When Eight Bells Toll

by Alistair MacLean

From the acclaimed master of action and suspense. The all time classic.

Millions of pounds in gold bullion are being pirated in the Irish Sea. Investigations by the British Secret Service, and a sixth sense, have bought Philip Calvert to a bleak, lonely bay in the Western Highlands. But the sleepy atmosphere of Torbay is deceptive. The place is the focal point of many mysterious disappearances. Even the unimaginative Highland Police Sergeant seems to be acting a part. But why?

This story is Alistair MacLean at his enthralling best. It has all the edge-of-the-seat suspense, and dry humour that millions of readers have devoured for years.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure, Mystery, Action, Crime, Suspense

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Alistair Stuart MacLean (Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacGill-Eain), the son of a Scots Minister, was brought up in the Scottish Highlands. In 1941, at the age of eighteen, he joined the Royal Navy; two and a half years spent aboard a cruiser were to give him the background for HMS Ulysses, his first novel, the outstanding documentary novel on the war at sea. After the war he gained an English Honours degree at Glasgow University, and became a schoolmaster. In 1983, he was awarded a D. Litt. from the same university.

Maclean is the author of twenty-nine world bestsellers and recognised as an outstanding writer in his own genre. Many of his titles have been adapted for film - The Guns of the Navarone, The Satan Bug, Force Ten from Navarone, Where Eagles Dare and Bear Island are among the most famous.

Reviews

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would single out two aspects of this quite well-written spy/detective novel following the adventures of a British special agent at sea off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. First of all it is the fascinating description of the natural features of and around the Hebrides where the story is set. I even thought that it would be very interesting to visit these islands if I ever have the chance. Secondly, the protagonist/narrator's self-irony and irony, in general compensates for otherwise not terribly exciting and rather predictable plot.

[Checkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

...In short when a Peacemaker’s bullet hits you in, say, the leg, you don’t curse, step into shelter, roll and light a cigarette one-handed then smartly shoot your assailant between the eyes. When a Peacemaker bullet hits your leg you fall to the ground unconscious, and if it hits the thigh-bone and you are lucky enough to survive the torn arteries and shock, then you will never walk again without crutches because a totally disintegrated femur leaves the surgeon with no option but to cut your leg off. And so I stood absolutely motionless, not breathing, for the Peacemaker Colt that had prompted this unpleasant train of thought was pointed directly at my right thigh.

Back in the early eighties, between my 12th and 15th years, I read numerous Alistair MacLean novels as well as Jack Higgins, Colin Forbes, Hammond Innes, Desmond Bagley and Ian Fleming. Couldn't get enough of the British suspense novelists.Then I got older. My perspective and tastes changed and I stopped reading them. Eventually I got rid of the books and ,in many respects, forgot about them.

A few weeks ago I came across a mint copy of When Eight Bells Toll in a local thrift shop. The asking price was a staggering 25 cents. I opened the book and read that terrific first page - which I hadn't fogotten. I plunked down the quarter and read the book in a matter of a few hours.It's a fast read, but it's an engrossing read. Much to my surprise the novel is as good as I remember it. That doesn't happen very often.

I like this book. Yes it is dated. Technology, the roles of men and women, ect. You have to read it as a period piece and move on. Just sit back and enjoy the roller-coaster ride that is When Eight Bells Toll . To use a rather dated expression this is a real crackerjack adventure novel. Great fun.

I'm going to have to look for a few more of MacLean's novels.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book of the year and my second book by Alistair MacLean. I loved this just as much as his other book that I read.

[Dennis Wales · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a good story! From the first page there is action that only stops long enough to make one hold his breath. Nonstop! And besides, how refreshing to read a rugged spy novel without any profanity! I had forgotten that they exist. I'll have to read a few more from MacLean.

[Vishy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alistair MacLean was my favourite author during my teens. I continued reading MacLean's books till my middle twenties, by which time I had read most of his books. After that I continued collecting my favourite books of his, but haven't read them much. The last time I read a MacLean book was maybe around ten years back. 'When Eight Bells Toll' was my most favourite book of his. Once upon a time, I used to read it often. I thought I'll read it again.

