This is a VERY funny book., 01 Dec 2008
Laugh out loud Funny as a matter of fact, and I did, on average, about thirteen times an hour.

There's a distinct, 60's feel to it all; something to do with the cleverly-copied Aubrey Beardsley, Yellow Book look of the thing and the outrageousness of the rather-hard-to-follow plot. If this book were a film it would look like The Wrong Box or Casino Royale (the Peter Sellers movie, not the latest, hard-core version, obviously) and Peter Cook would be playing Lucifer Box.

The comedy is definitely the high-point of the novel, unfortunately, it's also what made it such a frequently annoying read. Whilst the deliciously clever, Wilde-ishly witty, hilarious asides are highly entertaining, they don't half detract from the story - but since the story isn't up to much anyway (the mind does tend to wander, I found, during all those elaborately Bond-esque cracks on Box's life), I detached my brain from all attempts at a plot and went for enjoying the funnies and the gay-sex instead.

(NB. The gay-sex in particular, whilst not in any way explicit, is deliciously titillating and thoroughly Good.)

Charlie Jackpot (I almost forgot to mention, every character has a ludicrous name and there are an awful lot of characters. This also makes things a little hard to follow, but you get used to it after a while and, since I was already ignoring the plot by the time it would have started to get annoying, I failed to find it as irritating as I no doubt would have, had I still been trying to follow the story - if you get my drift.

(Where was I? Oh yes, Charlie Jackpot...) is a delightful companion and it's overwhelmingly because of him that I'll be picking up the next book in this series.

So, well worth a read, for sure, just don't worry too much about what's going on because that way lies madness.


Reading the book is torture, 24 Jul 2008
I have to say I was looking forward to reading this for my book club, yet sadly it wasn't worth my time. I lacked any interest for the characters in the novel and unfortunatly did complete the book after much torture. Some members of the book club however gave this a positive feedback, stating they enjoyed the book as it was different to most novels out at the moment.
Summary:
- Boring Characters (lacking any charisma or humour)
- No inticing storyline or plot
- No decent humour
+ The book is short and only takes a day or so to read
+ I Like Mark Gatiss (just a shame he can't write)

Fun but pretentious, 08 Jul 2008
Its a good story of derring-do with lots of satirical humour and odd Dickensian names adorning odd Dickensian characters. Very much something found in a penny dreadful perhaps although much cleverer than that.

However Gatiss knows it is much cleverer than that and that is The Vesuvius Club's major failing. Lucifer Box was a good character but a bit too pretentious (that may be the point of the character but one can go too far...) and I felt as though his 'cleverer than thou' attitude appeared to reflect the author's belief of the novel.

It was fun and it was witty and I will read the next one but I thought it could have been much better than it was.

3/5

Brilliant, 01 Jun 2008
Brilliant story - only read this last year but am already almost finishing off the next book - Devil in Amber - and can't wait for the next due out in November.

Great stuff!!!

What a mix!, 07 Feb 2008
This book comes across to me as a cross between, James Bond, Austin Powers with a mix of PG Wodehouse (although set slightly before his era of writing).

It is humourous in parts, rotten and delightful in others, and very macabre in it's way of dealing with the low life of the era. (Edwardian) I was expecting more than I got with this book, it got rather full of characters at times, and took some thought in who they all were and what their role was. The thread of the book was fast paced with a couple of little off shoots, Christopher Miracle's problems, the role of Bella but they all got nicely tied up in the end. (Something that not all books do) Lucifer Box, the main character was rather decadent in his behaviour and with some loose morals was able to infiltrate some of the more lower as well as higher elements of society. Good will always overcome evil in these stories and there was something reassuring about this as the story gathered pace towards the end.

The set out of each chapter, started to read more like a newspaper and the added pictures was merely odd in my opinion. An interesting read, something I wouldn't have picked up before but probably not an author I would pick up again.

This is a VERY funny book., 01 Dec 2008
Laugh out loud Funny as a matter of fact, and I did, on average, about thirteen times an hour.

There's a distinct, 60's feel to it all; something to do with the cleverly-copied Aubrey Beardsley, Yellow Book look of the thing and the outrageousness of the rather-hard-to-follow plot. If this book were a film it would look like The Wrong Box or Casino Royale (the Peter Sellers movie, not the latest, hard-core version, obviously) and Peter Cook would be playing Lucifer Box.

The comedy is definitely the high-point of the novel, unfortunately, it's also what made it such a frequently annoying read. Whilst the deliciously clever, Wilde-ishly witty, hilarious asides are highly entertaining, they don't half detract from the story - but since the story isn't up to much anyway (the mind does tend to wander, I found, during all those elaborately Bond-esque cracks on Box's life), I detached my brain from all attempts at a plot and went for enjoying the funnies and the gay-sex instead.

(NB. The gay-sex in particular, whilst not in any way explicit, is deliciously titillating and thoroughly Good.)

Charlie Jackpot (I almost forgot to mention, every character has a ludicrous name and there are an awful lot of characters. This also makes things a little hard to follow, but you get used to it after a while and, since I was already ignoring the plot by the time it would have started to get annoying, I failed to find it as irritating as I no doubt would have, had I still been trying to follow the story - if you get my drift.

(Where was I? Oh yes, Charlie Jackpot...) is a delightful companion and it's overwhelmingly because of him that I'll be picking up the next book in this series.

So, well worth a read, for sure, just don't worry too much about what's going on because that way lies madness.


Reading the book is torture, 24 Jul 2008
I have to say I was looking forward to reading this for my book club, yet sadly it wasn't worth my time. I lacked any interest for the characters in the novel and unfortunatly did complete the book after much torture. Some members of the book club however gave this a positive feedback, stating they enjoyed the book as it was different to most novels out at the moment.
Summary:
- Boring Characters (lacking any charisma or humour)
- No inticing storyline or plot
- No decent humour
+ The book is short and only takes a day or so to read
+ I Like Mark Gatiss (just a shame he can't write)

Fun but pretentious, 08 Jul 2008
Its a good story of derring-do with lots of satirical humour and odd Dickensian names adorning odd Dickensian characters. Very much something found in a penny dreadful perhaps although much cleverer than that.

However Gatiss knows it is much cleverer than that and that is The Vesuvius Club's major failing. Lucifer Box was a good character but a bit too pretentious (that may be the point of the character but one can go too far...) and I felt as though his 'cleverer than thou' attitude appeared to reflect the author's belief of the novel.

It was fun and it was witty and I will read the next one but I thought it could have been much better than it was.

3/5

Brilliant, 01 Jun 2008
Brilliant story - only read this last year but am already almost finishing off the next book - Devil in Amber - and can't wait for the next due out in November.

Great stuff!!!

What a mix!, 07 Feb 2008
This book comes across to me as a cross between, James Bond, Austin Powers with a mix of PG Wodehouse (although set slightly before his era of writing).

It is humourous in parts, rotten and delightful in others, and very macabre in it's way of dealing with the low life of the era. (Edwardian) I was expecting more than I got with this book, it got rather full of characters at times, and took some thought in who they all were and what their role was. The thread of the book was fast paced with a couple of little off shoots, Christopher Miracle's problems, the role of Bella but they all got nicely tied up in the end. (Something that not all books do) Lucifer Box, the main character was rather decadent in his behaviour and with some loose morals was able to infiltrate some of the more lower as well as higher elements of society. Good will always overcome evil in these stories and there was something reassuring about this as the story gathered pace towards the end.

The set out of each chapter, started to read more like a newspaper and the added pictures was merely odd in my opinion. An interesting read, something I wouldn't have picked up before but probably not an author I would pick up again.

Less fantasy than Bond; a lively page-turner, 20 Nov 2008
No James Bond smoothie knocking off the baddies and knocking up the birds, Liz Carlyle's character is far more down to earth, far more credible. The women in the book don't fall about screaming when they see something iffy, but get on with the job. Mind you, the blokes in power are often represented as arrogant tossers--the male equivalent of the cardboard hysterical woman, the kind of people we all recognize from the workplace.

The pace of the story is good and fast, making the book something of a page-turner. Just don't compare Rimington with Le Carré, yet.

Some voyeurs might whinge at the lack of sex scenes in the story, but such scenes would only have delayed the important stuff, weakening the tale.

Rimington is certainly improving as an author and spinner of yarns. Good for her. Knowing the Service as thoroughly as she does, she must surely be at great pains not to tell too much, not to give away some "useful" information, lest she be branded "another Peter Wright". But within the limits of what she can safely divulge, she presents us with a credible view of some aspects of work in MI5. If anything's missing, it's the sheer drudgery of some of the analytical work. But who'd be interested in that?

Good on yer, Stella. Keep 'em coming.

Good read., 07 Nov 2008
Just finished this book after reading all the others by Stella Remington. Again there is much to enjoy, the good characterisation, the locations we know in London, the inner life of MI5 AND 6, and a very actual plot. But also, much to find a bit short, as in the other books, mostly this anti-climax ending, utterly umprobable, that Remington seems so good at.
The story I also found a bit far-fetched, and stretching belief. Still I would recommend it for a journey or a long airport delay.

Dull - Dull, 20 Aug 2008
After a great start with "At Risk" I was really keen to read this book. It was a real slog to get to the end. This was one of the most boring books I have read this year - slow - dull

Fine for the beach but not her best effort, 17 Aug 2008
As `Illegal Action' begins, Liz Carlyle is being transferred to Counter-espionage within MI5 a move she views as a demotion. However, soon after she arrives, word leaks of a plot by the Russians to kill one of their influential oligarchs here in London. Intelligence leads Liz to carry out an undercover operation where she must pose as an art history student and spend time in the home of Brunovsky, a charismatic and incredibly wealthy man who could be under threat. It seems that none of the people in Brunovsky's intimate circle are who they say they are and it's up to Liz to get to the truth.

I have read and enjoyed Stella Rimington's other books, but for some reason i found this one slightly lack lustre. The plot was Ok, but fell apart towards the end and I didn't find myself engaged with the characters as much as I had been in previous books. This novel might be OK for the book and is an easy read, but it certainly isn't the best example of her writing.


