is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, 03 Aug 2008
"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner. 2,5/5

Cover Story - Fantastic!, 23 May 2007
I have read many of Colin Forbes' books over the last few years, but Cover Story has to be the best so far. A very well researched book in terms of location and knowledge, plenty of characters to wonder about and a great twist at the end.

If you only ever buy one Colin Forbes book, Cover Story has to be it!

This would make an excellent movie thriller if the right actors were cast against each character.

I have at least six others I have not read yet, and my eventual aim is to have every book he wrote. His style of writing grips you from the first page,and you just cannot put the book down - many late nights creeping into early mornings spent reading, especially when you are perhaps 100-200 pages from the end!

boring from cover to cover, 14 Oct 2003
The second, or third book in this boring series. Everyone follows everyone else to find out who the trader among them is, to the point where you don't care who the guilty one is. I sure didn't. Nothing else happened in this dull story, so don't bother with it.
Pick up instead, his "Leader and the Damned", his best book by far. Any one of his pre-series books were worth reading, but forget the Tweed series, which just seem to be precursers to each other, where the only thing that changes is the name of the villain.

Well-written book with an unexpected ending, 01 Aug 2000
I'm a bit of a Colin Forbes fan, but this is the best that I've read so far. You can clearly tell that he has researched this book well, and the story is strong and gripping. Never expected the ending!

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, 03 Aug 2008
"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner. 2,5/5

Cover Story - Fantastic!, 23 May 2007
I have read many of Colin Forbes' books over the last few years, but Cover Story has to be the best so far. A very well researched book in terms of location and knowledge, plenty of characters to wonder about and a great twist at the end.

If you only ever buy one Colin Forbes book, Cover Story has to be it!

This would make an excellent movie thriller if the right actors were cast against each character.

I have at least six others I have not read yet, and my eventual aim is to have every book he wrote. His style of writing grips you from the first page,and you just cannot put the book down - many late nights creeping into early mornings spent reading, especially when you are perhaps 100-200 pages from the end!

boring from cover to cover, 14 Oct 2003
The second, or third book in this boring series. Everyone follows everyone else to find out who the trader among them is, to the point where you don't care who the guilty one is. I sure didn't. Nothing else happened in this dull story, so don't bother with it.
Pick up instead, his "Leader and the Damned", his best book by far. Any one of his pre-series books were worth reading, but forget the Tweed series, which just seem to be precursers to each other, where the only thing that changes is the name of the villain.

Well-written book with an unexpected ending, 01 Aug 2000
I'm a bit of a Colin Forbes fan, but this is the best that I've read so far. You can clearly tell that he has researched this book well, and the story is strong and gripping. Never expected the ending!

LEADER OF THE DAMNED, 21 Sep 2003
His last good novel. After which he started his cereal(and I spelled it the way I intended to) formula stories.
In 1943 there were several attempts on Hitler's life, by his inner circle of confidants. His personality also changed the same year, from cold, and calculating to a raving lunatic. This novel postulates that one of these attempts actually succeeded, and that Hitler was replaced by one of his doubles(one that was insane) to keep the country together. Full of action, mystery, and suspense, this novel proves that he once WAS one of England's best thriller writers.

His best book by far!, 28 Jul 2001
His best book by far! He almost has you believing that one of the attempts on Hitler actually succeeded, (i.e. his change in temperament in 1943, after the supposed attempt on his life - was this really Adolf, or the double we knew about, who had a tendency toward childish temper tantrums?) All in all, the story was very convincing, and full of action. Definitely his best. Don't bother with the series he started on, right after writing this masterpiece, starting with Terminal. All of his later books are formula, and the only thing he changes in his series are the names of the villains, and a few of the settings. It's almost as if he is writing more out of drudgery, and obligation, than enjoyment. Try instead his older books; 1.Year of the Golden Ape 2. Palermo Ambush 3. Tramp in Armor 4. Heights of Zervos 5. Target 5 6. Avalanche Express The books I have listed above are among his best... I feel it is time for him to retire from writing. Sorry Colin. I was a big fan of yours once, I wish I could say so now.

Just fantastic and realistic, 27 Mar 2001
Forbes puts a theory into place which really could have happened, if one looks at certain historical facts concerning Hitler. While reading this book, you will find that you can't wait to turn the page to see what will happen next. The story can be totally unpredictable as to what happens to certain of the characters right until the end of the book. A masterpiece. Buy it.