The book starts with the legendary first page in which the narrator describes a gun called the Peacemaker Colt. The reader is lulled into a false sense of security and before the reader realizes it, MacLean plunges them into the abyss. This first page has often been quoted by thriller writers and taught in creative writing classes on how to write the perfect first page of a thriller. What happens after that – I'm not going to tell you 😊 Anything I reveal about the plot is going to be a spoiler. If you decide to read the book, I want the book to unfold its secrets and reveal its pleasures to you. So, no plot description here 😊

Reading a favourite of our younger years again is like stepping on a landmine. If the book hasn't aged well, we'll be disappointed, and it will spoil our earlier pleasant memory of the book. I have so many happy memories of reading 'When Eight Bells Toll' that I was worried. What happens if the book hasn't aged well? What happens if MacLean has said something inappropriate which jars our 21st century sensibilities? I was thinking about this when I started the book. I needn't have worried. The prose was as beautiful as I remembered it before. MacLean's sense of humour sizzles in every page. Even when the bad guy is holding our narrator in a deadly grip and is trying to strangle him, our narrator is able to see the funny side of things, and it makes us laugh. I think MacLean's dry humour is the biggest strength of all his books. There is no nudity, no kissing, no sex, no funny business in the story. If two characters are attracted to each other, they court each other in a courtly fashion through verbal sparring like in a Jane Austen novel. The conversations are fun to read. The descriptions of the sea and ships and nautical things are beautiful, authentic, and educational without being overwhelming. I loved most of the characters in the book. Even one of bad characters is cool. The narrator's boss is called Uncle Arthur and he is kind of like M from the James Bond novels, but Uncle Arthur is better, much better. I am not a big fan of M, but Uncle Arthur is adorable and I loved him. If there is one complaint I have about the book, it is that the women characters are all depicted as damsels in distress.

I loved reading 'When Eight Bells Toll' again. It was vintage MacLean. The first two-thirds of the book was as good or even better than I remember it. I'm glad I read it again. I can say that it is still one of my favourites.

Alistair MacLean was one of the popular thriller writers of the 20th century. He was Scottish. I think it is important to acknowledge that. Many of his stories were set during the Second World War and the Cold War. MacLean served in the Royal Navy during the war, and he used that experience and his knowledge of ships and the sea in his books, which gave a realistic and authentic feel to his stories. I think the height of his fame was between the '60s and the '70s when many of his books were adapted into films. The most famous ones were 'The Guns of Navarone', 'Where Eagles Dare' and 'Force 10 from Navarone'. MacLean died in the late '80s, when the Cold War was still on and the popularity of his books has steadily declined since then. It is sad because his books are great entertainment. His publishers have released a new edition of his books recently with Lee Child's blurb on the cover. I hope that inspires new readers to pick up his books and enjoy them.

Have you read 'When Eight Bells Toll'? Which is your favourite MacLean book? Do you like thrillers?

[Larry Loftis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

When you hear the name Alistair MacLean, you think of "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Guns of Navarone." For some reason, perhaps because of the movies made on the other two books, this fabulous novel by MacLean has been lost in history. And that's a shame because it is on the level of "Where Eagles Dare."

Like other authors of his generation, MacLean frequently uses attribution adverbs (i.e., "he said angrily") and verbs ("he coughed"). Aside from that, this work is flawless. MacLean is the master of pace, reversals, and mystery, and "When Eight Bells Toll" doesn't disappoint. Just when you think you have it figured out, you don't.

His prose is splendid as well, and he occasionally spices a sentence or two with beautiful alliteration. On top of that, he accomplishes what most writers struggle with: a killer opening and ending.

If you enjoy thrillers, especially military/espionage thrillers, this book is a must-read.

[Winnie Thornton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember liking the first scene. It had a Colt .45, after all. And the dry, understated prose was funny--for a while. Then I wanted to shrug my shoulders and be free of it. MacLean should have tried short stories. He's easier to stomach in small doses.

[Aloof Avocado · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friends sometimes wonder how I know about hollow point and narrow bullets, and the first page of this book is the cause. It starts with an vivid, but accurate description of the Peacemaker Colt and what effects it should have when it's trained on a man. The pace picks up from there and doesn't stop till the end.