Not her best book!, 17 Jan 2008
Stella Rimington is clearly an intelligent person (and she should be - given her former job!) - her language is brilliant.
I was, however, disappointed with this her third spy-novel. Not as exciting as the two first. When finished I sat back with a feeling that either the author didn't really have anything to say, or didn't have time enough time to write this book. It build up quite well, but then ended so suddenly, and never became really thrilling.

This is a VERY funny book., 01 Dec 2008
Laugh out loud Funny as a matter of fact, and I did, on average, about thirteen times an hour.

There's a distinct, 60's feel to it all; something to do with the cleverly-copied Aubrey Beardsley, Yellow Book look of the thing and the outrageousness of the rather-hard-to-follow plot. If this book were a film it would look like The Wrong Box or Casino Royale (the Peter Sellers movie, not the latest, hard-core version, obviously) and Peter Cook would be playing Lucifer Box.

The comedy is definitely the high-point of the novel, unfortunately, it's also what made it such a frequently annoying read. Whilst the deliciously clever, Wilde-ishly witty, hilarious asides are highly entertaining, they don't half detract from the story - but since the story isn't up to much anyway (the mind does tend to wander, I found, during all those elaborately Bond-esque cracks on Box's life), I detached my brain from all attempts at a plot and went for enjoying the funnies and the gay-sex instead.

(NB. The gay-sex in particular, whilst not in any way explicit, is deliciously titillating and thoroughly Good.)

Charlie Jackpot (I almost forgot to mention, every character has a ludicrous name and there are an awful lot of characters. This also makes things a little hard to follow, but you get used to it after a while and, since I was already ignoring the plot by the time it would have started to get annoying, I failed to find it as irritating as I no doubt would have, had I still been trying to follow the story - if you get my drift.

(Where was I? Oh yes, Charlie Jackpot...) is a delightful companion and it's overwhelmingly because of him that I'll be picking up the next book in this series.

So, well worth a read, for sure, just don't worry too much about what's going on because that way lies madness.


Reading the book is torture, 24 Jul 2008
I have to say I was looking forward to reading this for my book club, yet sadly it wasn't worth my time. I lacked any interest for the characters in the novel and unfortunatly did complete the book after much torture. Some members of the book club however gave this a positive feedback, stating they enjoyed the book as it was different to most novels out at the moment.
Summary:
- Boring Characters (lacking any charisma or humour)
- No inticing storyline or plot
- No decent humour
+ The book is short and only takes a day or so to read
+ I Like Mark Gatiss (just a shame he can't write)

Fun but pretentious, 08 Jul 2008
Its a good story of derring-do with lots of satirical humour and odd Dickensian names adorning odd Dickensian characters. Very much something found in a penny dreadful perhaps although much cleverer than that.

However Gatiss knows it is much cleverer than that and that is The Vesuvius Club's major failing. Lucifer Box was a good character but a bit too pretentious (that may be the point of the character but one can go too far...) and I felt as though his 'cleverer than thou' attitude appeared to reflect the author's belief of the novel.

It was fun and it was witty and I will read the next one but I thought it could have been much better than it was.

3/5

Brilliant, 01 Jun 2008
Brilliant story - only read this last year but am already almost finishing off the next book - Devil in Amber - and can't wait for the next due out in November.

Great stuff!!!

What a mix!, 07 Feb 2008
This book comes across to me as a cross between, James Bond, Austin Powers with a mix of PG Wodehouse (although set slightly before his era of writing).

It is humourous in parts, rotten and delightful in others, and very macabre in it's way of dealing with the low life of the era. (Edwardian) I was expecting more than I got with this book, it got rather full of characters at times, and took some thought in who they all were and what their role was. The thread of the book was fast paced with a couple of little off shoots, Christopher Miracle's problems, the role of Bella but they all got nicely tied up in the end. (Something that not all books do) Lucifer Box, the main character was rather decadent in his behaviour and with some loose morals was able to infiltrate some of the more lower as well as higher elements of society. Good will always overcome evil in these stories and there was something reassuring about this as the story gathered pace towards the end.

The set out of each chapter, started to read more like a newspaper and the added pictures was merely odd in my opinion. An interesting read, something I wouldn't have picked up before but probably not an author I would pick up again.

Less fantasy than Bond; a lively page-turner, 20 Nov 2008
No James Bond smoothie knocking off the baddies and knocking up the birds, Liz Carlyle's character is far more down to earth, far more credible. The women in the book don't fall about screaming when they see something iffy, but get on with the job. Mind you, the blokes in power are often represented as arrogant tossers--the male equivalent of the cardboard hysterical woman, the kind of people we all recognize from the workplace.

The pace of the story is good and fast, making the book something of a page-turner. Just don't compare Rimington with Le Carré, yet.

Some voyeurs might whinge at the lack of sex scenes in the story, but such scenes would only have delayed the important stuff, weakening the tale.

Rimington is certainly improving as an author and spinner of yarns. Good for her. Knowing the Service as thoroughly as she does, she must surely be at great pains not to tell too much, not to give away some "useful" information, lest she be branded "another Peter Wright". But within the limits of what she can safely divulge, she presents us with a credible view of some aspects of work in MI5. If anything's missing, it's the sheer drudgery of some of the analytical work. But who'd be interested in that?

Good on yer, Stella. Keep 'em coming.

Good read., 07 Nov 2008
Just finished this book after reading all the others by Stella Remington. Again there is much to enjoy, the good characterisation, the locations we know in London, the inner life of MI5 AND 6, and a very actual plot. But also, much to find a bit short, as in the other books, mostly this anti-climax ending, utterly umprobable, that Remington seems so good at.
The story I also found a bit far-fetched, and stretching belief. Still I would recommend it for a journey or a long airport delay.

Dull - Dull, 20 Aug 2008
After a great start with "At Risk" I was really keen to read this book. It was a real slog to get to the end. This was one of the most boring books I have read this year - slow - dull

Fine for the beach but not her best effort, 17 Aug 2008
As `Illegal Action' begins, Liz Carlyle is being transferred to Counter-espionage within MI5 a move she views as a demotion. However, soon after she arrives, word leaks of a plot by the Russians to kill one of their influential oligarchs here in London. Intelligence leads Liz to carry out an undercover operation where she must pose as an art history student and spend time in the home of Brunovsky, a charismatic and incredibly wealthy man who could be under threat. It seems that none of the people in Brunovsky's intimate circle are who they say they are and it's up to Liz to get to the truth.

I have read and enjoyed Stella Rimington's other books, but for some reason i found this one slightly lack lustre. The plot was Ok, but fell apart towards the end and I didn't find myself engaged with the characters as much as I had been in previous books. This novel might be OK for the book and is an easy read, but it certainly isn't the best example of her writing.


Not her best book!, 17 Jan 2008
Stella Rimington is clearly an intelligent person (and she should be - given her former job!) - her language is brilliant.
I was, however, disappointed with this her third spy-novel. Not as exciting as the two first. When finished I sat back with a feeling that either the author didn't really have anything to say, or didn't have time enough time to write this book. It build up quite well, but then ended so suddenly, and never became really thrilling.



Good book, just not as good as what's gone before, 16 Oct 2008
"Gorky Park" - Great convoluted murder mystery set in the Soviet Union. It's a bit overlong. The film version is a simplified travesty.

"Polar Star" - My favourite of the books. It's a bit more like a traditional murder mystery as it has everyone trapped together on a fish processing ship.

"Red Square" - Perhaps the most inventive of the books. I always thought it was a great idea what the red square of the title actual is, and what it does.

"Havana Bay" - Arkady goes to Cuba. This was the first of the books that I read. If I read it in chronological order I might like it a lot more. As it was, I felt utterly confused by the book as it had two alien cultures meeting each other, and a lot of backstory. I enjoyed it enough to read the others so I think it must be a good book.

"Wolves Eat Dogs" - Another excellent setting. This time Arkady Renko goes into modern day, semi-deserted radioactive Chernobyl. I thought this was probably the most purely enjoyable book of the series as the first two or three feel quite weighty even if they're not.

"Stalin's Ghost" - It's probably the lesser of the six books but considering the quality of the previous novels, that's not really a critiscism. It's fairly short and not half as labyrinthine as the earlier books. I'm also slightly puzzled by the logic of it:

*OBSCURELY WORDED SPOILER*
I don't quite understand why the men had to be killed, instead of paid off or intimidated, for their silence; and why they would go to such lengths if he was only considered to be a paper candidate to begin with?

Maintaining a fine standard, 09 Sep 2008
Martin Cruz Smith's thrillers featuring Arkady Renko are at the top of the tree, and "Stalin's Ghost" maintains the high standard. However, I'd recommend reading its predecessor, the superb "Wolves Eat Dogs", before you read SG.

Well-written, but the plot could have been stronger....., 28 Jul 2008
I like Martin Cruz Smith's writing and I have enjoyed prior novels with Senior Investigator Arkady Renko as the lead character.

In common with the prequels, the book is instructive on life in Russia and contains some rich observations. I liked lines like "as he was leaving Moscow and driving into Russia.....".

The plot is not all that deep but takes Renko to Tver and very nearly sees him killed. I found the book to be populated with strange scenarios, relationships and interactions as Renko tries to solve a couple of mysteries. The relevance of a couple of Americans who played bit parts still escapes me and the Stalin's Ghost angle in the metro seems to have done more for others than it did for me.

Here too, Renko struggles with his own demons and his relationships with his adopted son and partner. To get the most out of this book, I suspect a reader would need to have built a strong relationship with Renko from prior novels.

For whatever reason, I judged this book first as crime novel and I didn't feel it was as strong as other Cruz Smith books I have read. 7/10



Pleasantly surprising, 17 Jul 2008
Having never read a Martin Cruz Smith book, but having been impressed by the film of Gorky Park I actually bought this book in desperation. I was travelling back from Istanbul to the UK via Munich and had run out of books to read before reaching Istanbul airport. A quick trawl of the bookshop persuaded me to purchase Stalin's Ghost.

What impressed me was the quality of the writing as much as anything. Phrases like "Time nibbled away at the afternoon" and "Night crouched outside the casino" show a real talent for writing. Add to this a densely plotted thriller in modern Russian and it was an excellent page-turner.

I finished it in "one" go - Istanbul to Munich, 4 hours in Munich, Munich to Manchester and then a 25-minute queue for passport control. I read the last page walking through the baggage reclaim section. The fact that I was really tired (early start, long day, two time zone changes) underlines the quality of the book - I could not stop reading it. The author has a clear eye for the detail of post-communist Russia and the spectre of Stalin pervades the novel.

I'll probably buy the other Renko books now, perhaps even Gorky Park - having seen the film it will be interesting to see how the book holds up.

"In Arkady's experience, when the snow melted, bodies would be discovered. In Moscow, that was spring.", 13 Jul 2008
In his sixth Arkady Renko novel in twenty-six years, Martin Cruz Smith continues the character development of the aging Renko, a complex police investigator with an inherent honesty that serves as a barrier to advancement in contemporary Moscow. With the downfall of communism, Russia is now filled with corrupt politicians, organized crime lords, police acting as killers for hire, and a pervading uncertainty about the future. With every man for himself, it is no wonder that Renko, at the mercy of higher authorities in the force and unable to investigate the corruption he sees, has developed a healthy cynicism and pragmatism about life.

As the Moscow winter wanes, a mass grave from the mid-1940s is found at a construction site, obviously a place for the disposal of those executed under Stalin's rule, with the help of Renko's father, one of Stalin's trusted deputies. No modern investigation results, and no one is surprised. The inaction is all part of life in this city where the past and the present come together in a whirlpool which sucks the life out of its citizens. When the ghost of Stalin is seen wandering the subway, Renko is assigned to this low level case. As many ordinary citizens long for the "good old days," Stalinism is on the rise, and Police Inspector Nicolai Isakov, a killer for hire, is running for public office on a Stalinist platform.

A wartime "hero" for his actions as a Black Beret during the Chechen war, Isakov has never received medals or promotion for his behavior, and Renko is curious about why. When the other Black Berets who served with Isakov begin to die violent deaths, Renko begins a surreptitious investigation and finds himself fighting for his life. His personal relationships are not improved when his lover, Eva, begins sleeping with Isakov, and Zhenya, the twelve-year-old street orphan to whom Renko has offered a home, disappears, presumably to hustle at chess.

Cruz Smith's immensely satisfying plotting grows naturally from life in Moscow and its values and mores (for good and for evil), and when dramatic and gory scenes of violence arise, they do so within the context of a setting fully developed sociologically and historically. The characters are individualized and empathetic at all levels, and Arkady, who has continued to grow and change over the course of twenty-six years, still hopes that goodness will triumph, despite the country's current problems. Even secondary characters, like Zhenya become fully rounded, their motivations clear. The occasional black humor and Arkady's sardonic observations keep the reader engaged, even as the author raises questions about the future of Arkady and others like him who hope for a long-term justice. Mary Whipple

This is a VERY funny book., 01 Dec 2008
Laugh out loud Funny as a matter of fact, and I did, on average, about thirteen times an hour.

There's a distinct, 60's feel to it all; something to do with the cleverly-copied Aubrey Beardsley, Yellow Book look of the thing and the outrageousness of the rather-hard-to-follow plot. If this book were a film it would look like The Wrong Box or Casino Royale (the Peter Sellers movie, not the latest, hard-core version, obviously) and Peter Cook would be playing Lucifer Box.

The comedy is definitely the high-point of the novel, unfortunately, it's also what made it such a frequently annoying read. Whilst the deliciously clever, Wilde-ishly witty, hilarious asides are highly entertaining, they don't half detract from the story - but since the story isn't up to much anyway (the mind does tend to wander, I found, during all those elaborately Bond-esque cracks on Box's life), I detached my brain from all attempts at a plot and went for enjoying the funnies and the gay-sex instead.

(NB. The gay-sex in particular, whilst not in any way explicit, is deliciously titillating and thoroughly Good.)

Charlie Jackpot (I almost forgot to mention, every character has a ludicrous name and there are an awful lot of characters. This also makes things a little hard to follow, but you get used to it after a while and, since I was already ignoring the plot by the time it would have started to get annoying, I failed to find it as irritating as I no doubt would have, had I still been trying to follow the story - if you get my drift.

(Where was I? Oh yes, Charlie Jackpot...) is a delightful companion and it's overwhelmingly because of him that I'll be picking up the next book in this series.

So, well worth a read, for sure, just don't worry too much about what's going on because that way lies madness.


Reading the book is torture, 24 Jul 2008
I have to say I was looking forward to reading this for my book club, yet sadly it wasn't worth my time. I lacked any interest for the characters in the novel and unfortunatly did complete the book after much torture. Some members of the book club however gave this a positive feedback, stating they enjoyed the book as it was different to most novels out at the moment.
Summary:
- Boring Characters (lacking any charisma or humour)
- No inticing storyline or plot
- No decent humour
+ The book is short and only takes a day or so to read
+ I Like Mark Gatiss (just a shame he can't write)

Fun but pretentious, 08 Jul 2008
Its a good story of derring-do with lots of satirical humour and odd Dickensian names adorning odd Dickensian characters. Very much something found in a penny dreadful perhaps although much cleverer than that.

However Gatiss knows it is much cleverer than that and that is The Vesuvius Club's major failing. Lucifer Box was a good character but a bit too pretentious (that may be the point of the character but one can go too far...) and I felt as though his 'cleverer than thou' attitude appeared to reflect the author's belief of the novel.

It was fun and it was witty and I will read the next one but I thought it could have been much better than it was.

3/5

Brilliant, 01 Jun 2008
Brilliant story - only read this last year but am already almost finishing off the next book - Devil in Amber - and can't wait for the next due out in November.

Great stuff!!!

What a mix!, 07 Feb 2008
This book comes across to me as a cross between, James Bond, Austin Powers with a mix of PG Wodehouse (although set slightly before his era of writing).

It is humourous in parts, rotten and delightful in others, and very macabre in it's way of dealing with the low life of the era. (Edwardian) I was expecting more than I got with this book, it got rather full of characters at times, and took some thought in who they all were and what their role was. The thread of the book was fast paced with a couple of little off shoots, Christopher Miracle's problems, the role of Bella but they all got nicely tied up in the end. (Something that not all books do) Lucifer Box, the main character was rather decadent in his behaviour and with some loose morals was able to infiltrate some of the more lower as well as higher elements of society. Good will always overcome evil in these stories and there was something reassuring about this as the story gathered pace towards the end.

The set out of each chapter, started to read more like a newspaper and the added pictures was merely odd in my opinion. An interesting read, something I wouldn't have picked up before but probably not an author I would pick up again.

Less fantasy than Bond; a lively page-turner, 20 Nov 2008
No James Bond smoothie knocking off the baddies and knocking up the birds, Liz Carlyle's character is far more down to earth, far more credible. The women in the book don't fall about screaming when they see something iffy, but get on with the job. Mind you, the blokes in power are often represented as arrogant tossers--the male equivalent of the cardboard hysterical woman, the kind of people we all recognize from the workplace.

The pace of the story is good and fast, making the book something of a page-turner. Just don't compare Rimington with Le Carré, yet.

Some voyeurs might whinge at the lack of sex scenes in the story, but such scenes would only have delayed the important stuff, weakening the tale.

Rimington is certainly improving as an author and spinner of yarns. Good for her. Knowing the Service as thoroughly as she does, she must surely be at great pains not to tell too much, not to give away some "useful" information, lest she be branded "another Peter Wright". But within the limits of what she can safely divulge, she presents us with a credible view of some aspects of work in MI5. If anything's missing, it's the sheer drudgery of some of the analytical work. But who'd be interested in that?

Good on yer, Stella. Keep 'em coming.

Good read., 07 Nov 2008
Just finished this book after reading all the others by Stella Remington. Again there is much to enjoy, the good characterisation, the locations we know in London, the inner life of MI5 AND 6, and a very actual plot. But also, much to find a bit short, as in the other books, mostly this anti-climax ending, utterly umprobable, that Remington seems so good at.
The story I also found a bit far-fetched, and stretching belief. Still I would recommend it for a journey or a long airport delay.

Dull - Dull, 20 Aug 2008
After a great start with "At Risk" I was really keen to read this book. It was a real slog to get to the end. This was one of the most boring books I have read this year - slow - dull

Fine for the beach but not her best effort, 17 Aug 2008
As `Illegal Action' begins, Liz Carlyle is being transferred to Counter-espionage within MI5 a move she views as a demotion. However, soon after she arrives, word leaks of a plot by the Russians to kill one of their influential oligarchs here in London. Intelligence leads Liz to carry out an undercover operation where she must pose as an art history student and spend time in the home of Brunovsky, a charismatic and incredibly wealthy man who could be under threat. It seems that none of the people in Brunovsky's intimate circle are who they say they are and it's up to Liz to get to the truth.

I have read and enjoyed Stella Rimington's other books, but for some reason i found this one slightly lack lustre. The plot was Ok, but fell apart towards the end and I didn't find myself engaged with the characters as much as I had been in previous books. This novel might be OK for the book and is an easy read, but it certainly isn't the best example of her writing.


Not her best book!, 17 Jan 2008
Stella Rimington is clearly an intelligent person (and she should be - given her former job!) - her language is brilliant.
I was, however, disappointed with this her third spy-novel. Not as exciting as the two first. When finished I sat back with a feeling that either the author didn't really have anything to say, or didn't have time enough time to write this book. It build up quite well, but then ended so suddenly, and never became really thrilling.



Good book, just not as good as what's gone before, 16 Oct 2008
"Gorky Park" - Great convoluted murder mystery set in the Soviet Union. It's a bit overlong. The film version is a simplified travesty.

"Polar Star" - My favourite of the books. It's a bit more like a traditional murder mystery as it has everyone trapped together on a fish processing ship.

"Red Square" - Perhaps the most inventive of the books. I always thought it was a great idea what the red square of the title actual is, and what it does.

"Havana Bay" - Arkady goes to Cuba. This was the first of the books that I read. If I read it in chronological order I might like it a lot more. As it was, I felt utterly confused by the book as it had two alien cultures meeting each other, and a lot of backstory. I enjoyed it enough to read the others so I think it must be a good book.

"Wolves Eat Dogs" - Another excellent setting. This time Arkady Renko goes into modern day, semi-deserted radioactive Chernobyl. I thought this was probably the most purely enjoyable book of the series as the first two or three feel quite weighty even if they're not.

"Stalin's Ghost" - It's probably the lesser of the six books but considering the quality of the previous novels, that's not really a critiscism. It's fairly short and not half as labyrinthine as the earlier books. I'm also slightly puzzled by the logic of it:

*OBSCURELY WORDED SPOILER*
I don't quite understand why the men had to be killed, instead of paid off or intimidated, for their silence; and why they would go to such lengths if he was only considered to be a paper candidate to begin with?

Maintaining a fine standard, 09 Sep 2008
Martin Cruz Smith's thrillers featuring Arkady Renko are at the top of the tree, and "Stalin's Ghost" maintains the high standard. However, I'd recommend reading its predecessor, the superb "Wolves Eat Dogs", before you read SG.

Well-written, but the plot could have been stronger....., 28 Jul 2008
I like Martin Cruz Smith's writing and I have enjoyed prior novels with Senior Investigator Arkady Renko as the lead character.

In common with the prequels, the book is instructive on life in Russia and contains some rich observations. I liked lines like "as he was leaving Moscow and driving into Russia.....".

The plot is not all that deep but takes Renko to Tver and very nearly sees him killed. I found the book to be populated with strange scenarios, relationships and interactions as Renko tries to solve a couple of mysteries. The relevance of a couple of Americans who played bit parts still escapes me and the Stalin's Ghost angle in the metro seems to have done more for others than it did for me.

Here too, Renko struggles with his own demons and his relationships with his adopted son and partner. To get the most out of this book, I suspect a reader would need to have built a strong relationship with Renko from prior novels.

For whatever reason, I judged this book first as crime novel and I didn't feel it was as strong as other Cruz Smith books I have read. 7/10



Pleasantly surprising, 17 Jul 2008
Having never read a Martin Cruz Smith book, but having been impressed by the film of Gorky Park I actually bought this book in desperation. I was travelling back from Istanbul to the UK via Munich and had run out of books to read before reaching Istanbul airport. A quick trawl of the bookshop persuaded me to purchase Stalin's Ghost.

What impressed me was the quality of the writing as much as anything. Phrases like "Time nibbled away at the afternoon" and "Night crouched outside the casino" show a real talent for writing. Add to this a densely plotted thriller in modern Russian and it was an excellent page-turner.

I finished it in "one" go - Istanbul to Munich, 4 hours in Munich, Munich to Manchester and then a 25-minute queue for passport control. I read the last page walking through the baggage reclaim section. The fact that I was really tired (early start, long day, two time zone changes) underlines the quality of the book - I could not stop reading it. The author has a clear eye for the detail of post-communist Russia and the spectre of Stalin pervades the novel.

I'll probably buy the other Renko books now, perhaps even Gorky Park - having seen the film it will be interesting to see how the book holds up.

"In Arkady's experience, when the snow melted, bodies would be discovered. In Moscow, that was spring.", 13 Jul 2008
In his sixth Arkady Renko novel in twenty-six years, Martin Cruz Smith continues the character development of the aging Renko, a complex police investigator with an inherent honesty that serves as a barrier to advancement in contemporary Moscow. With the downfall of communism, Russia is now filled with corrupt politicians, organized crime lords, police acting as killers for hire, and a pervading uncertainty about the future. With every man for himself, it is no wonder that Renko, at the mercy of higher authorities in the force and unable to investigate the corruption he sees, has developed a healthy cynicism and pragmatism about life.

As the Moscow winter wanes, a mass grave from the mid-1940s is found at a construction site, obviously a place for the disposal of those executed under Stalin's rule, with the help of Renko's father, one of Stalin's trusted deputies. No modern investigation results, and no one is surprised. The inaction is all part of life in this city where the past and the present come together in a whirlpool which sucks the life out of its citizens. When the ghost of Stalin is seen wandering the subway, Renko is assigned to this low level case. As many ordinary citizens long for the "good old days," Stalinism is on the rise, and Police Inspector Nicolai Isakov, a killer for hire, is running for public office on a Stalinist platform.

A wartime "hero" for his actions as a Black Beret during the Chechen war, Isakov has never received medals or promotion for his behavior, and Renko is curious about why. When the other Black Berets who served with Isakov begin to die violent deaths, Renko begins a surreptitious investigation and finds himself fighting for his life. His personal relationships are not improved when his lover, Eva, begins sleeping with Isakov, and Zhenya, the twelve-year-old street orphan to whom Renko has offered a home, disappears, presumably to hustle at chess.

Cruz Smith's immensely satisfying plotting grows naturally from life in Moscow and its values and mores (for good and for evil), and when dramatic and gory scenes of violence arise, they do so within the context of a setting fully developed sociologically and historically. The characters are individualized and empathetic at all levels, and Arkady, who has continued to grow and change over the course of twenty-six years, still hopes that goodness will triumph, despite the country's current problems. Even secondary characters, like Zhenya become fully rounded, their motivations clear. The occasional black humor and Arkady's sardonic observations keep the reader engaged, even as the author raises questions about the future of Arkady and others like him who hope for a long-term justice. Mary Whipple


Not for me, 31 Aug 2008
I am probably one of the few people in the entire world that didn't like this book. I found the first part really well paced and exciting although it was tedious at times and over steps the mark on gritiness and violence. When Ludlum constantly shows Bournes thoughts in italics it just becomes extremly annoying for some reason. Then characters speak in French half the time and you have know idea what's being said or whats going on. I no the whole idea of the book is that you find out more as you go along, but by the time i got to the middle i was too bored, confused and fustrated to read any further. This is just my opinion, probably because i like less complex stories where the authors get straight to the point. Rather than waste time describing the history of places, which i end up scanning through anyway. The description can some times be a little too much at times and again i found myself scanning through this because it went on too long and i wanted to reach some dialogue. This certainly wasn't for me but i no many others love it. I just found it too ploddy, tedious, complex and boring. So i never actually finished it. Dissapointing compared to the brilliant film.

This book is essential if you love espionage novels, 27 Feb 2008
I think that the book is superior to the film and am AMAZED that some other reviewers have commented otherwise (notably those I see who saw the film first and thus perhaps read the book impatiently, KNOWING, the plot and outcome.

I read this book 20 years ago and it is still, to this day, a book I highly regard amongst the plethera of books I have read in the meantime. I was skeptical when Damon was cast as Bourne as, at that time, I thought him too lightweight. HOWEVER, I did go to see the movie and have to say he was brilliant and I loved him and he isn't lightweight at all.

For those unfamiliar with the book and movie, this is the first in a trilogy of books/now movies about an American citizen of unknown name seeking his identity after being washed up from the ocean in Europe, with no memory.

I would recommend to anyone to read the book first THEN see the movie and really enjoy both of them. Exotic locations and excellent story feature in both, exotic locations are lovely to see on the DVD and the story is obviously better portrayed in the book. I've read some reviews that think the book is heavy going, well I can't say I agree with that (and I HATE "heavy" going literature stuff). Having said that, it obviously is't a light read like a fluffy romance. I think it has balance and depth and portrays characters with dimension and a storyline worth following. It DOES read well in that it flows and isn't dull or monotonous.

I personally love a lot of Ludlums work, particularly the early stuff, and am always looking for similar styles. I have recently enjoyed both Stephen Leather and Daniel Silva's work as I love the spy and espionage stuff and they deliver both with excellent, easy reading writing styles. I have to say I'm amazed that both they and Ludlum haven't received more reviews (as I always consider number of reviews as well as ratings). Perhaps us spy enthusiasts are pre-historic beasts?


Excellent thriller for a holiday read, 10 Nov 2007

This is a great book from the start, it is by far the best of the trilogy. The next book is a bit slow but the third one better. Although a daunting size it keeps you turning the pages. The plot is quite realistic and could happen in real life where as book 2 and 3 are purely in fantasy land. Clever and well thought out, but not don't expect anything intellectual. You probably need to read this within a week or two on holiday to keep up with the turns and twists. The film only just touches the basic idea of the book and has no depth.

What a great read, 26 Aug 2007
What a great read, it had me hooked from the out set. it did drag a little part way through but plenty of action to follow was kept in going. A well written book, thank you.

The Master at his peak........, 20 Aug 2007
Robert Ludlum had been writing successful thrillers for 9 years by the time he published 'The Bourne Identity' in 1980 and this was the book that propelled him to the top of the fiction bestseller lists with each new novel for the next 15 years. In fact during the 80's he was the worlds bestselling author.
This is one of my favourite novels, a book that I reread every 5 years or so. It is so original. The opening grips you and you have to hang on for the next 500 odd pages.The set pieces are excellent, especially the section in Zurich from Bourne's visit to the bank through to his escape from the city. The plotting gets more and more convoluted as Bourne makes it to Paris, images of the past flashing in his amniesiac head, assassins attempting to end his life at every turn.
Ludlum had an eye for detail, in particular locations and he loved to set his thrillers in European cities, one of the reasons why this American author had a huge readership throughout the world.
The pace never lets up, you have to hang on to the ride.. This was Robert Ludlum at his unstoppable best.........

This is a VERY funny book., 01 Dec 2008
Laugh out loud Funny as a matter of fact, and I did, on average, about thirteen times an hour.

There's a distinct, 60's feel to it all; something to do with the cleverly-copied Aubrey Beardsley, Yellow Book look of the thing and the outrageousness of the rather-hard-to-follow plot. If this book were a film it would look like The Wrong Box or Casino Royale (the Peter Sellers movie, not the latest, hard-core version, obviously) and Peter Cook would be playing Lucifer Box.

The comedy is definitely the high-point of the novel, unfortunately, it's also what made it such a frequently annoying read. Whilst the deliciously clever, Wilde-ishly witty, hilarious asides are highly entertaining, they don't half detract from the story - but since the story isn't up to much anyway (the mind does tend to wander, I found, during all those elaborately Bond-esque cracks on Box's life), I detached my brain from all attempts at a plot and went for enjoying the funnies and the gay-sex instead.

(NB. The gay-sex in particular, whilst not in any way explicit, is deliciously titillating and thoroughly Good.)

Charlie Jackpot (I almost forgot to mention, every character has a ludicrous name and there are an awful lot of characters. This also makes things a little hard to follow, but you get used to it after a while and, since I was already ignoring the plot by the time it would have started to get annoying, I failed to find it as irritating as I no doubt would have, had I still been trying to follow the story - if you get my drift.

(Where was I? Oh yes, Charlie Jackpot...) is a delightful companion and it's overwhelmingly because of him that I'll be picking up the next book in this series.

So, well worth a read, for sure, just don't worry too much about what's going on because that way lies madness.


Reading the book is torture, 24 Jul 2008
I have to say I was looking forward to reading this for my book club, yet sadly it wasn't worth my time. I lacked any interest for the characters in the novel and unfortunatly did complete the book after much torture. Some members of the book club however gave this a positive feedback, stating they enjoyed the book as it was different to most novels out at the moment.
Summary:
- Boring Characters (lacking any charisma or humour)
- No inticing storyline or plot
- No decent humour
+ The book is short and only takes a day or so to read
+ I Like Mark Gatiss (just a shame he can't write)

Fun but pretentious, 08 Jul 2008
Its a good story of derring-do with lots of satirical humour and odd Dickensian names adorning odd Dickensian characters. Very much something found in a penny dreadful perhaps although much cleverer than that.

However Gatiss knows it is much cleverer than that and that is The Vesuvius Club's major failing. Lucifer Box was a good character but a bit too pretentious (that may be the point of the character but one can go too far...) and I felt as though his 'cleverer than thou' attitude appeared to reflect the author's belief of the novel.

It was fun and it was witty and I will read the next one but I thought it could have been much better than it was.

3/5

Brilliant, 01 Jun 2008
Brilliant story - only read this last year but am already almost finishing off the next book - Devil in Amber - and can't wait for the next due out in November.

Great stuff!!!

What a mix!, 07 Feb 2008
This book comes across to me as a cross between, James Bond, Austin Powers with a mix of PG Wodehouse (although set slightly before his era of writing).

It is humourous in parts, rotten and delightful in others, and very macabre in it's way of dealing with the low life of the era. (Edwardian) I was expecting more than I got with this book, it got rather full of characters at times, and took some thought in who they all were and what their role was. The thread of the book was fast paced with a couple of little off shoots, Christopher Miracle's problems, the role of Bella but they all got nicely tied up in the end. (Something that not all books do) Lucifer Box, the main character was rather decadent in his behaviour and with some loose morals was able to infiltrate some of the more lower as well as higher elements of society. Good will always overcome evil in these stories and there was something reassuring about this as the story gathered pace towards the end.

The set out of each chapter, started to read more like a newspaper and the added pictures was merely odd in my opinion. An interesting read, something I wouldn't have picked up before but probably not an author I would pick up again.

Less fantasy than Bond; a lively page-turner, 20 Nov 2008
No James Bond smoothie knocking off the baddies and knocking up the birds, Liz Carlyle's character is far more down to earth, far more credible. The women in the book don't fall about screaming when they see something iffy, but get on with the job. Mind you, the blokes in power are often represented as arrogant tossers--the male equivalent of the cardboard hysterical woman, the kind of people we all recognize from the workplace.

The pace of the story is good and fast, making the book something of a page-turner. Just don't compare Rimington with Le Carré, yet.

Some voyeurs might whinge at the lack of sex scenes in the story, but such scenes would only have delayed the important stuff, weakening the tale.

Rimington is certainly improving as an author and spinner of yarns. Good for her. Knowing the Service as thoroughly as she does, she must surely be at great pains not to tell too much, not to give away some "useful" information, lest she be branded "another Peter Wright". But within the limits of what she can safely divulge, she presents us with a credible view of some aspects of work in MI5. If anything's missing, it's the sheer drudgery of some of the analytical work. But who'd be interested in that?

Good on yer, Stella. Keep 'em coming.

Good read., 07 Nov 2008
Just finished this book after reading all the others by Stella Remington. Again there is much to enjoy, the good characterisation, the locations we know in London, the inner life of MI5 AND 6, and a very actual plot. But also, much to find a bit short, as in the other books, mostly this anti-climax ending, utterly umprobable, that Remington seems so good at.
The story I also found a bit far-fetched, and stretching belief. Still I would recommend it for a journey or a long airport delay.

Dull - Dull, 20 Aug 2008
After a great start with "At Risk" I was really keen to read this book. It was a real slog to get to the end. This was one of the most boring books I have read this year - slow - dull

Fine for the beach but not her best effort, 17 Aug 2008
As `Illegal Action' begins, Liz Carlyle is being transferred to Counter-espionage within MI5 a move she views as a demotion. However, soon after she arrives, word leaks of a plot by the Russians to kill one of their influential oligarchs here in London. Intelligence leads Liz to carry out an undercover operation where she must pose as an art history student and spend time in the home of Brunovsky, a charismatic and incredibly wealthy man who could be under threat. It seems that none of the people in Brunovsky's intimate circle are who they say they are and it's up to Liz to get to the truth.

I have read and enjoyed Stella Rimington's other books, but for some reason i found this one slightly lack lustre. The plot was Ok, but fell apart towards the end and I didn't find myself engaged with the characters as much as I had been in previous books. This novel might be OK for the book and is an easy read, but it certainly isn't the best example of her writing.


Not her best book!, 17 Jan 2008
Stella Rimington is clearly an intelligent person (and she should be - given her former job!) - her language is brilliant.
I was, however, disappointed with this her third spy-novel. Not as exciting as the two first. When finished I sat back with a feeling that either the author didn't really have anything to say, or didn't have time enough time to write this book. It build up quite well, but then ended so suddenly, and never became really thrilling.



Good book, just not as good as what's gone before, 16 Oct 2008
"Gorky Park" - Great convoluted murder mystery set in the Soviet Union. It's a bit overlong. The film version is a simplified travesty.

"Polar Star" - My favourite of the books. It's a bit more like a traditional murder mystery as it has everyone trapped together on a fish processing ship.

"Red Square" - Perhaps the most inventive of the books. I always thought it was a great idea what the red square of the title actual is, and what it does.

"Havana Bay" - Arkady goes to Cuba. This was the first of the books that I read. If I read it in chronological order I might like it a lot more. As it was, I felt utterly confused by the book as it had two alien cultures meeting each other, and a lot of backstory. I enjoyed it enough to read the others so I think it must be a good book.

"Wolves Eat Dogs" - Another excellent setting. This time Arkady Renko goes into modern day, semi-deserted radioactive Chernobyl. I thought this was probably the most purely enjoyable book of the series as the first two or three feel quite weighty even if they're not.

"Stalin's Ghost" - It's probably the lesser of the six books but considering the quality of the previous novels, that's not really a critiscism. It's fairly short and not half as labyrinthine as the earlier books. I'm also slightly puzzled by the logic of it:

*OBSCURELY WORDED SPOILER*
I don't quite understand why the men had to be killed, instead of paid off or intimidated, for their silence; and why they would go to such lengths if he was only considered to be a paper candidate to begin with?

Maintaining a fine standard, 09 Sep 2008
Martin Cruz Smith's thrillers featuring Arkady Renko are at the top of the tree, and "Stalin's Ghost" maintains the high standard. However, I'd recommend reading its predecessor, the superb "Wolves Eat Dogs", before you read SG.

Well-written, but the plot could have been stronger....., 28 Jul 2008
I like Martin Cruz Smith's writing and I have enjoyed prior novels with Senior Investigator Arkady Renko as the lead character.

In common with the prequels, the book is instructive on life in Russia and contains some rich observations. I liked lines like "as he was leaving Moscow and driving into Russia.....".

The plot is not all that deep but takes Renko to Tver and very nearly sees him killed. I found the book to be populated with strange scenarios, relationships and interactions as Renko tries to solve a couple of mysteries. The relevance of a couple of Americans who played bit parts still escapes me and the Stalin's Ghost angle in the metro seems to have done more for others than it did for me.

Here too, Renko struggles with his own demons and his relationships with his adopted son and partner. To get the most out of this book, I suspect a reader would need to have built a strong relationship with Renko from prior novels.

For whatever reason, I judged this book first as crime novel and I didn't feel it was as strong as other Cruz Smith books I have read. 7/10



Pleasantly surprising, 17 Jul 2008
Having never read a Martin Cruz Smith book, but having been impressed by the film of Gorky Park I actually bought this book in desperation. I was travelling back from Istanbul to the UK via Munich and had run out of books to read before reaching Istanbul airport. A quick trawl of the bookshop persuaded me to purchase Stalin's Ghost.

What impressed me was the quality of the writing as much as anything. Phrases like "Time nibbled away at the afternoon" and "Night crouched outside the casino" show a real talent for writing. Add to this a densely plotted thriller in modern Russian and it was an excellent page-turner.

I finished it in "one" go - Istanbul to Munich, 4 hours in Munich, Munich to Manchester and then a 25-minute queue for passport control. I read the last page walking through the baggage reclaim section. The fact that I was really tired (early start, long day, two time zone changes) underlines the quality of the book - I could not stop reading it. The author has a clear eye for the detail of post-communist Russia and the spectre of Stalin pervades the novel.

I'll probably buy the other Renko books now, perhaps even Gorky Park - having seen the film it will be interesting to see how the book holds up.

"In Arkady's experience, when the snow melted, bodies would be discovered. In Moscow, that was spring.", 13 Jul 2008
In his sixth Arkady Renko novel in twenty-six years, Martin Cruz Smith continues the character development of the aging Renko, a complex police investigator with an inherent honesty that serves as a barrier to advancement in contemporary Moscow. With the downfall of communism, Russia is now filled with corrupt politicians, organized crime lords, police acting as killers for hire, and a pervading uncertainty about the future. With every man for himself, it is no wonder that Renko, at the mercy of higher authorities in the force and unable to investigate the corruption he sees, has developed a healthy cynicism and pragmatism about life.

As the Moscow winter wanes, a mass grave from the mid-1940s is found at a construction site, obviously a place for the disposal of those executed under Stalin's rule, with the help of Renko's father, one of Stalin's trusted deputies. No modern investigation results, and no one is surprised. The inaction is all part of life in this city where the past and the present come together in a whirlpool which sucks the life out of its citizens. When the ghost of Stalin is seen wandering the subway, Renko is assigned to this low level case. As many ordinary citizens long for the "good old days," Stalinism is on the rise, and Police Inspector Nicolai Isakov, a killer for hire, is running for public office on a Stalinist platform.

A wartime "hero" for his actions as a Black Beret during the Chechen war, Isakov has never received medals or promotion for his behavior, and Renko is curious about why. When the other Black Berets who served with Isakov begin to die violent deaths, Renko begins a surreptitious investigation and finds himself fighting for his life. His personal relationships are not improved when his lover, Eva, begins sleeping with Isakov, and Zhenya, the twelve-year-old street orphan to whom Renko has offered a home, disappears, presumably to hustle at chess.

Cruz Smith's immensely satisfying plotting grows naturally from life in Moscow and its values and mores (for good and for evil), and when dramatic and gory scenes of violence arise, they do so within the context of a setting fully developed sociologically and historically. The characters are individualized and empathetic at all levels, and Arkady, who has continued to grow and change over the course of twenty-six years, still hopes that goodness will triumph, despite the country's current problems. Even secondary characters, like Zhenya become fully rounded, their motivations clear. The occasional black humor and Arkady's sardonic observations keep the reader engaged, even as the author raises questions about the future of Arkady and others like him who hope for a long-term justice. Mary Whipple


Not for me, 31 Aug 2008
I am probably one of the few people in the entire world that didn't like this book. I found the first part really well paced and exciting although it was tedious at times and over steps the mark on gritiness and violence. When Ludlum constantly shows Bournes thoughts in italics it just becomes extremly annoying for some reason. Then characters speak in French half the time and you have know idea what's being said or whats going on. I no the whole idea of the book is that you find out more as you go along, but by the time i got to the middle i was too bored, confused and fustrated to read any further. This is just my opinion, probably because i like less complex stories where the authors get straight to the point. Rather than waste time describing the history of places, which i end up scanning through anyway. The description can some times be a little too much at times and again i found myself scanning through this because it went on too long and i wanted to reach some dialogue. This certainly wasn't for me but i no many others love it. I just found it too ploddy, tedious, complex and boring. So i never actually finished it. Dissapointing compared to the brilliant film.

This book is essential if you love espionage novels, 27 Feb 2008
I think that the book is superior to the film and am AMAZED that some other reviewers have commented otherwise (notably those I see who saw the film first and thus perhaps read the book impatiently, KNOWING, the plot and outcome.

I read this book 20 years ago and it is still, to this day, a book I highly regard amongst the plethera of books I have read in the meantime. I was skeptical when Damon was cast as Bourne as, at that time, I thought him too lightweight. HOWEVER, I did go to see the movie and have to say he was brilliant and I loved him and he isn't lightweight at all.

For those unfamiliar with the book and movie, this is the first in a trilogy of books/now movies about an American citizen of unknown name seeking his identity after being washed up from the ocean in Europe, with no memory.

I would recommend to anyone to read the book first THEN see the movie and really enjoy both of them. Exotic locations and excellent story feature in both, exotic locations are lovely to see on the DVD and the story is obviously better portrayed in the book. I've read some reviews that think the book is heavy going, well I can't say I agree with that (and I HATE "heavy" going literature stuff). Having said that, it obviously is't a light read like a fluffy romance. I think it has balance and depth and portrays characters with dimension and a storyline worth following. It DOES read well in that it flows and isn't dull or monotonous.

I personally love a lot of Ludlums work, particularly the early stuff, and am always looking for similar styles. I have recently enjoyed both Stephen Leather and Daniel Silva's work as I love the spy and espionage stuff and they deliver both with excellent, easy reading writing styles. I have to say I'm amazed that both they and Ludlum haven't received more reviews (as I always consider number of reviews as well as ratings). Perhaps us spy enthusiasts are pre-historic beasts?


Excellent thriller for a holiday read, 10 Nov 2007

This is a great book from the start, it is by far the best of the trilogy. The next book is a bit slow but the third one better. Although a daunting size it keeps you turning the pages. The plot is quite realistic and could happen in real life where as book 2 and 3 are purely in fantasy land. Clever and well thought out, but not don't expect anything intellectual. You probably need to read this within a week or two on holiday to keep up with the turns and twists. The film only just touches the basic idea of the book and has no depth.

What a great read, 26 Aug 2007
What a great read, it had me hooked from the out set. it did drag a little part way through but plenty of action to follow was kept in going. A well written book, thank you.

The Master at his peak........, 20 Aug 2007
Robert Ludlum had been writing successful thrillers for 9 years by the time he published 'The Bourne Identity' in 1980 and this was the book that propelled him to the top of the fiction bestseller lists with each new novel for the next 15 years. In fact during the 80's he was the worlds bestselling author.
This is one of my favourite novels, a book that I reread every 5 years or so. It is so original. The opening grips you and you have to hang on for the next 500 odd pages.The set pieces are excellent, especially the section in Zurich from Bourne's visit to the bank through to his escape from the city. The plotting gets more and more convoluted as Bourne makes it to Paris, images of the past flashing in his amniesiac head, assassins attempting to end his life at every turn.
Ludlum had an eye for detail, in particular locations and he loved to set his thrillers in European cities, one of the reasons why this American author had a huge readership throughout the world.
The pace never lets up, you have to hang on to the ride.. This was Robert Ludlum at his unstoppable best.........

probably the peak... really outstanding fiction classics by now., 09 Aug 2008
I must admit I am reading the novels in order. Why I waited so much to do so I will never know. Guess having seen the films in my youth (I mean the Sean Connery one's... Moore's slapstick was not here not there) put away the idea for too long.

What a mistake.

Fleming created out of the blue a new kind of thriller, outrageous, with really well thought villains, and a fatalistic hero that is not so cool blooded as in the films. There is a great "M" character, and much less gimmicks and silly artifacts in the novels. And of course the BIG PREMIUM of getting inside Bond's thoughts...

I can not say if truly this three volume omnibus is the peak of the saga, up to now I must agree, everybody says so, and they are superior to the first novels... but I still have to read the remaining one's.

I enjoyed particularly what the films couldn't accurately portray... the 18 holes golf match with Goldfinger, the beginning of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE... and of course the great female Bond character in Dr NO... all much better in the books. As it is they are probably the best films too.

If you have never read one of the novels I guess doing it in order is the best way.

Cheers
ADB

Fleming's Best Works, 17 Jul 2005
If you don't already own any Ian Fleming novels, this wonderful omnibus edition from Penguin Modern Classics is a fantastic starting point from which to dive into the James Bond literary ocean.

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE is almost universally regarded as Fleming's masterpiece novel, and is the first novel in this collection. The plot is fairly similar to the 1963 film. The biggest difference is that the organisation that Bond is pitted against is SMERSH, rather than SPECTRE as it was in the film. SMERSH try to lure bond into a trap, the bait being a Spektor cipher machine. (It was called Lektor in the movie) Bond main ally is the memorable Darko Kerim. The girl is a Russian cipher clerk named Tatiana, and the villain is Rosa Klebb, a repulsive woman who is described brilliantly by Fleming. This is a great taut, suspenseful novel right down to the final twist on the last page.

DR NO is second in the collection and is another great read. This was the first Fleming novel I ever read, and it was a very nice, easy read. The plot is fairly simple, and the characters move fluidly within it. Honey Ryder is the Bond girl this time out, and Quarrel (from Live And Let Die) returns. Many of the scenes are the same as those in the movie, although the villain's death is very different (And quite bizarre!!) Bond is attacked by a deadly centipede and a giant squid and comes out the other end in one piece as only 007 can do!

GOLDFINGER is arguably one of the most famous titles in the world thanks to the 1964 film, and it rounds off this trio of novels. The highlight is undoubtedly the game of golf with Goldfinger. I actually enjoyed the first half of the novel more than the second half. The whole gangster scenario was a little difficult to follow, and the whole ending is not as good IMO as the film version. Nonetheless it is a great novel, and deserves a place in any collection, as do all of Ian Fleming's works, which tend to be underrated.

Ironic - critics finally get there, 28 May 2004
Ian Fleming's novels were once dismissed as trash by several critics at the time of their original publication. How things have moved on. The whole Bond phenomenon remains hugely popular, and the novels are where it all began. Yes, these novels are modern classics, and it's only proper that they're treated as such. Fleming's prose is elegant, exciting, page-turning; all the things you expect in good writing. As one reviewer put it, there's never a wasted word - and that in itself is a real art. All the novels are worth reading - and in sequence you can track the development of Fleming's style, through to where he himself grew bored with his own creation. The three novels here are probably the peak of his output - From Russia With Love is perhaps the finest book in the series. If you have never read the original Bond novels, a treat awaits.

