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Spycatcher #2
Sentinel
The United States and Russia are on the brink of war and only Will Cochrane—the master spy introduced in the critically acclaimed Spycatcher—can find and unmask the diabolical double agent responsible for it all in this enthralling espionage thriller, written by a real-life former field officer.
Fourteen days ago, CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, received a cryptic message from an agent operating deep undercover in Russia: "He has betrayed us and wants to go to war." Unable to make contact, the director of operations is forced to turn to one of his most deadly field officers—Will Cochrane. His mission is simple: infiltrate the remote submarine base in eastern Russia's Avacha Bay, locate the MI6 agent operating under the code name Svelte, and decode his message—or die trying.
It's a near-impossible task-even for a man who carries the code name Spartan, a title given to the most effective and deadliest Western intelligence officers. Will successfully locates the base but finds Svelte near death, his last words a final clue: Only Sentinel can stop him.
Meanwhile, political and economic tensions between the United States and Russia are rising by the day, with both sides rounding up known enemy sleeper agents within their borders for interrogation. Now it's up to Will—with the help of the top-secret joint CIA-MI6 Spartan Section—to uncover the true meaning of Svelte's message . . . and discover the identity of the legendary operative known only as Sentinel.
Fourteen days ago, CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, received a cryptic message from an agent operating deep undercover in Russia: "He has betrayed us and wants to go to war." Unable to make contact, the director of operations is forced to turn to one of his most deadly field officers—Will Cochrane. His mission is simple: infiltrate the remote submarine base in eastern Russia's Avacha Bay, locate the MI6 agent operating under the code name Svelte, and decode his message—or die trying.
It's a near-impossible task-even for a man who carries the code name Spartan, a title given to the most effective and deadliest Western intelligence officers. Will successfully locates the base but finds Svelte near death, his last words a final clue: Only Sentinel can stop him.
Meanwhile, political and economic tensions between the United States and Russia are rising by the day, with both sides rounding up known enemy sleeper agents within their borders for interrogation. Now it's up to Will—with the help of the top-secret joint CIA-MI6 Spartan Section—to uncover the true meaning of Svelte's message . . . and discover the identity of the legendary operative known only as Sentinel.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2012
122 people are currently reading
798 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Dunn
16 books275 followersMatthew Dunn was an MI6 intelligence officer who spent years operating around the world on matters pertaining to the national security of Great Britain and its allies. For the last decade he has been an author and has written 14 published books. He is the author of the "Spycatcher" series and "Ben Sign" series of espionage-mystery noir novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
June 28, 2021
enjoyed this one better than the first.
January 11, 2014
I like Matthew Dunn's series. I really do. But I have two issues with this series, and especially this book: 1.) His action scenes are more tedious, boring, and lacking in suspense than Brad Thor's; it takes him MINUTES to describe what should take seconds in the real world. 2.) I don't, for the life of me, understand why he has Will turn into such a wuss at the end of this book; he's a spy, supposed to be void of emotion and not the "sensitive" type, so why does he wuss out? Just take the shot, sport! Seriously, Take! The! Shot! While I'll certainly continue on with this series, to this book, I must offer an "ugh" of sorts.
August 29, 2012
In the world of ‘Spymasters,’ this author has no equal. With this offering, number two in the ‘Spycatcher’ series, Mr. Dunn takes the reader’s breath away with more suspense, action, mystery and endless adventure that any one person can handle.
Our main character, MI-6 agent Will Cochrane, is back in action and asked to decode a partial message that was received at CIA headquarters in Virginia. The message is from a deep cover agent located in Russia and reads: He has betrayed us and wants to go to war… The unfinished message is quickly passed up the chain of the MI-6/CIA Spartan Division which is run jointly by Britain and the U.S. and is manned by the professionals who are most wanted to carry out the truly dangerous missions.
When Will finally tracks down the elusive agent who sent the message the man is on his death bed, but manages to tell Will that the ‘bad guy’ is none other than Russian Colonel Taras Khmelnytsky. Apparently the Colonel wants to start a war between Russia and America and…only Sentinel can stop him.