I was expecting what I call the "MacLean effect" to be diminished since I was re-reading this book, and I am not a teenager any more. Turns out that the old man's still got it. This timeless, fast-paced, modern-day pirates on the sea action-thriller is filled with memorable characters. Still not as good as Night Without End or Guns of Navarone, but good enough to satisfy your action-thriller craving.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An action-adventure spy thriller. This is old-school story telling redolent of the English class system and dour Scottish humour. Took me a while to warm to the tale told from Philip’s point of view. He understates his own abilities and is full of praise for those of the helicopter pilot and the nautical abilities of the Australian sailor.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this one hard going, which is strange for an Alistair Maclean book.

[Huw Collingbourne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of his best. A bit of a pot-boiler, frankly.

[Margo Coombs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books I’ve read by Alistair MacLean so far, but this one was possibly my favorite. I loved the nonstop action, the twists and turns, and above all, the humorous nature of the main character. I think MacLean is one of my new favorite authors.

[Laura Verret · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I picked up this book three years ago, I promised myself that I would never read it. Now, why would I do a crazy thing like that?

Because I wanted to be able to keep it with a clean conscience. I’d never heard of the book before and had no clue what it was about. But its beautiful blue cover with gold gilding demanded that I add it to my collection, and I was not going to read it so that it could stay there. (The cover picture to the right is not the same edition as my copy.)

But then, I saw a few other books by the same author, this Alistair MacLean, at another library sale. They looked interesting, so I decided to research his style. What I discovered is that he is the author of the popular adventure stories Where Eagles Dare and The Guns of Navarone which are set during World War II. I began to wonder if maybe Where Eight Bells Toll had a similar theme.

At last, I capitulated. I read the book.

The Story.

Calvert's never liked staring down the barrel end of a Colt .45. He knows too well how they shatter bone and flesh. Yet, once again, he’s faced with this gun.

Calvert knew he would have to play a dirty game when he planned to board and search, the Nantesville that night. He knew that the sinister crew would think nothing of slitting his throat if they found him poking around, collecting evidence against them. Yet he had to do it, had to get the information off of them. There were too many millions – and lives – at stake.

But what are the stakes that Calvert and his enemies are playing for? What drove Calvert to board the Nantesville that night? What does he expect to find? And will he survive the visit?

You’ll have to read When Eight Bells Toll to find out!

Discussion.

Or not. I think I’ll just make this section one big huge spoiler. : )

When Eight Bells Toll had a brilliant opening. Our hero is staring down a gun – we don’t know who’s on the other side of the gun, where Calvert is, why he’s there, or what he’s fighting for. We only know that he is a second away from death and, in the scene that ensues, that his enemies want very badly to kill him. It was a real clincher – I instantly realized that the stakes were mile high and that the hero was badly outnumbered by an organized gang. The scene made me feel acutely the importance of the mission and its success. It left me asking a million questions…

And here’s where When Eight Bells Toll took a dip. From the first moment I was dying to know all. But MacLean chose to string me along, not revealing the motive behind Calvert’s actions until page one hundred fifty-nine of the novel. Over three-fifths of the story was already behind me before I was able to make sense of any of it. And by that time, I was tired. I was tired of reading a story in which the main character had been nearly killed a half-billion times for no stated reason. I was tired of watching the main character snuff out the lives of his bloodthirsty opponents, again for no stated reason. Tired of being shut out from the dread secret. Tired of being treated like an outsider.

And then, I was told the stakes. By that time, I was expecting the fate of the world to rest on Calvert’s shoulders. (After all, if it’s THAT big and THAT secretive, surely it must be a case of diplomatic proportions.) I was, frankly, disappointed. Oh, sure, it’s big, but it had no immediacy.

And then there was Calvert, himself. A cold, cynical man, Calvert lives in a dog-eat-dog world where you take out your enemy before he takes you out.

Now, I believe in self-defense. But Calvert’s attitude was hard, very hard. He approached killing in a cavalier, who-cares-so-long-as-I-don’t-get-killed manner. As he says, he feels no compunction over the lives that he takes. He is not moved at the thought of snuffing out a life, even one which was intent on killing him. He takes a cool-boy attitude towards the whole idea.

Calvert seems to take pride in the fact that he’s a disillusioned, worldly-wise man. As the story began, it was interesting to have for a protagonist a man not given to melodrama and theatrics. But over time, it began to feel as though his very lack of theatrics was, itself, theatrics.

