Spy Line

Every time I read an installment in the Bernard Samson series I think, "Okay, THIS one is my favourite, I swear." Deighton's "Samson Saga" is made up of consistently good thrillers with an excellent narrator and lashings of Deighton's famously detailed descriptions, and Spy Line is no exception. In this installment we find Bernard living in a squalid corner of Berlin, on the run from London Central, considered a traitor for reasons that may have been provided in the previous installment, Spy Hook (but don't take my word for it; I read that one a while ago and may just be assuming reasons were provided there). But naturally, London Central is able to track him down and send him on a mission that will help clear his name, and perhaps shed show more some more light on what has happened to his wife, Fiona.

I enjoyed this book from the get-go, with the very first sentence making me laugh, and Bernard's characteristic dry-witted narration moving the story along nicely. One thing I really like about the narration is Bernard's natural use of German. After all, he grew up in Berlin and is fluent in the language. The text contains German dialogue that is often paraphrased by Bernard immediately afterward, so you get the atmosphere of the language and the benefit of knowing what the person said, not to mention a bonus German lesson. The dynamics of the various intelligence services are also well done: Bernard observes that the British take greater pains to keep secrets from the Americans than they do from "just" the KGB.

In terms of predictability, I was occasionally just ahead of Bernard in the deductions department, but the breathtaking, page-turning climax leads me to cut that sort of thing some slack. And I would suggest that you not read the dust jacket on any hardcover editions, if you do not appreciate spoilers of key (surprising) plot points.

I would definitely recommend this book to Deighton fans and those who like twisting, turning plots (but it would help if you read the rest of the books first). show less

The 5th book in the Bernard Sampson series.
Great storytelling with most loose ends coming together in the last few chapters, most of which are difficult to predict but plausible once revealed - a bit like an Agatha Christie novel. Theses stories seem to show the feel of Cold War spying, particularly in the setting of Berlin, but do have more of a detective plot than one usually gets in spy stories. It seems that the hero is always battling not only the Russians but his own department, the CIA and his self-doubts too!
Another great read.

As utterly atrocious as this book's predecessor, Sky Hook, was -- and it was horrible -- this book is a serious improvement on it. The last book left the reader with all sorts of unanswered questions and was obviously written for the sole purpose of getting readers to buy the sequel, which really pissed me off. So I bought the sequel, which pissed me off even more, and a lot of these questions were finally answered. British spy Bernard Samson is back and remains largely clueless about so much. He's still obsessed with his wife, Fiona, and her defection to the KGB and misses her a lot, even though he's got a great new girlfriend in Gloria, who is hot, young (at 22, half his age), smart, loves him and his kids, dotes on him, is good at show more parties, etc. He's an idiot. The book generally starts with him being on the run from the Service, who has set him up, but he later comes in and returns to work, only to be sent to an Austrian stamp collecting auction. Yep. And there's a murder. Yep. Weird. Later, he's taken through the Iron Curtain, where he meets Fiona for the first time in a long time and she tells him she's still working for the Service and is about to come back out of Russia, back to Britain. This leaves him in a quandary. Still, later his boss and Fiona's sister go to Berlin and insist he go with them to act as a cover for their affair. While there, he's supposed to bring someone out of Russia and he realizes it's Fiona. There's a gunfight, and I never figured out why. Totally arbitrary. Then there's the reappearance of Bret from the previous book. Annoying prick. At least Samson's dry wit is on display here, something which was lacking in the previous book. This is the fifth book in what is either a six or nine book series. As okay as this book was, I don't think I'll pick up the next book. I'm thoroughly unimpressed with this author and I think I'll stick with Forsyth for my spy books. Not really recommended, and certainly not as a stand alone book. show less

A reread. Clever, twisty and revelatory. Spies and marriage, betrayal and family. Cold and cruel stuff.

I've always enjoyed spy stories, but I don't read all that many of them. As a result, when I run across one by a familiar author, I buy it and don't pay attention to chronology. Spy Line is the 5th in Deighton's Bernard Samson series. I'm pretty sure I read the 4th book, but have no clue about the others.

British secret agent Bernard Samson's life has just become even more dangerous and confusing. Apparently, Spy Line picks up where Spy Hook leaves off, with Bernard on the run in Berlin, suspected of being a double agent.

He starts putting information together from the bits and pieces he learns from various sources, and makes his way home to his girlfriend and children.

Then he discovers it was all a setup, and that it has to do with his show more wife Fiona, who'd defected to the Soviet Union years earlier.

Spy Line has a nice balance of exciting spy adventure and emotional turmoil. I particularly enjoyed Bernard's mixed emotions regarding Fiona.

Len Deighton's writing isn't quite as obscure as John LeCarre's, but it's not all that straightforward, either. I'm not sure if I think that having to read between the lines a bit fits the subject matter, or if it's just that I'm used to reading spy novels by these two. Still, I think I'd have enjoyed it more if it had been written in a clearer style.

One of these days, I need to make myself a checklist and read these books in order so I get more out of them. show less

What Bernard Sampson, protagonist of BERLIN GAME, MEXICO SET, and LONDON MATCH, is about to know may hurt him. When word gets to London Central that a cache of millions of pounds has disappeared inside the Service, Samson is determined to learn the truth. But not even that discovery will help if the Department itself wants his blood...

series: Hook, Line & Sinker.