Barely getting away from the meeting with his life, Will is told by the men in charge that he will have to work with Sentinel - a high-powered spy who always works alone. But when the two get together sparks fly as they find their egos are a little too much for both of them to handle. Managing to work together, this duo goes on the hunt, traveling from Washington to London to Moscow and beyond to find a vicious mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead.
With all the twists and turns that a suspense fan could possibly imagine (and some they couldn’t), the skillful writing and fantastic ending make this the most delicious novel of the year thus far. Hold on to your hats for this one-day read, ladies and gents, and have an absolute ball!
Our main character, MI-6 agent Will Cochrane, is back in action and asked to decode a partial message that was received at CIA headquarters in Virginia. The message is from a deep cover agent located in Russia and reads: He has betrayed us and wants to go to war… The unfinished message is quickly passed up the chain of the MI-6/CIA Spartan Division which is run jointly by Britain and the U.S. and is manned by the professionals who are most wanted to carry out the truly dangerous missions.
When Will finally tracks down the elusive agent who sent the message the man is on his death bed, but manages to tell Will that the ‘bad guy’ is none other than Russian Colonel Taras Khmelnytsky. Apparently the Colonel wants to start a war between Russia and America and…only Sentinel can stop him.
Barely getting away from the meeting with his life, Will is told by the men in charge that he will have to work with Sentinel - a high-powered spy who always works alone. But when the two get together sparks fly as they find their egos are a little too much for both of them to handle. Managing to work together, this duo goes on the hunt, traveling from Washington to London to Moscow and beyond to find a vicious mastermind who always seems to be one step ahead.
With all the twists and turns that a suspense fan could possibly imagine (and some they couldn’t), the skillful writing and fantastic ending make this the most delicious novel of the year thus far. Hold on to your hats for this one-day read, ladies and gents, and have an absolute ball!
December 13, 2022
A spy hunting spies. A special agent like Jason Bourne. Problems in Russia. Solved by the end of the book.
A perfect page turner in this genre to be a comfort read with a lot of action and guessing who is the real bad guy.
A perfect page turner in this genre to be a comfort read with a lot of action and guessing who is the real bad guy.
October 5, 2012
Matthew Dunn's "Spycatcher" series (now, with "Sentinel," into its second book but is clearly destined for a long run) follows America's most lethal agent, Will Cochrane, in a breakneck race against a madman to save the world from a Russian madman and nuclear war.
That general plot description could apply to many of the novels written during the Cold War era. We've trodden this ground before - the question becomes whether Dunn does so in such a way that we don't mind all that much.
On the good side, Cochrane is an intriguing hero. He's a Spartan, a near-unique survivor of the American military/intelligence sector's most brutal training program. Cochrane's job is to do what Green Berets cannot do, to go where Navy Seals fear to tread. Thanks to being the kind of guy who can survive such training Cochrane is one lethal, lonely guy.
While on a mission, there aren't many better than Cochrane. We see this on an early mission to infiltrate a Russian base to confirm a sinister cable about imminent nuclear war. Cochrane in action is nimble, swift and lethal, and Dunn's action scenes can be quite entertaining.
Cochrane eventually comes across his predecessor in the Spartan program, code-named Sentinel. Sentinel was betrayed and tortured for years by the Russians, and who's to say how deep those scars go? Sentinel, to Cochrane, is one sad reminder of the price Cochrane has paid for his choices.
Still, Cochrane must act, for a Russian madman is murdering Sentinel's secret agents, still working in the Russian military, and he wants to bring Russia back by starting a nuclear war. Sure, the Russians will lose to America, but the madman is in Stalin's camp in terms of leveraging the benefits of having millions of Russians die to advance your own personal cause.
Dunn leads the reader on a pell-mell race across Russia as Cochrane and Sentinel try to catch the mad Russian. These scenes are fine, and I'll leave it to you to evaluate the novel's final twists and turns. Perhaps I've read too many thrillers, but the second half of this novel seemed rather conventional, and a final "twist" did not ring true at all.
Still, Cochrane remains an intriguing hero - if not yet in the John Rain or Jack Reacher class, he's in the next group down. And that can be enough to sustain a good thriller.
