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Spy Sinker

Penguin Modern Classics

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Spy Sinker

By: Len Deighton
Narrated by: James Lailey
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Of all the mysteries Bernard Samson has encountered, the greatest is his wife Fiona. Dedicated agent of the Service and a woman of secrets, she will risk everything to play the long game. As the truth about the decision that shattered their marriage is gradually revealed, the web of deception that has snared Bernard for ten years begins to unravel. In the gripping, tragic finale of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, everything we thought we knew is brought into question.

A BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL

'Dazzling ingenuity and cleverness' Independent

'Chilling ... the writing is crisp and brutal' Daily Telegraph

© Len Deighton 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Espionage Historical International Mystery & Crime Mystery Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Fiction Marriage

Critic reviews

All done with the chilling competence we expect from Mr Deighton ... No padding, no slowing of pace, and the writing is crisp and brutal.
Dazzling ingenuity and cleverness.
The poet of the spy story.
Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. (John Gray)
All stars
Most relevant
The way, give books in, the author flips the script to explain events through the other characters in this epic is truly brilliant. Loved it.

A piece of satisfying genius

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Book 6 gives as a third person view from 1977 to 1987. This is really Fiona’s book and is fascinating. Superb.

It gets even better

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Great final to the trilogy and particularly helpful to have the perspective of the Bernard Sampson story widened and explained — especially for those amongst us who keep falling asleep, can't remember bits or are a bit slow on making connections and so on ... like ... err ... me!

The narrator, James Lailey, remains the star of the show and does a far better job than I could ever imagine in my head if I were just reading the words on a page.

In some ways, the story brings many of the strands from the previous ones together but in other ways just provides a different view which helps to release some of the frustrations I have felt by identifying with our long-suffering Berndt. It also helps us to learn more about the other characters and provide more depth as people, and not just useful mechanisms within a story.

Great writing by Len Deighton; great reading by James Lailey.

The problem with trilogies is that it means there are only three of something, and I'm still wanting more. Fortunately, there seems to be a trilogy of trilogies in this Sampson story so I'm looking forward to the next batch :-)

Well, I swallowed all three. Maybe I am a fish!

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I liked the way the book gives you an insight into Fiona's world. For most of the series Fiona's character is an enigma as we only see her through her husband's eyes. The depth of the deceit is quite an eye opener and the devastating consequences for those in the orbit of this conspiracy is quite grim. I'm not sure how it would read for those coming cold to the story and not understanding the background of the main characters.

Great if you've been reading the series

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Excellent. Revelations and secrets abound. Still grieve for the Winter boys. We will never really know.

Reveals!

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