An intriguing "what if" story of WW2, 18 Oct 2000
Colin Forbes' novel of an attempt on Hitler's life in the mid 1940s, and all that happens from that, is both believable and very enjoyable. At times I found myself saying: "H'mmm... this certainly would explain why *that* happened..." At the end, Forbes states that, while fiction, he believes that something like this did in fact happen. His belief in this shows through his excellent capturing of the mood of Hitler, his entourage, and the War as it becomes evident that Germany is not going to win -- to everyone but the Fuhrer. I recommend this, very highly.

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, 03 Aug 2008
"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner. 2,5/5

Cover Story - Fantastic!, 23 May 2007
I have read many of Colin Forbes' books over the last few years, but Cover Story has to be the best so far. A very well researched book in terms of location and knowledge, plenty of characters to wonder about and a great twist at the end.

If you only ever buy one Colin Forbes book, Cover Story has to be it!

This would make an excellent movie thriller if the right actors were cast against each character.

I have at least six others I have not read yet, and my eventual aim is to have every book he wrote. His style of writing grips you from the first page,and you just cannot put the book down - many late nights creeping into early mornings spent reading, especially when you are perhaps 100-200 pages from the end!

boring from cover to cover, 14 Oct 2003
The second, or third book in this boring series. Everyone follows everyone else to find out who the trader among them is, to the point where you don't care who the guilty one is. I sure didn't. Nothing else happened in this dull story, so don't bother with it.
Pick up instead, his "Leader and the Damned", his best book by far. Any one of his pre-series books were worth reading, but forget the Tweed series, which just seem to be precursers to each other, where the only thing that changes is the name of the villain.

Well-written book with an unexpected ending, 01 Aug 2000
I'm a bit of a Colin Forbes fan, but this is the best that I've read so far. You can clearly tell that he has researched this book well, and the story is strong and gripping. Never expected the ending!

LEADER OF THE DAMNED, 21 Sep 2003
His last good novel. After which he started his cereal(and I spelled it the way I intended to) formula stories.
In 1943 there were several attempts on Hitler's life, by his inner circle of confidants. His personality also changed the same year, from cold, and calculating to a raving lunatic. This novel postulates that one of these attempts actually succeeded, and that Hitler was replaced by one of his doubles(one that was insane) to keep the country together. Full of action, mystery, and suspense, this novel proves that he once WAS one of England's best thriller writers.

His best book by far!, 28 Jul 2001
His best book by far! He almost has you believing that one of the attempts on Hitler actually succeeded, (i.e. his change in temperament in 1943, after the supposed attempt on his life - was this really Adolf, or the double we knew about, who had a tendency toward childish temper tantrums?) All in all, the story was very convincing, and full of action. Definitely his best. Don't bother with the series he started on, right after writing this masterpiece, starting with Terminal. All of his later books are formula, and the only thing he changes in his series are the names of the villains, and a few of the settings. It's almost as if he is writing more out of drudgery, and obligation, than enjoyment. Try instead his older books; 1.Year of the Golden Ape 2. Palermo Ambush 3. Tramp in Armor 4. Heights of Zervos 5. Target 5 6. Avalanche Express The books I have listed above are among his best... I feel it is time for him to retire from writing. Sorry Colin. I was a big fan of yours once, I wish I could say so now.

Just fantastic and realistic, 27 Mar 2001
Forbes puts a theory into place which really could have happened, if one looks at certain historical facts concerning Hitler. While reading this book, you will find that you can't wait to turn the page to see what will happen next. The story can be totally unpredictable as to what happens to certain of the characters right until the end of the book. A masterpiece. Buy it.

An intriguing "what if" story of WW2, 18 Oct 2000
Colin Forbes' novel of an attempt on Hitler's life in the mid 1940s, and all that happens from that, is both believable and very enjoyable. At times I found myself saying: "H'mmm... this certainly would explain why *that* happened..." At the end, Forbes states that, while fiction, he believes that something like this did in fact happen. His belief in this shows through his excellent capturing of the mood of Hitler, his entourage, and the War as it becomes evident that Germany is not going to win -- to everyone but the Fuhrer. I recommend this, very highly.

Good Storyline, plodding narrative, 15 Apr 2008
The premise and storyline of this book are excellent, however as with a lot of Colins later books there is more description of the roads and places that the charachters are rather than what the charachters are doing. It is refreshing to note for regular Forbes fans though that the team splits up more and have their own storylines.

definitely the worst book I have ever read, 29 May 2007
I found a second hand copy at a jumble sale and read "by stealth" in less than a day. I found it the most implausible, least involving and most direly written thriller I have ever come across. It is one of the few books where at the end I actually believed that I could have done a far better job myself. the storyline is pure hokum, the characters are two dimensional, coincidence is piled on coincidence. I returned to my usual fare of Pratchett, Rendall, PD James and Sayers with huge relief and gratitude.