Conclusion. Not a necessary or really recommended book, n Eight Bells Toll nevertheless peaked my interest enough to keep an eye out for other books by Alistair MacLean in the hopes that not all of his books are as language filled or strung out. And yes, n Eight Bells Tolll continue to grace my shelf of pretty books.

:)

Read my Cautions at The Blithering Bookster.

http://blitheringbookster.com/home/20...

[Hari Krishnan Prasath (The Obvious Mystery) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARE YOUR PARENTS AVID READERS? My dad was. He used to read a lot. Whenever he sees me with a book in my hand, he comes over asks about that book and then recommends a few of his own. That is how I came across When Eight Bells Toll by Alistair MacLean. The book like any other Maclean book has a mystery that needs to be solved and there is a hero who solves it. That is the gist of most books out there. The only factor that makes a difference is the writing style and this is where Maclean excels!
When Eight Bells Toll is a first-person narrative that tells the story of agent Phillip Calvert on his mission to find out the reason for missing cargo ships in the Irish Sea. His mission leads him to a small port town of Torbay. From there the real mission starts. Like all thrillers, there are moments when you feel like gasping and awing and unlike all thrillers, every instance or turning point of the story seems real.
What adds to my wonderment is the fact that the entire timeline of the book is just a short while and the writing elucidates each and every moment of it and you are aware of every tiny detail and you feel like the book has lasted for hours. Honestly, this was to play both the boon and bane of the booking. When I started reading it, I did not like how the pace was set and it was almost added to my “I’ll read it later” pile. But I went on and found that this pace has its own positives. I learned so much about copters, ships and shark boats in this book and what interests me more is the fact that they did not bore me yet again. If you guys like thrillers and are looking for a good one. I say the same thing my dad said. Give it a try. You can always put it down if you don’t like it.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Οι καμπάνες του θανάτου", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.

Ακριβώς δέκα μήνες πέρασαν από την τελευταία φορά που διάβασα Άλιστερ Μακλίν και η αλήθεια είναι ότι μου έλειψε. Το βιβλίο που μόλις τελείωσα, στο οποίο βασίζεται και η ταινία When Eight Bells Toll του 1971 με τον Άντονι Χόπκινς, είναι το δέκατο βιβλίο του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω. Μου άρεσε σε μεγάλο βαθμό, αλλά μερικά σημεία με κούρασαν λιγάκι.

Ένας πράκτορας της Μυστικής Υπηρεσίας της Βρετανίας, προσπαθεί με τα λιγοστά μέσα που διαθέτει και με ψεύτικη ταυτότητα, να ανακαλύψει την συμμορία ανελέητων ληστών, που ευθύνονται για την σωρεία ληστειών καραβιών με πολύτιμο εμπόρευμα, καθώς και για την εξαφάνιση πλοίων και απαγωγή πληρωμάτων, στα δυτικά Χάιλαντς της Σκωτίας. Ένα σκληρό κυνηγητό σε στεριά και θάλασσα είναι μια αναπόφευκτη κατάληξη για την εύρεση των εγκληματιών... Λοιπόν, η ιστορία αρχίζει αρκετά δυνατά και συνεχίζει στο ίδιο μοτίβο μέχρι το τέλος, με ελάχιστες στιγμές χαλάρωσης. Υπάρχουν κάμποσες δυνατές σκηνές, αρκετή βία, άφθονη ένταση και κάποιες εκπληξούλες στην πλοκή. Βέβαια, όντας σχετικά άσχετος με πλοία, ναυσιπλοΐα και τα τοιαύτα, κουράστηκα λιγάκι από το πέρα δώθε με τα πλοία και τις (δικαιολογημένες) τεχνικές αναφορές, πάντως σίγουρα όχι σε σημείο να μην απολαύσω την ωραία αυτή περιπέτεια.

Σε γενικές γραμμές, το βιβλίο θα αφήσει ικανοποιημένους τους λάτρεις του συγγραφέα (ανάμεσα στους οποίους συγκαταλέγομαι και εγώ), αλλά και αυτούς που θέλουν να διαβάσουν μια αμιγώς βρετανική περιπέτεια από τα παλιά. Η γραφή είναι καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, το φλεγματικό χιούμορ κάνει έντονη την παρουσία του και η δράση είναι χορταστική.

[Chad D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative catnip. Good clean wholesome violent fun.

MacLean's suspense books are hard to beat. They're uncomplicated genre fiction, easy enough a boy of ten can read them (I should know), but very smart.

