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Spycatcher #3
Slingshot
Matthew Dunn uses his experience as a former MI6 field officer to bring transfixing realism to Slingshot, his third Spycatcher novel featuring Will Cochrane--MI6's, and now the CIA's, most prized asset and deadliest weapon. In Slingshot, Cochrane is ordered to recover a mysterious document stolen by a Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SRV) traitor working for a former high-ranking East German Stasi officer. The officer, years before, had instigated a secret pact between Russian and U.S. generals. The agreement stipulated that should it be broken, an assassin would immediately be set loose after an unknown target. The SRV has sent their own version of Cochrane, a cold-blooded, brilliant operative, to retrieve the document, pitting spycatcher against spycatcher. Slingshot, with its cat-and-mouse espionage, brutal action, and complex protagonist, is a must-read for fans of Robert Ludlum and Lee Child.
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 25, 2013
146 people are currently reading
1048 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 89 reviews
January 9, 2021
After a good story earlier in this series, I was disappointed with this effort that seemed intent on tracking down people to perpetuate a secret. Hardly worth the effort. 3 of 10 stars
July 30, 2021
the bad guys were confusing to keep separate. they were similar in characteristics. the two different plot lines didn't mesh well.
June 22, 2013
If you enjoy spy novels or thrillers, you're familiar with MI6, British intelligence service. I love the novels but tend to take the plot with a grain of salt. Not this time, though. Matthew Dunn is a long-time veteran of MI6 himself and has based his hero, Will Cochrane, on himself and his own experiences. The plot of Sling Shot in fact is based on an actual case. That got my attention right away.
Cochrane is of course sort of a superspy but he's also human and is vulnerable when the villain threatens his only sister. Their parents died years ago so she is his only family and he goes to great lengths to keep her safe, despite her resentment of his work and the danger that ensues from it. Actually his Achilles heel in general is that he cares about people and tries to do the right thing, which is often a hindrance to his mission. This is a man you can really admire and cheer for.
The plot concerns a secret agreement between six Russian and American military and intelligence people overseen by a German, Kurt Schreiber, who was previously an East German Stasi officer. Schreiber is devious and the opposite of Cochrane in that he doesn't care about anything or anyone but himself. His goal is power and control of the major countries of the world. He'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even killing entire families. He has hired an assassin, a man who he calls Kronos, who has unbelievable skills in entering buildings undetected and in killing.
Cochrane becomes involved in stopping Schreiber when he tries to intercept transfer of a Russian spy. He knows nothing about the big scheme until much later, but the more he learns, the more horrified he is and the more determined he is to find out who is in charge and how to stop him.
The characters here are either sympathetic or totally hateful, and both types are skillfully drawn so that they are realistic, except for a few who seem a little over the top, i.e. Schreiber but then this particular character must be completely evil. I admired the way Dunn created these people so efficiently and yet so fully. One scene I remember concerns Cochrane and a woman who has become innocently a victim of the plot. She has a baby girl and when the stroller breaks, she hands the baby to Cochrane. This man is so tough but holding the baby he turns to mush. He's so afraid he'll trip and fall and he carries the child inside his coat to keep her warm. Thankfully she cuddles right up to him and he gets her safely home. This same man can become a killing machine when necessary.
I'm so glad to have discovered Matthew Dunn's Spycatcher series. There is one previous novel called Sentinel which I have put on my list of books to read. I look forward to more Will Cochrane adventures.
Highly recommended
Source: Partners in Crime Book Tours
Cochrane is of course sort of a superspy but he's also human and is vulnerable when the villain threatens his only sister. Their parents died years ago so she is his only family and he goes to great lengths to keep her safe, despite her resentment of his work and the danger that ensues from it. Actually his Achilles heel in general is that he cares about people and tries to do the right thing, which is often a hindrance to his mission. This is a man you can really admire and cheer for.
The plot concerns a secret agreement between six Russian and American military and intelligence people overseen by a German, Kurt Schreiber, who was previously an East German Stasi officer. Schreiber is devious and the opposite of Cochrane in that he doesn't care about anything or anyone but himself. His goal is power and control of the major countries of the world. He'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even killing entire families. He has hired an assassin, a man who he calls Kronos, who has unbelievable skills in entering buildings undetected and in killing.
Cochrane becomes involved in stopping Schreiber when he tries to intercept transfer of a Russian spy. He knows nothing about the big scheme until much later, but the more he learns, the more horrified he is and the more determined he is to find out who is in charge and how to stop him.
The characters here are either sympathetic or totally hateful, and both types are skillfully drawn so that they are realistic, except for a few who seem a little over the top, i.e. Schreiber but then this particular character must be completely evil. I admired the way Dunn created these people so efficiently and yet so fully. One scene I remember concerns Cochrane and a woman who has become innocently a victim of the plot. She has a baby girl and when the stroller breaks, she hands the baby to Cochrane. This man is so tough but holding the baby he turns to mush. He's so afraid he'll trip and fall and he carries the child inside his coat to keep her warm. Thankfully she cuddles right up to him and he gets her safely home. This same man can become a killing machine when necessary.
I'm so glad to have discovered Matthew Dunn's Spycatcher series. There is one previous novel called Sentinel which I have put on my list of books to read. I look forward to more Will Cochrane adventures.
Highly recommended
Source: Partners in Crime Book Tours
August 10, 2013
Matthew Dunn certainly has the creds to write a spy thriller—he served in Britain’s MI6 on over 70 operations. But tradecraft skill and hutzpah do not a writer make. Dunn’s “Slingshot” is the third in his Spycatcher series, and the first I’ve (tried to) read. Obviously, someone likes his tales—the New York Times Book Review and The Economist both praised it. So I’m an outsider on this one.
My mind kept wandering as I plowed through the turgid writing. One problem is that Will Cochrane, MI6’s best operative, speaks like an automaton; another problem is that everyone else does too. A spy thriller should be a thriller, but this one was too much work for me and, I thought, very confusing—which might have have been the point. If spying is 90 percent boredom and 10 percent terror, Dunn has got the proprtions about right.
A much better example of the genre, also by a real spy (CIA), is Jason Matthew’s “Red Sparrow:” For me it wins by at least 1.609344 kilometers.
My mind kept wandering as I plowed through the turgid writing. One problem is that Will Cochrane, MI6’s best operative, speaks like an automaton; another problem is that everyone else does too. A spy thriller should be a thriller, but this one was too much work for me and, I thought, very confusing—which might have have been the point. If spying is 90 percent boredom and 10 percent terror, Dunn has got the proprtions about right.
A much better example of the genre, also by a real spy (CIA), is Jason Matthew’s “Red Sparrow:” For me it wins by at least 1.609344 kilometers.
June 2, 2024
The first few chapters were confusing as to what was going on, but as I kept reading everything fell into place quite nicely. A fast paced story about the world of spies, deadly assassins and what is most important in life. I hadn’t read the previous two books in this series before reading this novel…but after reading this one, I want to read more books in this series.
June 2, 2013
If you're a fan of movies like Mission Impossible or any of the Bourne films, then you will love the Spycatcher series from Matthew Dunn as he launches his latest novel, Slingshot into the literary world. The best part of any action adventure novel is when the author has either done his research remarkably well or he has working knowledge of what he is writing about, and in this case Matthew Dunn has both. As a former MI6 field officer, Matthew Dunn was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection, deep-cover deployments, small arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, and infiltration, and conducted approximately seventy missions - all of them successful. That to me makes for some incredible background to launch his Spycatcher series of novels.
Now onto the third novel, Slingshot picks up once more with the special agent Will Cochrane who is dispatches to locate a rogue Russian Foreign Intelligence Service double agent who has stolen some important document that no one knows the content of. The only thing that the American handlers do know it that it can kill and now it has fallen into the wrong hands and they need Will Cochrane to find him before its too late. This is your true spy versus spy action packed thriller and Matthew Dunn does an exceptional job at keeping his readers guessing and following along this fast paced suspense thriller. The character of Will Cochrane reminded me of Tom Cruise's portrayal of Jack Reacher, a man who likes to remain the lone wolf but who is often called upon to get the job done when it seems like all else has failed and time is of the essence.
This is truly an unforgettable novel that will have you racing quite literally all over Europe while other countries are using their own agents to find this same document. It literally is filled to the brim with action, excitement, explosions, twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat for its climatic ending. The beginning may get to be a load full of information but if you persevere through it you will see where the action begins to blend and merge to create a fast paced, page turner. I received Slingshot by Matthew Dunn compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. For those of you that LOVE action adventure suspense fiction, than this one is a definite for you. Even though this is part of a larger series, much like Mission Impossible or the Bourne Series, you can pick this one up as a stand alone because this is an entirely different mission for Will Cochrane to solve and thus you can immerse yourself in the content from the get go. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
Now onto the third novel, Slingshot picks up once more with the special agent Will Cochrane who is dispatches to locate a rogue Russian Foreign Intelligence Service double agent who has stolen some important document that no one knows the content of. The only thing that the American handlers do know it that it can kill and now it has fallen into the wrong hands and they need Will Cochrane to find him before its too late. This is your true spy versus spy action packed thriller and Matthew Dunn does an exceptional job at keeping his readers guessing and following along this fast paced suspense thriller. The character of Will Cochrane reminded me of Tom Cruise's portrayal of Jack Reacher, a man who likes to remain the lone wolf but who is often called upon to get the job done when it seems like all else has failed and time is of the essence.