By Stealth, 20 Nov 2005
Wow. Because of this book I am slowly but surely making my way through everything else he has written. Loved it!

The best action book I have EVER read!, 09 Jun 2000
Colin Forbes at his best again. You can not put this book down once you start reading! This man has talent, he is a natural story teller. You will not waste your money buying this book.

Exciting action adventure read, 04 Sep 1999
The plot hinges around the idea of stealth weapons.The action is fast moving and a great read, but what I really love about all C.F's books is the predictability and stupidity of the main characters. They are absolutely wonderful !!They simply cannot exist without plenty of cups of coffee, booze, sandwiches and visits to hotels/restaurants, in between narrowly escaping death !They also inevitably try to 'draw their enemies into the open' by exposing themselves to attack, but never seem to have a coherent plan to get rid of them until the end of the book Colin Forbe's books, however, are a constant source of amusement to me. I can't wait for the next daft situation and I love the characters' reactions. The books, including this one, are super, relaxing escapist stuff. Their predictability is as comforting as putting on an old cardi.

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, 03 Aug 2008
"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner. 2,5/5

Cover Story - Fantastic!, 23 May 2007
I have read many of Colin Forbes' books over the last few years, but Cover Story has to be the best so far. A very well researched book in terms of location and knowledge, plenty of characters to wonder about and a great twist at the end.

If you only ever buy one Colin Forbes book, Cover Story has to be it!

This would make an excellent movie thriller if the right actors were cast against each character.

I have at least six others I have not read yet, and my eventual aim is to have every book he wrote. His style of writing grips you from the first page,and you just cannot put the book down - many late nights creeping into early mornings spent reading, especially when you are perhaps 100-200 pages from the end!

boring from cover to cover, 14 Oct 2003
The second, or third book in this boring series. Everyone follows everyone else to find out who the trader among them is, to the point where you don't care who the guilty one is. I sure didn't. Nothing else happened in this dull story, so don't bother with it.
Pick up instead, his "Leader and the Damned", his best book by far. Any one of his pre-series books were worth reading, but forget the Tweed series, which just seem to be precursers to each other, where the only thing that changes is the name of the villain.

Well-written book with an unexpected ending, 01 Aug 2000
I'm a bit of a Colin Forbes fan, but this is the best that I've read so far. You can clearly tell that he has researched this book well, and the story is strong and gripping. Never expected the ending!

LEADER OF THE DAMNED, 21 Sep 2003
His last good novel. After which he started his cereal(and I spelled it the way I intended to) formula stories.
In 1943 there were several attempts on Hitler's life, by his inner circle of confidants. His personality also changed the same year, from cold, and calculating to a raving lunatic. This novel postulates that one of these attempts actually succeeded, and that Hitler was replaced by one of his doubles(one that was insane) to keep the country together. Full of action, mystery, and suspense, this novel proves that he once WAS one of England's best thriller writers.

His best book by far!, 28 Jul 2001
His best book by far! He almost has you believing that one of the attempts on Hitler actually succeeded, (i.e. his change in temperament in 1943, after the supposed attempt on his life - was this really Adolf, or the double we knew about, who had a tendency toward childish temper tantrums?) All in all, the story was very convincing, and full of action. Definitely his best. Don't bother with the series he started on, right after writing this masterpiece, starting with Terminal. All of his later books are formula, and the only thing he changes in his series are the names of the villains, and a few of the settings. It's almost as if he is writing more out of drudgery, and obligation, than enjoyment. Try instead his older books; 1.Year of the Golden Ape 2. Palermo Ambush 3. Tramp in Armor 4. Heights of Zervos 5. Target 5 6. Avalanche Express The books I have listed above are among his best... I feel it is time for him to retire from writing. Sorry Colin. I was a big fan of yours once, I wish I could say so now.

Just fantastic and realistic, 27 Mar 2001
Forbes puts a theory into place which really could have happened, if one looks at certain historical facts concerning Hitler. While reading this book, you will find that you can't wait to turn the page to see what will happen next. The story can be totally unpredictable as to what happens to certain of the characters right until the end of the book. A masterpiece. Buy it.

An intriguing "what if" story of WW2, 18 Oct 2000
Colin Forbes' novel of an attempt on Hitler's life in the mid 1940s, and all that happens from that, is both believable and very enjoyable. At times I found myself saying: "H'mmm... this certainly would explain why *that* happened..." At the end, Forbes states that, while fiction, he believes that something like this did in fact happen. His belief in this shows through his excellent capturing of the mood of Hitler, his entourage, and the War as it becomes evident that Germany is not going to win -- to everyone but the Fuhrer. I recommend this, very highly.