This one I'm particularly fond of, probably because it's first-person. The hero is a usual MacLean hero, self-effacing, ruthless in a moral universe divided into good guys and bad guys. To the good guys, and particularly to the good women, he is deeply compassionate and loyal, but he kills the bad guys without a second thought, unless he doesn't need to kill them, in which case he doesn't, because he's above needless violence. He talks to himself and us with wry humour and technical expertise (lots of boat descriptions in here I didn't much understand but didn't need to; it was enough that our hero did). He's for women, emphatically, but has a mild quarrel with their objectification.

Points for the opening chapter, which is up there with the most thrilling, suspenseful, dry-humoured opening chapters I've read.

This edition was not produced carefully. There are many errors, including, most entertainingly, "fart" for "fact" on p. 126.

[Gerard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Phillip Calvert is a secret agent investigating piracy and the loss of several million in gold bullion and gems in the North Atlantic. Facing a dismissal for the untimely death of two of his colleagues on the mission, Calvert has 48 hours to recover the gold before he is taken off the job. However, the pirates and their conspirators have plans to make Calvert's termination somewhat more final.

I read this novel as I recall enjoying Alistair Maclean's novels as a child. This was apparently his first book after an attempted career as a restauranteur. Let's just say this book is a recipe for disaster.

The plot construction was clumsy. For a plot-driven novel, it relies heavily on the main character recounting events and deductions to other characters. The main character is a nauseating chauvinist, dating the novel. That's probably as far as the character development goes.

Two stars. Avoid.

[Nicholas George · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd never read any MacLean, so when this came my way I thought, 'Why not?' Well, now I know. It's not that MacLean isn't a muscular and propulsive writer. It's that this kind of story seems horribly dated these days--the flawless hero (James Bond stand-in Philip Calvert), the flawed leading lady, the byzantine criminal scheme involving the piracy of gold bullion and other treasures. It might have mad a good film but in print comes across as creaky and ultra-contrived.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say this is an 'edge-of-the-seat thriller' more a light-hearted jaunt. I admit a few people are murdered, there are a few twists and the pace is relentless. I did enjoy the dark humour from the narrator and main character, Philip Calvert, but I just couldn't take him seriously as a ruthless special agent. I have read a few MacLean books, but this is not one of his best.

[B.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite MacLean, but still pretty darn good. He seemed a little long-winded in places here and there, so I had to do some 'scanning past' in this book where I don't usually have to with his other books. Then again, a 'not favorite' MacLean is better than a lot of other books.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good story - I hadn't read it for a while, but well worth reading again. Very enjoyable...

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, not too good but not too bad either

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the 70s

[rabbitprincess · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK! Interesting, funny and different from other action authors I've read.
Probably will return for one of his other books at a later point.

[Bob Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked the story, took a while get to plot rolling and needed some explaining at the end of the book to wrap up the story. still liked the secret agent stuff.

[Aaditya Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Eight Bells Toll

Thriller genre is something which is my cup of tea. Alistair MacLean is a magnificent storyteller, has wrote many thrillers in 20th century and the one I read first of his is, “When Eight bells toll”, thrill and suspense in the title itself.

Plot and Characters:

The whole story plot is set entirely at the sea. There are many cases of hijacking of ships and pirating of gold bullion off the western highlands of Scotland. Investigations are being made by British Secret Service. The story is starring a british secret-service agent, Peter Calvert, the main character of the story. He is assigned a task to investigate the matter by Rear-admiral Sir Arthur Arnford (mentioned as Uncle Arthur throughout the book). The whole operation is divided into 10 scenes starting from the Monday dusk to the Friday dawn.

The central character, Peter Calvert has got a great sense of humor. He is the brains and hands of the whole operation. Uncle Arthur's role is to fulfill the needs of Peter Calvert, whatever he requires – helicopters, men, etc. There are some side characters, whose roles are also very well sketched. Like, a rich Greek tycoon Sir Anthony Skouras and his female companion, former actress Charlotte Meiner, Peter's companion Hunslett, etc.


Story:

The beginning of the story is of kind which every thriller lover would want. It's very well written and creates a great suspense. Peter is in front of the Peacemaker Colt gun, which he would never like to be, as he knows very well how it shatter bones and flesh. People are trying to kill Peter Calvert, but why? Who? We even don't know who is on the other side of the Colt. There are so many questions juggling in the mind when you complete the first page of the book.

