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By Frederick Forsyth The Deceiver (First Edition) [Hardcover] Frederick Forsyth
Appearing before a panel of his peers, long-time field agent Sam McCready, known for an independent style that often drives him beyond the rules, must defend his unorthodox exploits or face termination. Reprint. NYT. K.
Hardcover
About the author
Frederick Forsyth
340 books4,477 followersFrederick Forsyth, CBE was a English author and occasional political commentator. He was best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, and more recently, The Cobra and The Kill List.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 29, 2025
I've read one FF book before (The Fox), and that was a light holiday reading, full of intention but falling short in achievement. The Deceiver surprised me by how much better it's crafted. Probably the best spy thriller I've ever read, and Sam McCready is a very endearing character with genuine Bond potential.
Some of the spy scheming is a bit over-elaborate, which renders spectacle but loses realism.
There are 4 stories framed by an MI-5 office intrigue. The stories touch on the terrorism hotspot of the late 80s: Berlin, USSR, Northern Ireland and North Caribbean, though by the end of it Forsyth loses steam and the last story is very much haphazardly slapped in, with a touch of deus ex machina at the end to resolve the plot and plenty of old timey condescending colonialism.
Same with the framing: starts off with this foreshadowing of an ace up the sleeve of the master spy which will be revealed at the very end only for the very end to... well, I don't want to spoil it for you.
It's an entertaining read, but don't take it too seriously. Or take it as seriously as someone telling you that terrorist threats ended with Gorbachev's perestroika.
Some of the spy scheming is a bit over-elaborate, which renders spectacle but loses realism.
There are 4 stories framed by an MI-5 office intrigue. The stories touch on the terrorism hotspot of the late 80s: Berlin, USSR, Northern Ireland and North Caribbean, though by the end of it Forsyth loses steam and the last story is very much haphazardly slapped in, with a touch of deus ex machina at the end to resolve the plot and plenty of old timey condescending colonialism.
Same with the framing: starts off with this foreshadowing of an ace up the sleeve of the master spy which will be revealed at the very end only for the very end to... well, I don't want to spoil it for you.
It's an entertaining read, but don't take it too seriously. Or take it as seriously as someone telling you that terrorist threats ended with Gorbachev's perestroika.
Displaying 1 of 1 review