That general plot description could apply to many of the novels written during the Cold War era. We've trodden this ground before - the question becomes whether Dunn does so in such a way that we don't mind all that much.
On the good side, Cochrane is an intriguing hero. He's a Spartan, a near-unique survivor of the American military/intelligence sector's most brutal training program. Cochrane's job is to do what Green Berets cannot do, to go where Navy Seals fear to tread. Thanks to being the kind of guy who can survive such training Cochrane is one lethal, lonely guy.
While on a mission, there aren't many better than Cochrane. We see this on an early mission to infiltrate a Russian base to confirm a sinister cable about imminent nuclear war. Cochrane in action is nimble, swift and lethal, and Dunn's action scenes can be quite entertaining.
Cochrane eventually comes across his predecessor in the Spartan program, code-named Sentinel. Sentinel was betrayed and tortured for years by the Russians, and who's to say how deep those scars go? Sentinel, to Cochrane, is one sad reminder of the price Cochrane has paid for his choices.
Still, Cochrane must act, for a Russian madman is murdering Sentinel's secret agents, still working in the Russian military, and he wants to bring Russia back by starting a nuclear war. Sure, the Russians will lose to America, but the madman is in Stalin's camp in terms of leveraging the benefits of having millions of Russians die to advance your own personal cause.
Dunn leads the reader on a pell-mell race across Russia as Cochrane and Sentinel try to catch the mad Russian. These scenes are fine, and I'll leave it to you to evaluate the novel's final twists and turns. Perhaps I've read too many thrillers, but the second half of this novel seemed rather conventional, and a final "twist" did not ring true at all.
Still, Cochrane remains an intriguing hero - if not yet in the John Rain or Jack Reacher class, he's in the next group down. And that can be enough to sustain a good thriller.
December 4, 2015
This is the second book by Matthew Dunn. It follows his MI6 Spy Will Cochrane as he tried to head off the destruction of MI6's long term spy's 10 assets within Russia. The long term spy is named "Sentinel." Has an interesting turn of events at the end of the book. Good new writer and series. I recommend to the Vince Flynn, Brad Thor reader. You'll enjoy this series. The first in the series and the debut novel by Dunn is titled "Spycatcher." Suggest you start with that one first.
May 16, 2014
It is very very rare for me to start a book and not finish it. But unfortunately, this was just one of those books. The writing is below average. The characters have absolutely zero depth to them. Literally, zero. The I'm single, lonely and depressed story line seems completely forced. The plot is disjointed and takes gigantic leaps of logic to make sense of it. Never has there been such a dull and lifeless main character.
September 5, 2020
Excellent sequel to Spycatcher! Matthew Dunn pulls out all the stops in this one. Just when you think you've got it all figured out the ending will blow you out of the water. 7 out of 10 for this suspenseful thriller!
July 24, 2022
A thriller to be sure.
Written to keep you turning the pages.
Spies, intrigue, and suprises along the way.
Written to keep you turning the pages.
Spies, intrigue, and suprises along the way.
September 20, 2016
This is my second book in the Spycatcher series and I have to say, this is becoming an addiction. These novels are very fast paced, kick-ass action and quite good thrillers. Maybe not classy literature or even great plot building in terms of character cultivation, but quick page turners till you read the last page. I am slowly getting the hang of the series. The protagonist, Will Cochrane (with the "Spartan" codename) is not someone like Mitch Rapp (Vince Flynn series) or Will Robie/John Puller (David Baldacci series) who is so damn insanely and inhumanely good that they don't even get a scratch while destroying a whole army of bad people. Instead, Dunn presents Cochrane as someone who is human but with extreme capabilities and insane will-power, where most people just give up or cannot withstand the level of pain that Cochrane can tolerate and ignore while keeping that one minded devotion to get the job done. He gets hurt, he feels pain, he feels remorse (when his love interests get killed like the last two books), he gets frustrated and he gets angry unlike other assassins or spies or agents. Where he stands out from the rest is, he is immensely hard-working, humane, loyal and intelligent. And if this character was given a bit more color and antics by the author (like Vince Flynn or Daniel Silva or Baldacci does), he would have stood out like another action hero - Mitch Rapp or Jack Reacher or Will Robie.
