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The Russian Enigma
While the Cold War moves toward World War III, during the Cuban missile crisis, SIS chief Charles Winter grapples with deaths and defections among his agents and uncovers a Soviet plan for gaining world control
- GenresFiction
241 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
13 people want to read
About the author
Clive Egleton
65 books7 followersClive (Frederick William) Egleton was a British author of spy novels.
He enlisted in the Royal Armoured Corps in 1945 to train as a tank driver while still underage. He was subsequently commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment for whom he served in India, Hong Kong, Germany, Egypt, Cyprus, The Persian Gulf and East Africa. He retired in 1975 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
His novel Seven Days to a Killing was filmed as The Black Windmill, starring Michael Caine. Escape to Athena is a novelization of the 1979 movie of the same name.
He enlisted in the Royal Armoured Corps in 1945 to train as a tank driver while still underage. He was subsequently commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment for whom he served in India, Hong Kong, Germany, Egypt, Cyprus, The Persian Gulf and East Africa. He retired in 1975 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
His novel Seven Days to a Killing was filmed as The Black Windmill, starring Michael Caine. Escape to Athena is a novelization of the 1979 movie of the same name.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 17, 2019
One of the joys of listening to and being involved with the community around the Spybrary podcast has been discovering books I might never have heard of otherwise. Clive Egleton's The Russian Enigma is just such an example of that.
Egleton tale is one ser among early 1960s Cold War intrigue with the Cuban Missile Crisis acting at the historical backdrop for the piece. At its heart is Charles Winter, head of a section within Britain's MI6 whose longtime double agent Deakin dies under odd circumstances. When Deakin's KGB recruiter nearly gets killed defecting in New York, things seem even stranger. With a showdown over Cuba looming, just what is going on?
Egleton crafts a tale that neatly works in real-life events with his fictional characters. Indeed, half the fun of reading the novel for me (a self-confessed Cold War history nerd) was spotting the references to actual people and events. Egleton also avoids the trap many authors writing a series fall into of assuming readers will have read the previous book so that, while reusing characters from his previous novel The Eisenhower Deception (aka The Winter Touch), the reader never feels lost. Combined with an intriguing narrative, the result is an immensely readable tale of spies, defectors, and intrigue.
Well worth a read for anyone who counts themselves a Cold War spy reader.
Egleton tale is one ser among early 1960s Cold War intrigue with the Cuban Missile Crisis acting at the historical backdrop for the piece. At its heart is Charles Winter, head of a section within Britain's MI6 whose longtime double agent Deakin dies under odd circumstances. When Deakin's KGB recruiter nearly gets killed defecting in New York, things seem even stranger. With a showdown over Cuba looming, just what is going on?
Egleton crafts a tale that neatly works in real-life events with his fictional characters. Indeed, half the fun of reading the novel for me (a self-confessed Cold War history nerd) was spotting the references to actual people and events. Egleton also avoids the trap many authors writing a series fall into of assuming readers will have read the previous book so that, while reusing characters from his previous novel The Eisenhower Deception (aka The Winter Touch), the reader never feels lost. Combined with an intriguing narrative, the result is an immensely readable tale of spies, defectors, and intrigue.
Well worth a read for anyone who counts themselves a Cold War spy reader.
May 13, 2018
‘The Russian Enigma’, by Clive Egleton. Published 1982. Three Stars out of Four.
‘The Russian Enigma’ is a Cold War mystery, and a part of the ‘Charles Winter’ series by the late Clive Egleton (1927-2006, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the United Kingdom’s Royal Armored Corps). The story references things that occurred in earlier books, but the story is basically standalone.
The story is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and the aftermath of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. The main character, Charles Winter, is a head of section for the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service who is directing the investigation of the death of an asset, as well as dealing with a defector who may or may not be genuine. His allies in the CIA play a prominent role, as well.
The book was reminiscent of John LeCarre’s George Smiley books, as well as the British TV series ‘The Sandbaggers’. And, while this book was a bit light on action for my taste, it was well-written and engaging, and many fans of the genre would greatly enjoy it.
I did especially like the fact that, since it was written 20 years after the historical events portrayed in the story; it could reference things that had occurred (and would occur) during those years of the Cold War with more thoroughness (this appeals to me, particularly, as an author of Cold War thrillers set in the 1960’s and 1970’s).
While I haven’t come across other books in the series, I would read another of Egleton’s books if I happened upon it.
‘The Russian Enigma’ is a Cold War mystery, and a part of the ‘Charles Winter’ series by the late Clive Egleton (1927-2006, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the United Kingdom’s Royal Armored Corps). The story references things that occurred in earlier books, but the story is basically standalone.
The story is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and the aftermath of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. The main character, Charles Winter, is a head of section for the U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service who is directing the investigation of the death of an asset, as well as dealing with a defector who may or may not be genuine. His allies in the CIA play a prominent role, as well.
The book was reminiscent of John LeCarre’s George Smiley books, as well as the British TV series ‘The Sandbaggers’. And, while this book was a bit light on action for my taste, it was well-written and engaging, and many fans of the genre would greatly enjoy it.
I did especially like the fact that, since it was written 20 years after the historical events portrayed in the story; it could reference things that had occurred (and would occur) during those years of the Cold War with more thoroughness (this appeals to me, particularly, as an author of Cold War thrillers set in the 1960’s and 1970’s).
While I haven’t come across other books in the series, I would read another of Egleton’s books if I happened upon it.
October 8, 2015
great page turner
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews