Hope: A Bernard Samson Novel- 2nd in the Faith, Hope and Charity Trilogy [Hardcover]

Len Deighton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1995

A sequel to Faith finds Bernard Sampson searching for his missing brother-in-law in late 1980s Poland, where he and his anxious boss infiltrate the black market and make a shocking discovery. 100,000 first printing. $175,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veteran British spy Bernard Samson returns to fight further Cold War battles in this deceptively easygoing sequel to Faith (and prequel to Charity), set in 1987. Here, the dour secret agent tries to track down his Polish brother-in-law, George Kosinski, who seems to have returned to his homeland in hope that his wife, presumed dead, is still alive. Samson, along with his aggravating superior, Dicky Cruyer, trails his quarry from Switzerland to Poland in the wake of the October 1987 stock market crash, only to be presented with evidence that Kosinski is dead?killed, it is said, by Russian army deserters. Samson doesn't buy the alleged facts of Kosinski's death, and events prove him correct?right up to the conclusion, a hair-breadth's escape from oblivion for himself and others. Deighton's carefully crafted but seemingly nonchalant narration?droll, almost deadpan?fits perfectly the character of Samson, a perceptive but closed-mouthed gent who is seemingly unimpressed by events like the sudden appearance of a dead body in his ex-mistress's bedroom or the bizarre theft of a severed hand. Exciting moments are handled casually, while causal conversations are given the detail expected of important ones, resulting in a version of reality that is disjointed and emotionally distanced, as a master spy's take on things may very well be. Deighton gives readers unfamiliar with Samson's troubled life plenty of background information, so newcomers as well as old series hands should take equal pleasure in this subtly intense offering by perhaps the only author other than le Carre who deserves to be known as "spymaster."
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Perenially popular British spy Bernard Samson resurfaces here in Deighton's ninth adventure. It is the winter of 1987. Samson's brother-in-law, George Kosinski, has disappeared and Samson is stuck with his irascible boss, Dicky Cruyer, following leads across Poland's raw and inhospitable terrain. They trek from the Kosinski country estate, where Nazi tunnels and bunkers lurk for miles, to the black-market bazaars of Warsaw, where reality becomes dreamlike. In the previous trilogy (e.g., Spy Line, LJ 12/1/88), Samson discovered that his gorgeous wife, Fiona, was a double agent. Now his relationships with both Fiona and his young mistress, Gloria, are disintegrating. Uncertain whether Kosinski is dead or alive, Samson returns to Berlin to face the Christmas holiday alone. After a physical breakdown, he rallies to explore his hunch that Kosinski is alive. Deighton's Poland is a macabre yet captivating landscape wherein scraps of hope, like meat, are scarce. Recommended for popular collections.
-?Susan A. Zappia, Maricopa Cty. Lib. Dist., Phoenix
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060176962
• ISBN-13: 978-0060176969
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Samson goes to Poland, April 15, 2005

By 

David C. Hoffner (Cedar Lake, IN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hope (Mass Market Paperback)

The Cold War espionage genre may seem a little dated. There are other concerns and fears on many of our minds now. But for reasons I'll get to below, this novel series is a stand-out from that era, and still well worth reading.

_Hope_ was actually written after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but the plot takes place a few years before it. In this book Bernard Samson takes an assignment to communist Poland seeking his missing brother-in-law, who may be digging up secrets neither side wants revealed. The book plot is interesting enough, but also there are several series-length plot lines that continued to engross me: can Bernard and his wife Fiona rebuild their marriage and their family? What really happened to Bernard's father? Was Bernard's sister-in-law really killed by the side of that East Berlin highway?

I just recently re-read the entire Bernard Samson series (of which this is the eighth out of nine novels). It is one of the best novel series I have ever read, and certainly one of the best espionage genre series ever. There are so many things to like about this series - the in-depth characterizations; the pithy observational asides about people and cultures; the references to multiple languages and their subtleties; the gritty European settings; the hidden plot developments and character motivations that the narrator either can't or won't see; etc.

The author claims that each of these books can be read on their own, and perhaps they could be. But I agree with other reviewers here: you can get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you start at the beginning with _Berlin Game_ (or even better yet - start with the WWII prequel: _Winter_).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fear would be a better title, August 31, 2004

By 

S. G Spires (Huntsville, Al United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hope (Hardcover)

The Samson series may not be for everybody. It lacks the larger than life setting of a James Bond whopper and it doesn't have all the background of LeCarre's Smiley tales.
But these are good, realistic reads. Hope is no different and one of the best in the Samson series in my opinion.
Deighton deals with some interesting, complex problems that were facing the spy services at the time and still are. Such as what's the truth, what will happen in this changing world and how far is too far to go in situations.
What I think he does very well is describing Bernard Samson's fear. Several passages in the book show what fear does to a man in extreme situations. You can almost feel Samson's frayed nerves.
He's human and with all the drawbacks that brings a man. To some, humanity foilables may not be interesting fodder for novels. If you want to know the super agent is always going to bed the girl and blow up the volcano HQ then maybe Samson and other books like it isn't your bag ... baby.
If you want a little touch of realism with your tea then grab all the Samson books plus Deighton's novel Winter, which is a prequel.
I agree with others who said these things should be read in order (Winter, Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, Spy Hook, Spy Line, Spy Sinker, Faith, Hope and lastly Charity), but if you were to grab Hope out of sequence it wouldn't be that big a deal. Deighton gives the right level of background.
This is a good book. Pick it up.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, August 31, 2008

By 

S. Robertson - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hope: A Bernard Samson Novel- 2nd in the Faith, Hope and Charity Trilogy (Hardcover)

A continuation of the fascinating spy trilogies Deighton published in the 80's. The book sucks you in and at its leisurely pace surprises you with twists and turns.