The plot is simple. Sentinel is the codename for the previous and the first Spartan agent, who was captured by the Russians years back and tortured for 6 years, didn't break and then were released back to MI6 through diplomatic channels. He used to recruit and run lot of agents in Russia before he was captured by Russian SVR. After he got released, he went back to the same job of Agent handler and recruitment of more sleeper & active Russian spies. But when MI6 receives a panic/distress message from one of the Tier 1 Russian agent, they deploy Will "Spartan" Cochrane to get more information on the distress call. Will goes into enemy territory (Russia) to speak to the agent (codenamed: Svelte) where he finds the agent murdered. He then joins hand with Sentinel to find how Sentinel's agents were getting murdered. In this effort, Sentinel gets captured by the Russian spy, Razin, who seems to have a plan of his own, to kill all Sentinel's Tier 1 agents and then create a war betwen US and Russia and in the end, when ceasefire and peace returns, he would reveal about the murder of the Russian moles and become the big Boss himself.
Spartan finally meets his match in Razin, who is not only difficult to beat, but maybe even better than him. But the place where Spartan stands out is that he is patient and is waiting to capitalize on the mistakes made by others. So begins the great battle of these two spies and the final showdown. Like the first book, midway through the novel, I was able to predict the climax of the stories, the layers of deceit and lies that were built into the plot and the possible ending. Which to me felt that the plot was not too tight or not so full of twists and surprises till the end. And maybe this book had a tad bit less action than the first book.
Otherwise, the book is as good as the first and a very addictive read. And it definitely deserves 4.5 stars.
The plot is simple. Sentinel is the codename for the previous and the first Spartan agent, who was captured by the Russians years back and tortured for 6 years, didn't break and then were released back to MI6 through diplomatic channels. He used to recruit and run lot of agents in Russia before he was captured by Russian SVR. After he got released, he went back to the same job of Agent handler and recruitment of more sleeper & active Russian spies. But when MI6 receives a panic/distress message from one of the Tier 1 Russian agent, they deploy Will "Spartan" Cochrane to get more information on the distress call. Will goes into enemy territory (Russia) to speak to the agent (codenamed: Svelte) where he finds the agent murdered. He then joins hand with Sentinel to find how Sentinel's agents were getting murdered. In this effort, Sentinel gets captured by the Russian spy, Razin, who seems to have a plan of his own, to kill all Sentinel's Tier 1 agents and then create a war betwen US and Russia and in the end, when ceasefire and peace returns, he would reveal about the murder of the Russian moles and become the big Boss himself.
Spartan finally meets his match in Razin, who is not only difficult to beat, but maybe even better than him. But the place where Spartan stands out is that he is patient and is waiting to capitalize on the mistakes made by others. So begins the great battle of these two spies and the final showdown. Like the first book, midway through the novel, I was able to predict the climax of the stories, the layers of deceit and lies that were built into the plot and the possible ending. Which to me felt that the plot was not too tight or not so full of twists and surprises till the end. And maybe this book had a tad bit less action than the first book.
Otherwise, the book is as good as the first and a very addictive read. And it definitely deserves 4.5 stars.
July 26, 2012
*Won through a goodreads giveaway*
I really hate starting books in the middle of the series because my view of that book may not be fair. But... judging from the reviews of others on this website I may not have missed much. This book is about a spy who's chasing another spy. Enough said? Need more? Well that's all there was. The chracters were all one-dimensional and the writing was so-so. Given my hang ups... I did actually like the book.
There's nonstop action and gruesome moments in this book that made me cringe when reading it. One moment in particular (at least) had me squirming in my seat at work. Basically Will Cochrane is a super-human. He can get out of any situation with barely a scratch. A well trained "Sparta" man who can do no wrong is our hero. Razin is his nemis who is offing agents in an attempt to begin a war between Russia and America. Some of that gets a little muddied and confusing but the reason I stayed interested is because this novel moves so quickly.
