Those who are looking for swift action and a firm resolution won’t get it here. Instead we are given 1/3 of a larger story arc. Deighton wanted to write a trilogy and he understands how. This novel cannot be read on its own and have any satisfaction for the reader any more than reading a few chapters of a single novel can. Why people complain about this is beyond me. Either they didn’t bother to find out that this is part 1 of 3 or they have a complete lack of understanding of the true nature of a multi-book story.

Not reading a previous Bernard Samson novel isn’t a hindrance in understanding the main character. I was a bit worried that it might and I’m somewhat of a stickler for reading things in order, but since this was written as part of a second series of books, I figured that Deighton would be good enough to fill us in on who Samson is and what had happened to him in previous novels. Yes, we get plenty of background info on Samson as well as his friends and coworkers, but not so much info that it bogs down the story.

The story itself isn’t a mover and a shaker; it’s a set up, a prelim, almost a prologue. It’s more the day in the life of a spy rather than a nuts-and-bolts spy-craft kind of tale. The narrative is almost equal parts Samson’s personal life as professional. He strikes me as a mild-mannered kind of guy, unused to action or at least past it in his career. He also strikes me as someone who doesn’t think ahead much, at least in terms of the negative things that might happen. A fair weather spy, perhaps, and he’s almost completely without resources once the department turns on him.

When we leave him in Spy Hook, he is hooked indeed. Not really the victim of a set-up per se, but he’s put himself into an awkward position with the department’s larger agenda and he’s got to be handled somehow. At this point it seems the powers that be don’t know what form the handling should take; something temporary until they can either finish or find an alternative way to complete their ends, or something more permanent.

Overall the characterizations are mild; no clear villains or heroes aside from Samson himself. His individual entanglements seem to all be of the luke-warm variety and there’s a distinct impression of English reserve throughout. Very different in style and execution than say, Le Carre and I’m looking forward to the next 2 parts. ( )