Good Storyline, plodding narrative, 15 Apr 2008
The premise and storyline of this book are excellent, however as with a lot of Colins later books there is more description of the roads and places that the charachters are rather than what the charachters are doing. It is refreshing to note for regular Forbes fans though that the team splits up more and have their own storylines.

definitely the worst book I have ever read, 29 May 2007
I found a second hand copy at a jumble sale and read "by stealth" in less than a day. I found it the most implausible, least involving and most direly written thriller I have ever come across. It is one of the few books where at the end I actually believed that I could have done a far better job myself. the storyline is pure hokum, the characters are two dimensional, coincidence is piled on coincidence. I returned to my usual fare of Pratchett, Rendall, PD James and Sayers with huge relief and gratitude.

By Stealth, 20 Nov 2005
Wow. Because of this book I am slowly but surely making my way through everything else he has written. Loved it!

The best action book I have EVER read!, 09 Jun 2000
Colin Forbes at his best again. You can not put this book down once you start reading! This man has talent, he is a natural story teller. You will not waste your money buying this book.

Exciting action adventure read, 04 Sep 1999
The plot hinges around the idea of stealth weapons.The action is fast moving and a great read, but what I really love about all C.F's books is the predictability and stupidity of the main characters. They are absolutely wonderful !!They simply cannot exist without plenty of cups of coffee, booze, sandwiches and visits to hotels/restaurants, in between narrowly escaping death !They also inevitably try to 'draw their enemies into the open' by exposing themselves to attack, but never seem to have a coherent plan to get rid of them until the end of the book Colin Forbe's books, however, are a constant source of amusement to me. I can't wait for the next daft situation and I love the characters' reactions. The books, including this one, are super, relaxing escapist stuff. Their predictability is as comforting as putting on an old cardi.

Decent Spy Thriller, 10 May 2006
Very much a "who is the double spy" thriller. Set in mainly in Germany this thriller has a neo-nazi group attempting to gain power in Bavaria. However, they do so through ruthless violence. In the meantime 4 western leader prepare to meet about this problem and their 4 security heads prepare the meeting. However, one of them is a traitor for the neo-nazis but which one?

Some nice twists and turns, decent enough characters and generally an enjoyable read. Not a masterpiece but I've read worse.

This was my first Colin Forbes book and it did enough to make me reaad a second called "The Cauldron" which was unfortunatley pretty awful. I probably won''t bother with anymore of his work.

6/10 for "Double Jeopardy".

The best Colin Forbes ever, 06 Oct 2001
If only his newer books were as good as this masterpiece of action and suspense. Why did Keith Martel never make it into any of Colin Forbes' other books, which would have saved us from the pain of Robert Newman, Foreign Correspondent and know it all. I wish Forbes could return to such quality and save us from his current tedium.

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, 03 Aug 2008
"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner. 2,5/5

Cover Story - Fantastic!, 23 May 2007
I have read many of Colin Forbes' books over the last few years, but Cover Story has to be the best so far. A very well researched book in terms of location and knowledge, plenty of characters to wonder about and a great twist at the end.

If you only ever buy one Colin Forbes book, Cover Story has to be it!

This would make an excellent movie thriller if the right actors were cast against each character.

I have at least six others I have not read yet, and my eventual aim is to have every book he wrote. His style of writing grips you from the first page,and you just cannot put the book down - many late nights creeping into early mornings spent reading, especially when you are perhaps 100-200 pages from the end!

boring from cover to cover, 14 Oct 2003
The second, or third book in this boring series. Everyone follows everyone else to find out who the trader among them is, to the point where you don't care who the guilty one is. I sure didn't. Nothing else happened in this dull story, so don't bother with it.
Pick up instead, his "Leader and the Damned", his best book by far. Any one of his pre-series books were worth reading, but forget the Tweed series, which just seem to be precursers to each other, where the only thing that changes is the name of the villain.

Well-written book with an unexpected ending, 01 Aug 2000
I'm a bit of a Colin Forbes fan, but this is the best that I've read so far. You can clearly tell that he has researched this book well, and the story is strong and gripping. Never expected the ending!

LEADER OF THE DAMNED, 21 Sep 2003
His last good novel. After which he started his cereal(and I spelled it the way I intended to) formula stories.
In 1943 there were several attempts on Hitler's life, by his inner circle of confidants. His personality also changed the same year, from cold, and calculating to a raving lunatic. This novel postulates that one of these attempts actually succeeded, and that Hitler was replaced by one of his doubles(one that was insane) to keep the country together. Full of action, mystery, and suspense, this novel proves that he once WAS one of England's best thriller writers.

