hope it does the same for you.

Jerry
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A DAZZLING SPY THRILLER DEBUT, October 5, 2004
By 
Felix Unger (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Good News, Bad News (Hardcover)
If you love MI-5, you'll love this book. If you've never watched MI-5 (on A&E) you'll still go crazy over it. This is a phenomenal rollercoaster spy ride with two of the most original and entertaining characters I've read in a long time. George and Charlie remind me a little of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and I don't think I've enjoyed a yarn quite so much since I saw that movie. Also, I loved MI-5 on A&E because of the twists and turns and this book has more than the whole show put together. They just keep coming until the final standoff. The good news is, this book delivers on all its promises. The bad news is, we'll have to wait a little while for the next one!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
purple fleece, cover station, ticket hall
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Contact Zero, Bill Skelton, Charles Millar, George Shaw, Neil Mackay, Rose Willetts, Charlie Millar, Ford Escort, Picture House, British Columbia, Carrie Watson, Forbes Mackinnon, Life Charlie, Special Branch, Andrew Crombie, Chancery Lane, Euston Buildings, Oxford Circus, Trafalgar Square, Warren Street, Work Charlie
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