The Twisted Wire

by Richard Falkirk

The 1970s Middle East conflict is the setting for this high-octane thriller by the author of The Chill Factor. A crossed telephone wire causes a call from the President of the United States to his Ambassador in London to be overheard by geologist Tom Bartlett. Tom, preoccupied with thoughts of the conference he is to attend in Israel, puts the incident from his mind, unaware that he might not have been the only person listening in… He has not been in Tel Aviv a day, however, before the first attempt is made on his life. As Arab, Israeli, Russian and American agents begin to converge on him, it’s clear that someone wants Tom’s briefcase – and will stop at nothing to obtain it. The Twisted Wire , first published in 1971, is set at the height of the Middle East conflict, combining politics, espionage and murder into a compelling fast-moving adventure.

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1971

About the author

A pseudonym used by Derek Lambert.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately I had a major reviewing slump last year, so this one got missed and the details have faded from my mind now. Briefly, then, this is an action thriller set in Israel at the height of the Middle East conflict of the late 60s/early 70s. Our hero is that standard of thrillers – an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary events, as he gets mistaken for an American diplomat with the same name, and suddenly finds himself the target of… well, just about everybody, really! I enjoyed it – as well as having all the usual thriller elements of murder, espionage and a touch of romance (or lust – well, it was the '70s!), I felt that Falkirk gave a pretty well balanced view of the situation in the Middle East at the time, without taking one side or the other too much, or getting bogged down in too much detail. The pace is fast, but the quality of the writing and authentic feel of the setting lift it above the normal run of pulp thrillers.

[Peter L Deegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Formulaic in nature. Good if want to zone out.