His best book by far!, 28 Jul 2001
His best book by far! He almost has you believing that one of the attempts on Hitler actually succeeded, (i.e. his change in temperament in 1943, after the supposed attempt on his life - was this really Adolf, or the double we knew about, who had a tendency toward childish temper tantrums?) All in all, the story was very convincing, and full of action. Definitely his best. Don't bother with the series he started on, right after writing this masterpiece, starting with Terminal. All of his later books are formula, and the only thing he changes in his series are the names of the villains, and a few of the settings. It's almost as if he is writing more out of drudgery, and obligation, than enjoyment. Try instead his older books; 1.Year of the Golden Ape 2. Palermo Ambush 3. Tramp in Armor 4. Heights of Zervos 5. Target 5 6. Avalanche Express The books I have listed above are among his best... I feel it is time for him to retire from writing. Sorry Colin. I was a big fan of yours once, I wish I could say so now.

Just fantastic and realistic, 27 Mar 2001
Forbes puts a theory into place which really could have happened, if one looks at certain historical facts concerning Hitler. While reading this book, you will find that you can't wait to turn the page to see what will happen next. The story can be totally unpredictable as to what happens to certain of the characters right until the end of the book. A masterpiece. Buy it.

An intriguing "what if" story of WW2, 18 Oct 2000
Colin Forbes' novel of an attempt on Hitler's life in the mid 1940s, and all that happens from that, is both believable and very enjoyable. At times I found myself saying: "H'mmm... this certainly would explain why *that* happened..." At the end, Forbes states that, while fiction, he believes that something like this did in fact happen. His belief in this shows through his excellent capturing of the mood of Hitler, his entourage, and the War as it becomes evident that Germany is not going to win -- to everyone but the Fuhrer. I recommend this, very highly.

Good Storyline, plodding narrative, 15 Apr 2008
The premise and storyline of this book are excellent, however as with a lot of Colins later books there is more description of the roads and places that the charachters are rather than what the charachters are doing. It is refreshing to note for regular Forbes fans though that the team splits up more and have their own storylines.

definitely the worst book I have ever read, 29 May 2007
I found a second hand copy at a jumble sale and read "by stealth" in less than a day. I found it the most implausible, least involving and most direly written thriller I have ever come across. It is one of the few books where at the end I actually believed that I could have done a far better job myself. the storyline is pure hokum, the characters are two dimensional, coincidence is piled on coincidence. I returned to my usual fare of Pratchett, Rendall, PD James and Sayers with huge relief and gratitude.

By Stealth, 20 Nov 2005
Wow. Because of this book I am slowly but surely making my way through everything else he has written. Loved it!

The best action book I have EVER read!, 09 Jun 2000
Colin Forbes at his best again. You can not put this book down once you start reading! This man has talent, he is a natural story teller. You will not waste your money buying this book.

Exciting action adventure read, 04 Sep 1999
The plot hinges around the idea of stealth weapons.The action is fast moving and a great read, but what I really love about all C.F's books is the predictability and stupidity of the main characters. They are absolutely wonderful !!They simply cannot exist without plenty of cups of coffee, booze, sandwiches and visits to hotels/restaurants, in between narrowly escaping death !They also inevitably try to 'draw their enemies into the open' by exposing themselves to attack, but never seem to have a coherent plan to get rid of them until the end of the book Colin Forbe's books, however, are a constant source of amusement to me. I can't wait for the next daft situation and I love the characters' reactions. The books, including this one, are super, relaxing escapist stuff. Their predictability is as comforting as putting on an old cardi.

Decent Spy Thriller, 10 May 2006
Very much a "who is the double spy" thriller. Set in mainly in Germany this thriller has a neo-nazi group attempting to gain power in Bavaria. However, they do so through ruthless violence. In the meantime 4 western leader prepare to meet about this problem and their 4 security heads prepare the meeting. However, one of them is a traitor for the neo-nazis but which one?

Some nice twists and turns, decent enough characters and generally an enjoyable read. Not a masterpiece but I've read worse.

This was my first Colin Forbes book and it did enough to make me reaad a second called "The Cauldron" which was unfortunatley pretty awful. I probably won''t bother with anymore of his work.

6/10 for "Double Jeopardy".

The best Colin Forbes ever, 06 Oct 2001
If only his newer books were as good as this masterpiece of action and suspense. Why did Keith Martel never make it into any of Colin Forbes' other books, which would have saved us from the pain of Robert Newman, Foreign Correspondent and know it all. I wish Forbes could return to such quality and save us from his current tedium.