The combat scenes are given with clarity which makes it obvious the author has had an extensive background in being a field officer. Overall I did not really get a sense of who Cochrane was except a man on a mission to save the world. Once more, not really fair since the first Spycatcher book could have been a little more descriptive, but... I do recommend this book for anyone who's extremely into espionage novels.
I really hate starting books in the middle of the series because my view of that book may not be fair. But... judging from the reviews of others on this website I may not have missed much. This book is about a spy who's chasing another spy. Enough said? Need more? Well that's all there was. The chracters were all one-dimensional and the writing was so-so. Given my hang ups... I did actually like the book.
There's nonstop action and gruesome moments in this book that made me cringe when reading it. One moment in particular (at least) had me squirming in my seat at work. Basically Will Cochrane is a super-human. He can get out of any situation with barely a scratch. A well trained "Sparta" man who can do no wrong is our hero. Razin is his nemis who is offing agents in an attempt to begin a war between Russia and America. Some of that gets a little muddied and confusing but the reason I stayed interested is because this novel moves so quickly.
The combat scenes are given with clarity which makes it obvious the author has had an extensive background in being a field officer. Overall I did not really get a sense of who Cochrane was except a man on a mission to save the world. Once more, not really fair since the first Spycatcher book could have been a little more descriptive, but... I do recommend this book for anyone who's extremely into espionage novels.
August 21, 2012
William Cochrane is a super spy for M16. Sentinel is the code name of one of his colleague’s stations in Eastern Europe. When Sentinel’s tier 1 agents within the Russian military begin to be murdered, Will is sent to help Sentinel save his move valuable assets and hunt down Razin, a former double-agent who is responsible for the murders. He must use his highly trained skills to track down Razin and stop him before a new war erupts between Russia and America.
Matthew Dunn brings first-hand spy knowledge to this fast-paced spy thriller. The story line is intriguing and Dunn writes the fight scenes with an accuracy that allows the reader to visualize the scenes as if they were being played on a movie screen. Unfortunately, as someone who has little knowledge of weapons, much of the detail was lost on me and even slowed down my reading pace as I felt overwhelmed with information that didn’t seem necessary. I haven’t read much in this genre of literature and this novel makes me hesitant to read more as the world of Will Cochrane seems so foreign and difficult to understand to the lay reader.
Matthew Dunn brings first-hand spy knowledge to this fast-paced spy thriller. The story line is intriguing and Dunn writes the fight scenes with an accuracy that allows the reader to visualize the scenes as if they were being played on a movie screen. Unfortunately, as someone who has little knowledge of weapons, much of the detail was lost on me and even slowed down my reading pace as I felt overwhelmed with information that didn’t seem necessary. I haven’t read much in this genre of literature and this novel makes me hesitant to read more as the world of Will Cochrane seems so foreign and difficult to understand to the lay reader.
January 14, 2016
Whatever happens don't go to war. This strange message is received by MI6 and the CIA.
Even though the message is clear the reason is unknown. Will Cochran the West's most
capable intelligence operative is sent to infiltrate a remote Siberian submarine base to
find out the truth. The enemy though is warned of his arrival and Will is pitched
against the most dangerous adversary he has ever faced. This is the second book in the
Spycatcher series and it's another let's kill everyone book. I gave it a 4.
Even though the message is clear the reason is unknown. Will Cochran the West's most
capable intelligence operative is sent to infiltrate a remote Siberian submarine base to
find out the truth. The enemy though is warned of his arrival and Will is pitched
against the most dangerous adversary he has ever faced. This is the second book in the
Spycatcher series and it's another let's kill everyone book. I gave it a 4.
January 28, 2013
Fast paced but even more preposterous than first volume in series. Giving up on it now...
Even though author has an intelligence background, this is all too unbelievable and written with movie in mind. Too far-fetched and on the wrong side of pulp...
Even though author has an intelligence background, this is all too unbelievable and written with movie in mind. Too far-fetched and on the wrong side of pulp...
March 23, 2013
There is such an incredibly extreme body count throughout that this reader preferred to skip to the end rather than endure endless torture and butchering.Even the not surprising plot twist can't save this. 1 of 10 stars
Want to read
July 2, 2012I just won this book free as a goodreads giveaway! I am waiting to read it. Thanks.