As entertaining today as 40 years ago, 29 Apr 2002
If, like me, you grew up watching the James Bond films, it is a fascinating experience reading the original books which gave rise to the blockbusters. And they do not dissappoint.

Each of the three stories in this book differ significantly from the film versions; so even though you find yourself visualising the scenes you recognise, you are still confronted by surprises and twists in the plot.

Another major difference is the depth of character that Fleming gives to Bond, the girls and the villians - one possible criticism of the films are they are a bit "cartoonish".

Finally, although the books are set in a by-gone age of Cold War espionage, they capture that time perfectly with a refreshing "Britishness" which readers of my generation are not used to.

I highly recommend you try them out.

This is a VERY funny book., 01 Dec 2008
Laugh out loud Funny as a matter of fact, and I did, on average, about thirteen times an hour.

There's a distinct, 60's feel to it all; something to do with the cleverly-copied Aubrey Beardsley, Yellow Book look of the thing and the outrageousness of the rather-hard-to-follow plot. If this book were a film it would look like The Wrong Box or Casino Royale (the Peter Sellers movie, not the latest, hard-core version, obviously) and Peter Cook would be playing Lucifer Box.

The comedy is definitely the high-point of the novel, unfortunately, it's also what made it such a frequently annoying read. Whilst the deliciously clever, Wilde-ishly witty, hilarious asides are highly entertaining, they don't half detract from the story - but since the story isn't up to much anyway (the mind does tend to wander, I found, during all those elaborately Bond-esque cracks on Box's life), I detached my brain from all attempts at a plot and went for enjoying the funnies and the gay-sex instead.

(NB. The gay-sex in particular, whilst not in any way explicit, is deliciously titillating and thoroughly Good.)

Charlie Jackpot (I almost forgot to mention, every character has a ludicrous name and there are an awful lot of characters. This also makes things a little hard to follow, but you get used to it after a while and, since I was already ignoring the plot by the time it would have started to get annoying, I failed to find it as irritating as I no doubt would have, had I still been trying to follow the story - if you get my drift.

(Where was I? Oh yes, Charlie Jackpot...) is a delightful companion and it's overwhelmingly because of him that I'll be picking up the next book in this series.

So, well worth a read, for sure, just don't worry too much about what's going on because that way lies madness.


Reading the book is torture, 24 Jul 2008
I have to say I was looking forward to reading this for my book club, yet sadly it wasn't worth my time. I lacked any interest for the characters in the novel and unfortunatly did complete the book after much torture. Some members of the book club however gave this a positive feedback, stating they enjoyed the book as it was different to most novels out at the moment.
Summary:
- Boring Characters (lacking any charisma or humour)
- No inticing storyline or plot
- No decent humour
+ The book is short and only takes a day or so to read
+ I Like Mark Gatiss (just a shame he can't write)

Fun but pretentious, 08 Jul 2008
Its a good story of derring-do with lots of satirical humour and odd Dickensian names adorning odd Dickensian characters. Very much something found in a penny dreadful perhaps although much cleverer than that.

However Gatiss knows it is much cleverer than that and that is The Vesuvius Club's major failing. Lucifer Box was a good character but a bit too pretentious (that may be the point of the character but one can go too far...) and I felt as though his 'cleverer than thou' attitude appeared to reflect the author's belief of the novel.

It was fun and it was witty and I will read the next one but I thought it could have been much better than it was.

3/5

Brilliant, 01 Jun 2008
Brilliant story - only read this last year but am already almost finishing off the next book - Devil in Amber - and can't wait for the next due out in November.

Great stuff!!!

What a mix!, 07 Feb 2008
This book comes across to me as a cross between, James Bond, Austin Powers with a mix of PG Wodehouse (although set slightly before his era of writing).

It is humourous in parts, rotten and delightful in others, and very macabre in it's way of dealing with the low life of the era. (Edwardian) I was expecting more than I got with this book, it got rather full of characters at times, and took some thought in who they all were and what their role was. The thread of the book was fast paced with a couple of little off shoots, Christopher Miracle's problems, the role of Bella but they all got nicely tied up in the end. (Something that not all books do) Lucifer Box, the main character was rather decadent in his behaviour and with some loose morals was able to infiltrate some of the more lower as well as higher elements of society. Good will always overcome evil in these stories and there was something reassuring about this as the story gathered pace towards the end.

The set out of each chapter, started to read more like a newspaper and the added pictures was merely odd in my opinion. An interesting read, something I wouldn't have picked up before but probably not an author I would pick up again.

Less fantasy than Bond; a lively page-turner, 20 Nov 2008
No James Bond smoothie knocking off the baddies and knocking up the birds, Liz Carlyle's character is far more down to earth, far more credible. The women in the book don't fall about screaming when they see something iffy, but get on with the job. Mind you, the blokes in power are often represented as arrogant tossers--the male equivalent of the cardboard hysterical woman, the kind of people we all recognize from the workplace.

The pace of the story is good and fast, making the book something of a page-turner. Just don't compare Rimington with Le Carré, yet.

Some voyeurs might whinge at the lack of sex scenes in the story, but such scenes would only have delayed the important stuff, weakening the tale.

Rimington is certainly improving as an author and spinner of yarns. Good for her. Knowing the Service as thoroughly as she does, she must surely be at great pains not to tell too much, not to give away some "useful" information, lest she be branded "another Peter Wright". But within the limits of what she can safely divulge, she presents us with a credible view of some aspects of work in MI5. If anything's missing, it's the sheer drudgery of some of the analytical work. But who'd be interested in that?

Good on yer, Stella. Keep 'em coming.

Good read., 07 Nov 2008
Just finished this book after reading all the others by Stella Remington. Again there is much to enjoy, the good characterisation, the locations we know in London, the inner life of MI5 AND 6, and a very actual plot. But also, much to find a bit short, as in the other books, mostly this anti-climax ending, utterly umprobable, that Remington seems so good at.
The story I also found a bit far-fetched, and stretching belief. Still I would recommend it for a journey or a long airport delay.

Dull - Dull, 20 Aug 2008
After a great start with "At Risk" I was really keen to read this book. It was a real slog to get to the end. This was one of the most boring books I have read this year - slow - dull

Fine for the beach but not her best effort, 17 Aug 2008
As `Illegal Action' begins, Liz Carlyle is being transferred to Counter-espionage within MI5 a move she views as a demotion. However, soon after she arrives, word leaks of a plot by the Russians to kill one of their influential oligarchs here in London. Intelligence leads Liz to carry out an undercover operation where she must pose as an art history student and spend time in the home of Brunovsky, a charismatic and incredibly wealthy man who could be under threat. It seems that none of the people in Brunovsky's intimate circle are who they say they are and it's up to Liz to get to the truth.

I have read and enjoyed Stella Rimington's other books, but for some reason i found this one slightly lack lustre. The plot was Ok, but fell apart towards the end and I didn't find myself engaged with the characters as much as I had been in previous books. This novel might be OK for the book and is an easy read, but it certainly isn't the best example of her writing.


Not her best book!, 17 Jan 2008
Stella Rimington is clearly an intelligent person (and she should be - given her former job!) - her language is brilliant.
I was, however, disappointed with this her third spy-novel. Not as exciting as the two first. When finished I sat back with a feeling that either the author didn't really have anything to say, or didn't have time enough time to write this book. It build up quite well, but then ended so suddenly, and never became really thrilling.



Good book, just not as good as what's gone before, 16 Oct 2008
"Gorky Park" - Great convoluted murder mystery set in the Soviet Union. It's a bit overlong. The film version is a simplified travesty.

"Polar Star" - My favourite of the books. It's a bit more like a traditional murder mystery as it has everyone trapped together on a fish processing ship.

"Red Square" - Perhaps the most inventive of the books. I always thought it was a great idea what the red square of the title actual is, and what it does.

"Havana Bay" - Arkady goes to Cuba. This was the first of the books that I read. If I read it in chronological order I might like it a lot more. As it was, I felt utterly confused by the book as it had two alien cultures meeting each other, and a lot of backstory. I enjoyed it enough to read the others so I think it must be a good book.

"Wolves Eat Dogs" - Another excellent setting. This time Arkady Renko goes into modern day, semi-deserted radioactive Chernobyl. I thought this was probably the most purely enjoyable book of the series as the first two or three feel quite weighty even if they're not.

"Stalin's Ghost" - It's probably the lesser of the six books but considering the quality of the previous novels, that's not really a critiscism. It's fairly short and not half as labyrinthine as the earlier books. I'm also slightly puzzled by the logic of it:

*OBSCURELY WORDED SPOILER*
I don't quite understand why the men had to be killed, instead of paid off or intimidated, for their silence; and why they would go to such lengths if he was only considered to be a paper candidate to begin with?

Maintaining a fine standard, 09 Sep 2008
Martin Cruz Smith's thrillers featuring Arkady Renko are at the top of the tree, and "Stalin's Ghost" maintains the high standard. However, I'd recommend reading its predecessor, the superb "Wolves Eat Dogs", before you read SG.

Well-written, but the plot could have been stronger....., 28 Jul 2008
I like Martin Cruz Smith's writing and I have enjoyed prior novels with Senior Investigator Arkady Renko as the lead character.

In common with the prequels, the book is instructive on life in Russia and contains some rich observations. I liked lines like "as he was leaving Moscow and driving into Russia.....".

The plot is not all that deep but takes Renko to Tver and very nearly sees him killed. I found the book to be populated with strange scenarios, relationships and interactions as Renko tries to solve a couple of mysteries. The relevance of a couple of Americans who played bit parts still escapes me and the Stalin's Ghost angle in the metro seems to have done more for others than it did for me.

Here too, Renko struggles with his own demons and his relationships with his adopted son and partner. To get the most out of this book, I suspect a reader would need to have built a strong relationship with Renko from prior novels.