Silly but somewhat enjoyable, 26 Aug 2008
I saw the negative reviews before reading the book so my expectations were very low. The book wasn't as bad as I expected, but I can certainly see why people didn't like it. It's silly and unbelievable but still somehow entertaining. But I would only recommend it to those who are already fans of Colin Forbes. Weak 3 star rating.

Didn't deserve to be published, 21 Aug 2008
Quite simply, this book did not deserve to be published. Colin Forbes should be thoroughly ashamed. I did get to the end, then threw it in the bin. Please don't waste your money on it.

One of the worst books I have ever read, 20 Aug 2008
I have read a number of Colin Forbes books in the past, but this one is the absolute pits!! It is complete and utter rubbish from the first word to the last. Yes - I did actually read it because I hoped, mistakenly, that it would improve - needless to say it didn't. So many improbable things happened at a fiendishly fast pace I couldn't believe my eyes. As for his invention of a place called Walkhampton in the Midlands it was pathetic and made the book even more laughable - what's wrong with using Wolverhampton for goodness sake. I have passed this book on to a neighbour just to see what he thinks of it. Ideally I would have liked to have given the book no stars it is so bad.

A truly remarkable event in publishing history, 21 Jan 2008
Want a book set in 2004 where Britain's top intelligence team seem to have only one mobile phone between them and haven't yet heard of SatNav? Check.

Want a book where the baddies are a bizarre cabal - who go around seemingly calling them The Cabal and who call their chief planner the...wait for it....Planner - made up of three brothers who also happen to be junior government ministers with the congenital inability to close a door properly that another reviewer has mentioned? Check.

Want a book where the aforementioned lo-fi spooks manage to have a private war with these government ministers, which includes blowing up a bus-load of Slovaks outside Aix-en-Provence and destroying a prison in a village in darkest Dorset - where the residents are straight out of Central Ooh Arr Casting - without two governments noticing? Check.

Forbes has written some cracking yarns - Leader and the Damned, Year of the Golden Ape, some of the early Newman/Tweed stories. But this story is just plain silly. Barking mad, to be honest - I was left wondering if there was a cunning double-bluff going on here: rather than being a rather rubbish thriller, this was a clever post-modern deconstruction of the thriller genre, laying bare the sheer banality. Imagine Italo Calvino spoofing Freddie Forsyth, or having Alan Partridge be the next James Bond.

Or perhaps not. Perhaps it is really this bad, and I'm just trying to class it as "ironic" that I spent four hours reading it.

It reads like a tabloid!, 29 Sep 2007
I'm stuck between being speechless on one hand and feeling I review this book to the world on the other.

Imagine a time when you nip out to the barber on a Saturday morning to grab a quick trim. You are in a queue so you pick up the paper, The Sun. There is a headline (not a great one but it draws you in), it's supposed to be real journalism, the stories are even allegedly true; then at some point you realise that in fact there is no substance, no grammar and only 139 words in the vocabulary!

I was given Blood Storm and another Forbes book as a present. The 2 for 1 offer seemed a good idea. Perhaps in retrospect that this was the only way to sell the book. The plot is so thin, so unbelievable and has so many holes.

The only two books I have ever started to read and not managed to finish are the Bible and the Oxford English. I can't let this one get the better of me!

The real test I suppose is whether I can even be bothered to start the second book.

is it me or...., 29 Jan 2008
This is the first novel I have read by this author. Or rather this is the first novel I have tried to read by this author; I just gave up halfway through. It is disjointed, at times incomprehensible and just downright irritating. I noted that it is the author's last novel and to me it seemed like a rough first draft needing some serious editing, revision and another 70 or so pages to link together the different episodes, give context to them and give them some credibility.
My understanding is that the author has a good reputation and I expected a reasonably good read. I was very disappointed and it will make me reluctant to try another of his books which may be my loss. I suspect he has been ill served by his publishers on this occasion. If he had been a new author I cannot believe that they would have published this book. With that in mind I may try again with one of his other books.


A Poor Last Novel, 26 Dec 2007
The Savage Gorge is, sad to say, not a good example of this author's work. Like some of his most recent books it is very 'formulaic' - rich, evil villian, dis-functional family full of suspects, simplistic plot and a team working for Tweed which hasn't changed or developed significantly for years. The new characters are very shallow and all feel like they lack substance.

Overall it lacks the suspense and tension of his earlier work and was a disappointing read.

If you are looking for a good book by this author, this isn't it.

Colin Forbes Last Novel , 28 Nov 2007
Very sorry to say that Colin Forbes's last novel before his untimely death is something of a very shallow let down.

Formulaic scenes on sides of cliffs, Marler saving the day with his sniper skills and Paula Grey and Tweed are the same old same old.