This is truly an unforgettable novel that will have you racing quite literally all over Europe while other countries are using their own agents to find this same document. It literally is filled to the brim with action, excitement, explosions, twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat for its climatic ending. The beginning may get to be a load full of information but if you persevere through it you will see where the action begins to blend and merge to create a fast paced, page turner. I received Slingshot by Matthew Dunn compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. For those of you that LOVE action adventure suspense fiction, than this one is a definite for you. Even though this is part of a larger series, much like Mission Impossible or the Bourne Series, you can pick this one up as a stand alone because this is an entirely different mission for Will Cochrane to solve and thus you can immerse yourself in the content from the get go. I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
June 27, 2013
In the early 90's a group of high ranking officials from the Russian and American governments came together to form a highly classified initiative that could potentially lead to the death of millions of people. To ensure the security of the agreement, all involved parties sign a document that allows an international assassin to be ordered to eliminate anyone who leaks the information.
Fast forward to the present day, and the information has been stolen. With the threat of the horrific details of the plan being revealed, various entities begin to search for the documents, and the person who they believe could be responsible. Will Cochrane, an MI6 operative leads a team, in cooperation with the CIA, to attempt to find the man responsible for the missing papers. But the mission soon becomes far more personal. Someone has discovered Will's true identity, and threatens to release the information and to harm his sister, the only person on the earth who he truly cares about. The story quickly becomes an international tale of intrigue in which Will grapples with the implications of the released documents, faces the highly dangerous assassin, and attempts to discover the person or people who threaten to blow his cover.
The complexity of this novel makes it quite difficult to explain the plot without spoiling the twists and details that make it so compelling. Author Matthew Dunn is a former MI6 operative himself, so he brings a unique understanding of the inner workings of the secretive organizations that are explored in this book. This is the third novel to feature Will Cochrane, but the story itself stands alone as a completely realized narrative. It took me a bit of time to acclimate myself to all of the military jargon used throughout the novel, but the plot is intriguing enough that I was quickly able to work through it.
The character of Will Cochrane could have easily been a cold, one-dimensional man, especially given the secretive nature of his work. Where Dunn really excels is in extracting the emotions of this man who has essentially been trained to show none. It was fascinating to read about Will's internal battle of dealing with his inner feelings while never letting them betray the complex mission at hand. Overall, this is a fast paced, complex, international conspiracy novel that easily sets itself as a top example of the genre. Dunn is able to successfully combine his own personal experience as an MI6 operative with the conventions of modern thriller novels to create a unique and nearly flawless book.
Fast forward to the present day, and the information has been stolen. With the threat of the horrific details of the plan being revealed, various entities begin to search for the documents, and the person who they believe could be responsible. Will Cochrane, an MI6 operative leads a team, in cooperation with the CIA, to attempt to find the man responsible for the missing papers. But the mission soon becomes far more personal. Someone has discovered Will's true identity, and threatens to release the information and to harm his sister, the only person on the earth who he truly cares about. The story quickly becomes an international tale of intrigue in which Will grapples with the implications of the released documents, faces the highly dangerous assassin, and attempts to discover the person or people who threaten to blow his cover.
The complexity of this novel makes it quite difficult to explain the plot without spoiling the twists and details that make it so compelling. Author Matthew Dunn is a former MI6 operative himself, so he brings a unique understanding of the inner workings of the secretive organizations that are explored in this book. This is the third novel to feature Will Cochrane, but the story itself stands alone as a completely realized narrative. It took me a bit of time to acclimate myself to all of the military jargon used throughout the novel, but the plot is intriguing enough that I was quickly able to work through it.
The character of Will Cochrane could have easily been a cold, one-dimensional man, especially given the secretive nature of his work. Where Dunn really excels is in extracting the emotions of this man who has essentially been trained to show none. It was fascinating to read about Will's internal battle of dealing with his inner feelings while never letting them betray the complex mission at hand. Overall, this is a fast paced, complex, international conspiracy novel that easily sets itself as a top example of the genre. Dunn is able to successfully combine his own personal experience as an MI6 operative with the conventions of modern thriller novels to create a unique and nearly flawless book.
May 25, 2013
The author’s bio says that he is an ex-MI6 field officer and because of this background he is able to give the reader a glimpse into a hidden, cloak and dagger world of clandestine activities as he has seen it operate. Trust is a fleeting commodity that is earned and reciprocated in kind, but must be proven again and again. Getting close to someone means putting them in danger. Coercion by a variety of means seems commonplace.
