Here Be Monsters

Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler #15

by Anthony Price

When ex-Major Ed Parker of the US Army is pushed over a cliff at Pointe du Hoc following the D-Day anniversary, a crisis is sparked off in British Intelligence. The cream of the Secret Service gather: Dr Audley, Oliver St John Latimer, Commander Cable, Dr Paul Mitchell. But none will take on the case.

Why is the investigation left to inexperienced Elizabeth Loftus? Is there any truth in the old rumour that Parker was a KGB double agent?

Elizabeth must ponder these and many other questions as she prises the lid off a can of worms forty years old - and suspicion begins to fall on her most respected colleagues.

Genres: Fiction, Espionage, Thriller

255 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Born in Hertfordshire in 1928, Price was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and Oxford. His long career in journalism culminated in the Editorship of the Oxford Times. His literary thrillers earned comparisons to the best of Graham Greene, Ernest Hemingway, and Robert Goddard.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book diverges from the formula of the series, but I still liked it, although I can't see reading it as a stand-alone. There is not a dominant history lesson and Audley is under suspicion as a bumbler instead of revered as a genius.

The bumbling theme is extended to a brilliantly absurd concept of Russian agents who never really "spy" but instead just make apparently honest mistakes for the Americans. I wish the book had been more about that, because that had great comedic potential.

Instead it dove into more serious stuff about paranoid suspicion vs. how to trust anyone, which then gets into deeper musings about corruption and incompetence, and good vs. evil, and how our side is better than the Soviets. This is important material to dig into somewhere in the series and it's better to stick it in one book than to clog up all the others with it.

For fans, it's nice to see Wimpy again.

[Rhonda · Rating 1 out of 5]

YAWN. Ok, some of this is my fault for thinking that even as part of a series, this book may stand by itself. It doesn't. It slumps. It starts upright, then slowly keels over, puddles and leaves a mess.

Most of the time you are in this woman's head thinking about what other people are thinking, and rating smiles. Now I got this book free (thanks, it wasn't worth half that) and used it on my nightstand as a sleeping aid - and that it did most successfully. Until I finished it and wondered what I had just read. Why would I care? There was no one to root for, care about, or feel anything for - it didn't matter. Mostly old men talking, showing off their Latin and Greek and other language skills. All were somehow in the spy game, but none of that seemed to matter. An important source dies, and the investigators go off to have drinks with some old geezer at a cottage. Like - WAIT - what?
And what is the whole: Ask so-and-so about it, about? Just state the case already. Instead of getting information from the horse's mouth, the woman and the old guy traipse all around talking to people that aren't important, and have really nothing much to say anyhow. When a source dies they just go ask someone else who is not involved. Nobody answers any questions. The woman worries all the time about her dead father, who was some sort of naval asshole. (Two separate things, he was an asshole and former navy.) Weird things I will retain: It was uncommon for a woman in the 1980's to know how to type?, you had to wait for approval to buy a car in the 80's in England?, hock and seltzer is a wine spritzer. Sorry if that spoils things for you.
I do wonder about the high ranking of this book - 4 and 5 stars, and no reviews. Please have mercy and explain.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Anthony Price presents us with an espionage story with a difference; no fast cars, silencers, electronic gimmickry and the like.. just discussions, questioning and trying to make sense of things by listening and thinking. I have to take a bow here - I had a pretty good idea of what was happening about three-quarters of the way in... but it was just a hunch. But this is what Price is about! Hunches. There's something about the solving of cryptic crosswords in his work and that makes it not only entertaining but also very satisfying.
A retired American officer "falls" off a cliff in Normandy but something doesn't feel right (I should add that we KNOW that this is the case in the first couple of pages). The whizz-kids at British Intelligence are put on the track and a mighty unravelling takes place.
It's fun, and clever and why the hell is Price out of print!?

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former US Ranger Major Parker dies in Normandy revisiting the beaches where he fought in 1944. Parker's death peaks the interest of British Intelligence and lowly recruit Elizabeth Loftus is asked to investigate aided by David Audley and the always amusing Paul Mitchell. As many people have commented "Here Be Monsters" is overly long and devoid of action. But as a long term fan Anthony Price, I always enjoy re-reading his book particularly the scheming of Audley and protege Mitchell. Don't expect a traditional spy novel this is played out at a different level and all the better for it.

[Beth Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one kind of dragged because it was all talk with minimal action. And the talk led to a lot of tail-twisting with no solid results. Which I suppose was the point of the whole thing, but the book is very spy-versus-spy. Still Anthony Price and therefore interesting, but less so than many of the others.