The book really shows from the start how shallow it is being only half the size of the rest.

Typical recent Colin Forbes, 04 Nov 2007
This is Colin Forbes last book. Apparently, he died only weeks after completing it - which is sad. May he rest in peace.
Because of this, I am particularly sad to have to give this a negative review, however I'm afraid to say I didn't particularly enjoy it - which is always a shame with an author's last book, as he can never improve on it.

However, I have to say that I have not enjoyed any of his more recent books as much as the earlier ones, and I'm afraid that, in my opinion, this one was probably the worst of the lot. I'm not sure why, but Tweed's change to solving murders etc just don't have me as gripped as his international thrillers did. Also, with this book more than with any of his previous books, I found myself getting irritated with the repetitive descriptions of what people were wearing - 'Lance was wearing a white top with beige trousers, and looking smart as ever' type of thing.

Close to the end of the book was the typical 'let's wipe out the baddies' type of scene - unfortunately with far more gratuitous violence then really needed.

On the whole, this was a real disappointment - probably his weakest book ever. What a shame to go out on such a low.

The Savage Gorge, 12 Dec 2006
What a tragic final novel. Nothing like his previous novels and nowhere near as well written. The imaginary setting does not do Colin Forbes justice as the geographical researches for previous novels did. I assume the poor man was ill and unable to research a real place.
The text is not up to standard either and there are references to events, decisions and information which do not connect. Such a shame that a fine author's previous works should culminate in this travesty.

Labour of love, 18 May 2008
As a regular Colin Forbes reader, I read his last few novels including this one out of loyalty rather than for excitement. His early books including the early Tweed series, were so much better and avidly looked forward to. But alas the same cannot be said for his later novels. I think it was after Colin's wife passed away the demise began, perhaps she had a big hand in editing. His books have taken on this child like writing. The bad guys would fit very nicely as characters in one of Enid Blyton's famous five books. In fact take out the violence and you have a childrens book. If you have never read a Forbes book do not start with this one but do try one of his earlier books. If you are a fan like me then carry on reading out of respect for Colin.

Plenty of action but not much else, 16 May 2007
Paula Grey and Deputy Director of the SIS Tweed are on their way to Hengitsbury Manor, a weird area to house the headquarters of the Main Chance Bank. It is a completely independent bank with no shares on the Stock Exchange and controlled by a woman called Bella Main. Indeed the government thinks that there is something funny about that bank. So Tweed and Paula are on the outlook for money-launderers, terrorist funds and robbery proceeds and they're quite surprised when Bella Main announces that billionaire Calouste Doubenkian, an oil magnate from the Balkans, offers a huge sum to buy the Main Chance.
The tension starts building up when Paula and Tweed are missed but for a few inches by a massive left-hand caterpillar track revolving like a terrible machine just as they are about to approach Hengitsbury Manor...


Did Colin Forbes write this?, 10 Mar 2006
I have been an admirer of Colin Forbes for many years but "Main Chance" is definitely the worst he has written (if indeed he did write it). It is disjointed and too far fetched for words.

Take a chance and read something else., 16 Feb 2006
First time I have felt the need to review a book. The Main Chance is quite terrible.

Welcome return to Forbes earlier style but still flawed, 29 Nov 2005
Immediately I started reading this novel I knew Colin had returned to his former style with the larger than life Main and Chance families, owners of the world’s riches private bank living in an enormous Elizabethan mansion in the centre of a dense ominous forest.

Leaving his recent detective type novels behind we once again enjoy the descriptions of countryside and town, the action is robust, and the traditional explosive finish. Many people dismiss Colin Forbes novels, but at his best he provides thoroughly enjoyable hectic excitement and entertainment.

There are flaws, the dialogue which is quite unbelievable in places, slang that is thirty or forty years out of date, and also the ridiculous treatment of Paula Grey. In interviews Forbes says Paula Grey is his favourite character and is almost real to him (my favourite as well) then why is her interaction with other characters so frequently fatuous?

Please Colin, let your publishers provide you with a good editor, with good constructive editing your novels could be back to your original cracking standard.

Interesting period piece, not a great thriller, 03 Aug 2008
"Cover Story" was written in the mid-1980s and is set in Finland, Estonia and Sweden. It's an interesting period piece, but not a very good thriller. It moves slowly and there's very little suspense, but it gves an interesting view of the Scandinavian and Baltic countries during the Cold War. Recommended mostly to those interested in this part of history, not so much recommended to those looking for a page turner. 2,5/5

Cover Story - Fantastic!, 23 May 2007
I have read many of Colin Forbes' books over the last few years, but Cover Story has to be the best so far. A very well researched book in terms of location and knowledge, plenty of characters to wonder about and a great twist at the end.