December 15, 2018
I love reading books centered around spies and assassins. Tom Wood's Victor is a good example. Last year I discovered Matthew Dunn while wandering at the bookstore. I picked up the first two in the series, hopeful that I had found a new spy series to enjoy.
I had found the first good neither good nor bad. It felt like the author was still discovering his main character. Some rough edges for a first book. So having a bad headache, I needed a thriller to distract myself until the aspirins kicked in. I pulled the second book, _Sentinel_ off the shelf, thinking it was just what I needed.
Here is a story, primarily set in Russia, that has some interesting elements, at least to me. Submarines, super spy guy with his deniable operators, and the MI6 sources that could stop a war. But as the story unwound, it wasn't all that interesting. The characters were not that interesting, the twists were not delivered with force, and some plot points unbelievable (on that last point, I'm aware thrillers stretch things a bit, but this is beyond that).
First, the main character, super Spartan Will, can't take the shot when needed. He'll take out a room full of background heavies without nary a twitch of his moral compass, but when it is a character that involves the plot or dialogue, poof, he can't commit. This is a guy that is tasked to breaking just about any rule or law in order to get the job done. It didn't make sense, as the seepage of morality didn't feel right. There are hints that he wonders what things would be like if he wasn't in the job of Spartan. But those are tossed aside until he needs to show actual emotion.
The use of submarines here is unrealistic. Who would put three Ohio class subs (the SSGN type) into the Berents Sea at the same time in order to slip into Russian territorial waters? Sure provocative. An SSGN carries 154 Tomahawk missiles which provide great standoff range. No reason to get your expensive submarine close to shore when it can remain in deeper water to stay hidden. The author seems to think that the subs need to get in close to do their job. This military mission with political ramifications is background noise. So is why Russia and the United States going to a war footing. It didn't make much sense.
The ending felt like it was forced into a specific page count. All this build up and then, not much. It didn't feel right after nearly 400 pages into the story.
I will put this author aside and look for other authors in this genre.
I had found the first good neither good nor bad. It felt like the author was still discovering his main character. Some rough edges for a first book. So having a bad headache, I needed a thriller to distract myself until the aspirins kicked in. I pulled the second book, _Sentinel_ off the shelf, thinking it was just what I needed.
Here is a story, primarily set in Russia, that has some interesting elements, at least to me. Submarines, super spy guy with his deniable operators, and the MI6 sources that could stop a war. But as the story unwound, it wasn't all that interesting. The characters were not that interesting, the twists were not delivered with force, and some plot points unbelievable (on that last point, I'm aware thrillers stretch things a bit, but this is beyond that).
First, the main character, super Spartan Will, can't take the shot when needed. He'll take out a room full of background heavies without nary a twitch of his moral compass, but when it is a character that involves the plot or dialogue, poof, he can't commit. This is a guy that is tasked to breaking just about any rule or law in order to get the job done. It didn't make sense, as the seepage of morality didn't feel right. There are hints that he wonders what things would be like if he wasn't in the job of Spartan. But those are tossed aside until he needs to show actual emotion.
The use of submarines here is unrealistic. Who would put three Ohio class subs (the SSGN type) into the Berents Sea at the same time in order to slip into Russian territorial waters? Sure provocative. An SSGN carries 154 Tomahawk missiles which provide great standoff range. No reason to get your expensive submarine close to shore when it can remain in deeper water to stay hidden. The author seems to think that the subs need to get in close to do their job. This military mission with political ramifications is background noise. So is why Russia and the United States going to a war footing. It didn't make much sense.
The ending felt like it was forced into a specific page count. All this build up and then, not much. It didn't feel right after nearly 400 pages into the story.
I will put this author aside and look for other authors in this genre.
February 14, 2019
This was arguably the worst read of the year so far. Arguably, since my misgivings with the book were not the fault of the author. "Sentinel" is book two of "Spycatcher" series. Because of my schedule, I used the audiobook to keep me company on my otherwise tedious commute of 85 miles (each way, thank you).
The book concerns a number of Russian spies working for one of Britain's best agents, who only goes by codename "Sentinel". The problem is, these spies, the cream of the crop, are being killed off, one by one. "Sentinel" needs to get to the bottom of what's going on, and he's got competition from Will Cochrane, who is believed to be every bit as good as "Sentinel". They find themselves working at odds with each other, but they both realize that catching the killer can prevent a nuclear holocaust.
The problem with the book itself is that the characters are a bit wooden and not quite believable (although the author is himself a former MI6 agent); the dialogue is something you would expect from a former agent who spent most of his years writing up dry technical intelligence reports. I can overlook these problems, though. The REAL issue for me was the horrible (at times laughingly horrible) pronunciations of Russian names and places by the narrator. Because the action takes place almost exclusively in Russia, I was hoping the holocaust would actually arrive and end the audiobook with four extra CDs of white noise or music. Anything other than the narrator droning on and on, unable to pronounce uncomplicated names such as Vitaly, Sergey, Yury. Sigh.
Two stars out of five.
The book concerns a number of Russian spies working for one of Britain's best agents, who only goes by codename "Sentinel". The problem is, these spies, the cream of the crop, are being killed off, one by one. "Sentinel" needs to get to the bottom of what's going on, and he's got competition from Will Cochrane, who is believed to be every bit as good as "Sentinel". They find themselves working at odds with each other, but they both realize that catching the killer can prevent a nuclear holocaust.
The problem with the book itself is that the characters are a bit wooden and not quite believable (although the author is himself a former MI6 agent); the dialogue is something you would expect from a former agent who spent most of his years writing up dry technical intelligence reports. I can overlook these problems, though. The REAL issue for me was the horrible (at times laughingly horrible) pronunciations of Russian names and places by the narrator. Because the action takes place almost exclusively in Russia, I was hoping the holocaust would actually arrive and end the audiobook with four extra CDs of white noise or music. Anything other than the narrator droning on and on, unable to pronounce uncomplicated names such as Vitaly, Sergey, Yury. Sigh.
Two stars out of five.
September 17, 2017
Another good thriller from Matthew Dunn. though I might sound a bit pessimistic at times concerning various writers, this novelist spins a good, thrilling and entertaining read.
A few personal quirks...his fascinated fixation with chain smoking, desiccated chicks is annoying. Also Does he only operate in Snowy cold climates? The redundancy in his novels will eventually lead to a loss of interest. Additionally, the constantly highly detailed geographic descriptions of the surveillance, counter surveillance events becomes tedious.
Dunn does a good with the weaponry and the accessories, the glossary at the back of his novels is a great touch and shows thoughtful research that is involved. I like the fact that his agents do not all automatically speak fluent "whatever" as is the error with many writers. The Cochrane figure is a bit too mushy and maudlin to be real and that might be something the author could work on. His sentimentality is a bit over the top for reality sake.
This was the third novel I have rapidly consumed in succession and I do enjoy his writing style. But please Matthew Dunn, there is nothing sexy about smoking female agents it really is an unnecessary touch. Drop that peccadillo please.
A few personal quirks...his fascinated fixation with chain smoking, desiccated chicks is annoying. Also Does he only operate in Snowy cold climates? The redundancy in his novels will eventually lead to a loss of interest. Additionally, the constantly highly detailed geographic descriptions of the surveillance, counter surveillance events becomes tedious.
Dunn does a good with the weaponry and the accessories, the glossary at the back of his novels is a great touch and shows thoughtful research that is involved. I like the fact that his agents do not all automatically speak fluent "whatever" as is the error with many writers. The Cochrane figure is a bit too mushy and maudlin to be real and that might be something the author could work on. His sentimentality is a bit over the top for reality sake.
This was the third novel I have rapidly consumed in succession and I do enjoy his writing style. But please Matthew Dunn, there is nothing sexy about smoking female agents it really is an unnecessary touch. Drop that peccadillo please.
May 29, 2017
According to his bio, Dunn is certainly the most qualified author to write a book like this. But the books are long on action and short on characters. We know next to nothing about Will as he chases around Europe and Asia. His thoughts about what this life has done to him and his future really don't add up to much, and the tears at the end seem like a vain attempt at giving him some personality.