But as the story goes on, many things get more and more clear. Peter Calvert plans to board and search, the Natesville on the first night of his operation. He seems to be liking to play with his own life in any circumstances, and he plays his game very well. He also stabs his opponents in their backs bloodthirstily. His attitude is shown to be who-cares-so-long-as-I-don't-get-killed. He never feels any sort of compunction over the lives that he takes. He likes snuffing around criminal's lives.


Complements:

The whole story goes like a roller coaster ride and you enjoy each and every part of it. It's a fast reading, full of suspense and thrillers and a great writing too. I can say that the story is able to put visualizations of the whole picture in your mind. Some quotes are very humorous and well written as well. My favorite ones are:

- “No matter how clever and strong and ruthless you were, sooner or later you would meet up with someone who was cleverer and stronger and more ruthless than yourself.”

- “and I had no doubt they had gone on being as still and watchful as ever, but they hadn’t been watchful enough and now they were only still”


Complaints:

It has too much technical descriptions which seems boring sometimes. For examples, the description of Peacemaker Colt, boat, its engine, batteries etc. Only experts of those field would understand that. But yeah, I strongly feel that peacemaker colt was the only thing which could bring interest towards the story in my mind.

One more thing I would say is that story seems bit dated. It takes time getting to the point of anything. It's a fast read, no doubt, but what I felt is, till the first three fifth part of the book, I was not totally clear about what/why is all these happening. Why the narrator is killing those enemies very ruthlessly! There is a lot of secretive messing about the boats done by Peter, but half the times I didn't get the purpose behind that, which got cleared in the later part of the book.

Also, there are some references to a wince-inducing attitude towards women, which is something that is very dated.

Conclusion:

I would surely recommend this book, it's worth reading. It's well written (I would say well pictured), easy to understand language, too much suspense, excitement, light humor and thrill.

[GRV · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHEN EIGHT BELLS TOLL

Rating 3/5

When Eight Bells Toll by Alistair MacLean is an enjoyable read. Took a while to get into the plot with lot of action, but the later part was interesting.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adventure story. Hard to follow at times as an audio book, but I enjoyed all the plot twists.

[Marina Finlayson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so old that my copy has pictures from the movie on the cover, showing Anthony Hopkins looking young and dashing. James Bond-like, even. I didn’t realise he was ever leading man material – I’ve only seen him play old or, at best, middle-aged characters.

The story begins rather like One Shot by Lee Child, with a detailed description of a gun. The writing is more lyrical and the sentences more traditionally structured than in One Shot, but there is still a lot of gun-related information. We are nearly at the bottom of a very wordy first page before it’s even mentioned that this particular gun is pointing right at the first person narrator.

Talk about burying the lede!

This is one of the things that make this book feel its age. It takes its time getting to the point of anything in a way that thriller writers these days just don’t do (at least in my limited experience). We don’t even find out what the whole point of the book is till about three-quarters of the way through. Till then our hero, a secret service agent on a mission in the remote harbours of Scotland, does a lot of secretive messing about on boats, but we don’t know why.

A couple of other things that date the book are pop culture references that mean nothing any more, and a rather wince-inducing attitude to women on the part of our hero.

The book is not without its charms, though. The narrator has a wry humour that’s quite entertaining. Discussing two dead colleagues, who in life had the still watchfulness common to men in their profession, he says “and I had no doubt they had gone on being as still and watchful as ever, but they hadn’t been watchful enough and now they were only still”.

But I have to admit, I wouldn’t have finished the book if I hadn’t been reading it for a challenge. The plot was well-structured, if a little predictable in places, but somehow the writing held me at a distance. I had trouble caring what happened to any of the characters, and could easily have set it down at any time. I freely admit I’m probably not the target audience, and I don’t read many thrillers, but it was more than that. One Shot kept me turning the pages all right. This one was perhaps too much of an intellectual puzzle, just not compelling enough on an emotional level.

Quite possibly the fact that we didn’t find out what was going on till late in the piece was part of the problem. If you don’t know what the stakes are, how can you care what happens?

I’d probably recommend you watch the movie instead. If nothing else, you get to see Anthony Hopkins with hair!