If you only ever buy one Colin Forbes book, Cover Story has to be it!

This would make an excellent movie thriller if the right actors were cast against each character.

I have at least six others I have not read yet, and my eventual aim is to have every book he wrote. His style of writing grips you from the first page,and you just cannot put the book down - many late nights creeping into early mornings spent reading, especially when you are perhaps 100-200 pages from the end!

boring from cover to cover, 14 Oct 2003
The second, or third book in this boring series. Everyone follows everyone else to find out who the trader among them is, to the point where you don't care who the guilty one is. I sure didn't. Nothing else happened in this dull story, so don't bother with it.
Pick up instead, his "Leader and the Damned", his best book by far. Any one of his pre-series books were worth reading, but forget the Tweed series, which just seem to be precursers to each other, where the only thing that changes is the name of the villain.

Well-written book with an unexpected ending, 01 Aug 2000
I'm a bit of a Colin Forbes fan, but this is the best that I've read so far. You can clearly tell that he has researched this book well, and the story is strong and gripping. Never expected the ending!

LEADER OF THE DAMNED, 21 Sep 2003
His last good novel. After which he started his cereal(and I spelled it the way I intended to) formula stories.
In 1943 there were several attempts on Hitler's life, by his inner circle of confidants. His personality also changed the same year, from cold, and calculating to a raving lunatic. This novel postulates that one of these attempts actually succeeded, and that Hitler was replaced by one of his doubles(one that was insane) to keep the country together. Full of action, mystery, and suspense, this novel proves that he once WAS one of England's best thriller writers.

His best book by far!, 28 Jul 2001
His best book by far! He almost has you believing that one of the attempts on Hitler actually succeeded, (i.e. his change in temperament in 1943, after the supposed attempt on his life - was this really Adolf, or the double we knew about, who had a tendency toward childish temper tantrums?) All in all, the story was very convincing, and full of action. Definitely his best. Don't bother with the series he started on, right after writing this masterpiece, starting with Terminal. All of his later books are formula, and the only thing he changes in his series are the names of the villains, and a few of the settings. It's almost as if he is writing more out of drudgery, and obligation, than enjoyment. Try instead his older books; 1.Year of the Golden Ape 2. Palermo Ambush 3. Tramp in Armor 4. Heights of Zervos 5. Target 5 6. Avalanche Express The books I have listed above are among his best... I feel it is time for him to retire from writing. Sorry Colin. I was a big fan of yours once, I wish I could say so now.

Just fantastic and realistic, 27 Mar 2001
Forbes puts a theory into place which really could have happened, if one looks at certain historical facts concerning Hitler. While reading this book, you will find that you can't wait to turn the page to see what will happen next. The story can be totally unpredictable as to what happens to certain of the characters right until the end of the book. A masterpiece. Buy it.

An intriguing "what if" story of WW2, 18 Oct 2000
Colin Forbes' novel of an attempt on Hitler's life in the mid 1940s, and all that happens from that, is both believable and very enjoyable. At times I found myself saying: "H'mmm... this certainly would explain why *that* happened..." At the end, Forbes states that, while fiction, he believes that something like this did in fact happen. His belief in this shows through his excellent capturing of the mood of Hitler, his entourage, and the War as it becomes evident that Germany is not going to win -- to everyone but the Fuhrer. I recommend this, very highly.

Good Storyline, plodding narrative, 15 Apr 2008
The premise and storyline of this book are excellent, however as with a lot of Colins later books there is more description of the roads and places that the charachters are rather than what the charachters are doing. It is refreshing to note for regular Forbes fans though that the team splits up more and have their own storylines.

definitely the worst book I have ever read, 29 May 2007
I found a second hand copy at a jumble sale and read "by stealth" in less than a day. I found it the most implausible, least involving and most direly written thriller I have ever come across. It is one of the few books where at the end I actually believed that I could have done a far better job myself. the storyline is pure hokum, the characters are two dimensional, coincidence is piled on coincidence. I returned to my usual fare of Pratchett, Rendall, PD James and Sayers with huge relief and gratitude.

By Stealth, 20 Nov 2005
Wow. Because of this book I am slowly but surely making my way through everything else he has written. Loved it!

The best action book I have EVER read!, 09 Jun 2000
Colin Forbes at his best again. You can not put this book down once you start reading! This man has talent, he is a natural story teller. You will not waste your money buying this book.

Exciting action adventure read, 04 Sep 1999
The plot hinges around the idea of stealth weapons.The action is fast moving and a great read,