The book does have lots of action, though. I loved the climb up the ice cliff. But sometimes the author is more concerned with details and authenticity than telling a story. The whole chase around Moscow was way too detailed. It could have been edited down considerably and been a better scene.
The book does have lots of action, though. I loved the climb up the ice cliff. But sometimes the author is more concerned with details and authenticity than telling a story. The whole chase around Moscow was way too detailed. It could have been edited down considerably and been a better scene.
April 14, 2019
If you like spy novels, this ones for you.
Matthew Dunn has done it again, a novel with a plot that kept me guessing who the real villain was right to the end.
Dunn writes beautiful laying out all the characters so you almost think them real, like a neighbour. His plots not just in this book but all he's other books are so imaginative that your kept guessing to the end.
If you like spy novels, books of mystery and suspense, read Matthew Dunn books
Matthew Dunn has done it again, a novel with a plot that kept me guessing who the real villain was right to the end.
Dunn writes beautiful laying out all the characters so you almost think them real, like a neighbour. His plots not just in this book but all he's other books are so imaginative that your kept guessing to the end.
If you like spy novels, books of mystery and suspense, read Matthew Dunn books
November 7, 2021
I bought this book because none of the local libraries had a copy. In it, I found a note:
"Excellent, fast moving, espionage and intrigue, kept you interested the entire book. I didn't want to put it down. Very good."
I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't as fast-paced as other authors in this genre. The ending was the best part of the book, imo. I started with the fourth book in this series, read five and six, then doubled back to the beginning.
"Excellent, fast moving, espionage and intrigue, kept you interested the entire book. I didn't want to put it down. Very good."
I thought it was pretty good. It wasn't as fast-paced as other authors in this genre. The ending was the best part of the book, imo. I started with the fourth book in this series, read five and six, then doubled back to the beginning.
June 22, 2017
At points slow, methodical, predictable. Bad guys were bad ass but empty. Good guys are still trying to find out what drives them. Pretty watered down with lots of promise. There was probably too many characters trying to be built and then all sacrificed. I think "Sentinel" could have been a really kickass character and book that could have spanned multiple books.
November 2, 2019
One dimensional spy novel
Lots of action sequences, sparse simplistic plot. I never really connected with the hero, who had very few likable characteristics other than superhuman endurance and occasional flashes of prescient deduction. I read the first book in the series long ago. Don’t remember if it was this unsatisfying.
Lots of action sequences, sparse simplistic plot. I never really connected with the hero, who had very few likable characteristics other than superhuman endurance and occasional flashes of prescient deduction. I read the first book in the series long ago. Don’t remember if it was this unsatisfying.
October 28, 2019
This book is not my genre and the first few chapters didn't work to pull me into the plot, but I have to give four stars for the vivid and realistic description. Dunn's real life experience shows! I wonder if I should've read book one first; that could have made a huge difference.
November 13, 2019
This reminded me of the scene between Poison Ivy and Robin in Batman & Robin, “now you’re going to die because I just kissed 💋 you with poison lips”, says Poison Ivy and Robin says “That’s why I put on these rubber lips”. 😂
This Story was cheesy. 🧀
This Story was cheesy. 🧀
May 5, 2021
Not good, not good at all. For a super-spy, this guy is useless. Long long build up to each dissapointing action scene. I think this book is like a stakeout. Lots of boredom followed by very little at all. I'm sorry I picked it up.
August 26, 2021
Incredible, you must continue reading non-stop!
I definitely want to read the first book, simply titled "Spycatcher" if I can find it, as well as any others by this fine writer, who was a real spy!
I definitely want to read the first book, simply titled "Spycatcher" if I can find it, as well as any others by this fine writer, who was a real spy!
September 1, 2021
Not even close to the league of Silva, Flynn, Thor or Coes. A sound plot but uninteresting characters who seem to fit the molds idealized by teenage boys of eras past. Barely finished it, might try another in the series to see if the blade (pen) got sharper with practice.
July 12, 2024
The effectiveness of this secret agent is more in line with Maxwell Smart than 007. He eventually triumphs but gets multiple people killed along the way and just bearly avoids war between the US and Russia.
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