For whatever reason, I judged this book first as crime novel and I didn't feel it was as strong as other Cruz Smith books I have read. 7/10



Pleasantly surprising, 17 Jul 2008
Having never read a Martin Cruz Smith book, but having been impressed by the film of Gorky Park I actually bought this book in desperation. I was travelling back from Istanbul to the UK via Munich and had run out of books to read before reaching Istanbul airport. A quick trawl of the bookshop persuaded me to purchase Stalin's Ghost.

What impressed me was the quality of the writing as much as anything. Phrases like "Time nibbled away at the afternoon" and "Night crouched outside the casino" show a real talent for writing. Add to this a densely plotted thriller in modern Russian and it was an excellent page-turner.

I finished it in "one" go - Istanbul to Munich, 4 hours in Munich, Munich to Manchester and then a 25-minute queue for passport control. I read the last page walking through the baggage reclaim section. The fact that I was really tired (early start, long day, two time zone changes) underlines the quality of the book - I could not stop reading it. The author has a clear eye for the detail of post-communist Russia and the spectre of Stalin pervades the novel.

I'll probably buy the other Renko books now, perhaps even Gorky Park - having seen the film it will be interesting to see how the book holds up.

"In Arkady's experience, when the snow melted, bodies would be discovered. In Moscow, that was spring.", 13 Jul 2008
In his sixth Arkady Renko novel in twenty-six years, Martin Cruz Smith continues the character development of the aging Renko, a complex police investigator with an inherent honesty that serves as a barrier to advancement in contemporary Moscow. With the downfall of communism, Russia is now filled with corrupt politicians, organized crime lords, police acting as killers for hire, and a pervading uncertainty about the future. With every man for himself, it is no wonder that Renko, at the mercy of higher authorities in the force and unable to investigate the corruption he sees, has developed a healthy cynicism and pragmatism about life.

As the Moscow winter wanes, a mass grave from the mid-1940s is found at a construction site, obviously a place for the disposal of those executed under Stalin's rule, with the help of Renko's father, one of Stalin's trusted deputies. No modern investigation results, and no one is surprised. The inaction is all part of life in this city where the past and the present come together in a whirlpool which sucks the life out of its citizens. When the ghost of Stalin is seen wandering the subway, Renko is assigned to this low level case. As many ordinary citizens long for the "good old days," Stalinism is on the rise, and Police Inspector Nicolai Isakov, a killer for hire, is running for public office on a Stalinist platform.

A wartime "hero" for his actions as a Black Beret during the Chechen war, Isakov has never received medals or promotion for his behavior, and Renko is curious about why. When the other Black Berets who served with Isakov begin to die violent deaths, Renko begins a surreptitious investigation and finds himself fighting for his life. His personal relationships are not improved when his lover, Eva, begins sleeping with Isakov, and Zhenya, the twelve-year-old street orphan to whom Renko has offered a home, disappears, presumably to hustle at chess.

Cruz Smith's immensely satisfying plotting grows naturally from life in Moscow and its values and mores (for good and for evil), and when dramatic and gory scenes of violence arise, they do so within the context of a setting fully developed sociologically and historically. The characters are individualized and empathetic at all levels, and Arkady, who has continued to grow and change over the course of twenty-six years, still hopes that goodness will triumph, despite the country's current problems. Even secondary characters, like Zhenya become fully rounded, their motivations clear. The occasional black humor and Arkady's sardonic observations keep the reader engaged, even as the author raises questions about the future of Arkady and others like him who hope for a long-term justice. Mary Whipple


Not for me, 31 Aug 2008
I am probably one of the few people in the entire world that didn't like this book. I found the first part really well paced and exciting although it was tedious at times and over steps the mark on gritiness and violence. When Ludlum constantly shows Bournes thoughts in italics it just becomes extremly annoying for some reason. Then characters speak in French half the time and you have know idea what's being said or whats going on. I no the whole idea of the book is that you find out more as you go along, but by the time i got to the middle i was too bored, confused and fustrated to read any further. This is just my opinion, probably because i like less complex stories where the authors get straight to the point. Rather than waste time describing the history of places, which i end up scanning through anyway. The description can some times be a little too much at times and again i found myself scanning through this because it went on too long and i wanted to reach some dialogue. This certainly wasn't for me but i no many others love it. I just found it too ploddy, tedious, complex and boring. So i never actually finished it. Dissapointing compared to the brilliant film.

This book is essential if you love espionage novels, 27 Feb 2008
I think that the book is superior to the film and am AMAZED that some other reviewers have commented otherwise (notably those I see who saw the film first and thus perhaps read the book impatiently, KNOWING, the plot and outcome.

I read this book 20 years ago and it is still, to this day, a book I highly regard amongst the plethera of books I have read in the meantime. I was skeptical when Damon was cast as Bourne as, at that time, I thought him too lightweight. HOWEVER, I did go to see the movie and have to say he was brilliant and I loved him and he isn't lightweight at all.

For those unfamiliar with the book and movie, this is the first in a trilogy of books/now movies about an American citizen of unknown name seeking his identity after being washed up from the ocean in Europe, with no memory.

I would recommend to anyone to read the book first THEN see the movie and really enjoy both of them. Exotic locations and excellent story feature in both, exotic locations are lovely to see on the DVD and the story is obviously better portrayed in the book. I've read some reviews that think the book is heavy going, well I can't say I agree with that (and I HATE "heavy" going literature stuff). Having said that, it obviously is't a light read like a fluffy romance. I think it has balance and depth and portrays characters with dimension and a storyline worth following. It DOES read well in that it flows and isn't dull or monotonous.

I personally love a lot of Ludlums work, particularly the early stuff, and am always looking for similar styles. I have recently enjoyed both Stephen Leather and Daniel Silva's work as I love the spy and espionage stuff and they deliver both with excellent, easy reading writing styles. I have to say I'm amazed that both they and Ludlum haven't received more reviews (as I always consider number of reviews as well as ratings). Perhaps us spy enthusiasts are pre-historic beasts?


Excellent thriller for a holiday read, 10 Nov 2007

This is a great book from the start, it is by far the best of the trilogy. The next book is a bit slow but the third one better. Although a daunting size it keeps you turning the pages. The plot is quite realistic and could happen in real life where as book 2 and 3 are purely in fantasy land. Clever and well thought out, but not don't expect anything intellectual. You probably need to read this within a week or two on holiday to keep up with the turns and twists. The film only just touches the basic idea of the book and has no depth.

What a great read, 26 Aug 2007
What a great read, it had me hooked from the out set. it did drag a little part way through but plenty of action to follow was kept in going. A well written book, thank you.

The Master at his peak........, 20 Aug 2007
Robert Ludlum had been writing successful thrillers for 9 years by the time he published 'The Bourne Identity' in 1980 and this was the book that propelled him to the top of the fiction bestseller lists with each new novel for the next 15 years. In fact during the 80's he was the worlds bestselling author.
This is one of my favourite novels, a book that I reread every 5 years or so. It is so original. The opening grips you and you have to hang on for the next 500 odd pages.The set pieces are excellent, especially the section in Zurich from Bourne's visit to the bank through to his escape from the city. The plotting gets more and more convoluted as Bourne makes it to Paris, images of the past flashing in his amniesiac head, assassins attempting to end his life at every turn.
Ludlum had an eye for detail, in particular locations and he loved to set his thrillers in European cities, one of the reasons why this American author had a huge readership throughout the world.
The pace never lets up, you have to hang on to the ride.. This was Robert Ludlum at his unstoppable best.........

probably the peak... really outstanding fiction classics by now., 09 Aug 2008
I must admit I am reading the novels in order. Why I waited so much to do so I will never know. Guess having seen the films in my youth (I mean the Sean Connery one's... Moore's slapstick was not here not there) put away the idea for too long.

What a mistake.

Fleming created out of the blue a new kind of thriller, outrageous, with really well thought villains, and a fatalistic hero that is not so cool blooded as in the films. There is a great "M" character, and much less gimmicks and silly artifacts in the novels. And of course the BIG PREMIUM of getting inside Bond's thoughts...

I can not say if truly this three volume omnibus is the peak of the saga, up to now I must agree, everybody says so, and they are superior to the first novels... but I still have to read the remaining one's.

I enjoyed particularly what the films couldn't accurately portray... the 18 holes golf match with Goldfinger, the beginning of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE... and of course the great female Bond character in Dr NO... all much better in the books. As it is they are probably the best films too.

If you have never read one of the novels I guess doing it in order is the best way.

Cheers
ADB

Fleming's Best Works, 17 Jul 2005
If you don't already own any Ian Fleming novels, this wonderful omnibus edition from Penguin Modern Classics is a fantastic starting point from which to dive into the James Bond literary ocean.

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE is almost universally regarded as Fleming's masterpiece novel, and is the first novel in this collection. The plot is fairly similar to the 1963 film. The biggest difference is that the organisation that Bond is pitted against is SMERSH, rather than SPECTRE as it was in the film. SMERSH try to lure bond into a trap, the bait being a Spektor cipher machine. (It was called Lektor in the movie) Bond main ally is the memorable Darko Kerim. The girl is a Russian cipher clerk named Tatiana, and the villain is Rosa Klebb, a repulsive woman who is described brilliantly by Fleming. This is a great taut, suspenseful novel right down to the final twist on the last page.

DR NO is second in the collection and is another great read. This was the first Fleming novel I ever read, and it was a very nice, easy read. The plot is fairly simple, and the characters move fluidly within it. Honey Ryder is the Bond girl this time out, and Quarrel (from Live And Let Die) returns. Many of the scenes are the same as those in the movie, although the villain's death is very different (And quite bizarre!!) Bond is attacked by a deadly centipede and a giant squid and comes out the other end in one piece as only 007 can do!

GOLDFINGER is arguably one of the most famous titles in the world thanks to the 1964 film, and it rounds off this trio of novels. The highlight is undoubtedly the game of golf with Goldfinger. I actually enjoyed the first half of the novel more than the second half. The whole gangster scenario was a little difficult to follow, and the whole ending is not as good IMO