The protagonist, Will Cochrane, is a field operative for a special MI6 unit called the Spartan Section. He is a loner out of habit and necessity and uncomfortable with himself when he is not working. When a mission to bring in a Russian defector in Gdansk goes terribly wrong, he commits himself and his unit to discover what is really going on and to do whatever is necessary to bring the perpetrators to justice. Cochrane doggedly pursues every lead and displays an amazing combination of physical toughness and mental adaptability in order to stay alive. This book keeps the reader balanced on the edge of the knife for an exciting and dangerous ride. If you are a fan of spy-thriller novels you will enjoy this as I did.
The protagonist, Will Cochrane, is a field operative for a special MI6 unit called the Spartan Section. He is a loner out of habit and necessity and uncomfortable with himself when he is not working. When a mission to bring in a Russian defector in Gdansk goes terribly wrong, he commits himself and his unit to discover what is really going on and to do whatever is necessary to bring the perpetrators to justice. Cochrane doggedly pursues every lead and displays an amazing combination of physical toughness and mental adaptability in order to stay alive. This book keeps the reader balanced on the edge of the knife for an exciting and dangerous ride. If you are a fan of spy-thriller novels you will enjoy this as I did.
May 10, 2013
In the third Spycatcher novel, Will Cochrane finds himself tracking down an elusive figure that has threatened his family. Who has also set up networks working into spy agencies all over the world.
It all ties in with a piece of paper stolen from Russian archives amd goes back to a mid-nineties meeting between Russia, the U.S., and Great Britain. A doomsday weapon has been set up and two portions divided between the U.S. and Russia.
The only thing anyone knows about it these days(most of those that attended the meeting are dead or retired) is that it can kill millions. Code name Slingshot.
A well written novel the author Matthew Dunn keeps the action ramped up and the pages turning for me.
For my money, the best in the series yet.
It all ties in with a piece of paper stolen from Russian archives amd goes back to a mid-nineties meeting between Russia, the U.S., and Great Britain. A doomsday weapon has been set up and two portions divided between the U.S. and Russia.
The only thing anyone knows about it these days(most of those that attended the meeting are dead or retired) is that it can kill millions. Code name Slingshot.
A well written novel the author Matthew Dunn keeps the action ramped up and the pages turning for me.
For my money, the best in the series yet.
July 5, 2013
Enjoy the action novels of the late Vince Flynn? Appreciate the intricate plots of John LeCarre? Then give Matthew Dunn a read. Start with SPYCATCHER and build up to SLINGSHOT, his latest entry in the Will Cochrane series. Cochrane is an agent of MI6, Britain's overseas intelligence agency. Tough, smart and ruthless, Cochrane also exhibits a fragile humanity which gives him a depth of character seldom seen in the espionage genre. Step aside, James Bond. There's a new superspy in town.
August 21, 2017
This was the first time I have encountered the work of this author. The characters were fairly believable, for the most part and the plot was very interesting. This appears to be a sequel to previous works, and it appears that I started with the wrong title since they appear to be listed in ascending order chronologically. That is always annoying since the author refers to previous adventures. Fair warning then, I beleive spycathcer and spy sentinel precede this novel. Luckily I bought all three at the same time, so will revert back and read through the others.
The story line is credible is slightly over the top. There are som annoying subplots, which I foinf distracting and which added little to the main storyline. I will let you discover those for yourselves and make your own apprasials. Same of the narrative is a bit maudlin and the main character needs counseling in the self-pity department. This charactersitic slighty reduces the "believability factor."
Conclusion: It was a good piece of relaxtion and enjoyable enough to continue reading his other previous work. It was well-written and kept me turning the pages.
On a more personal note, the autiobigraphic section on the author is gutwrenchingly full of nauseating self-glorification and pompous self-admiration. He fancies himself a modern day James Bond par excellence. I know this ahs nothing to do with his writing skill, but nevertheless I thought I'd throw it out there. Those who do don't speak about it,a nd those who don't so embellish with a flair. He evidently"...recruited and ran agents, coordinated and participatedin special operations, and acted in deep-cover roles throughout the world. He operated in highly hostile environment s where, if compromised and captured he would have been executed." And is goes on and on A real "Spy-God"...Unfortunately the author appears more talented at fiction than reality. So let's run with that.
The story line is credible is slightly over the top. There are som annoying subplots, which I foinf distracting and which added little to the main storyline. I will let you discover those for yourselves and make your own apprasials. Same of the narrative is a bit maudlin and the main character needs counseling in the self-pity department. This charactersitic slighty reduces the "believability factor."
Conclusion: It was a good piece of relaxtion and enjoyable enough to continue reading his other previous work. It was well-written and kept me turning the pages.
On a more personal note, the autiobigraphic section on the author is gutwrenchingly full of nauseating self-glorification and pompous self-admiration. He fancies himself a modern day James Bond par excellence. I know this ahs nothing to do with his writing skill, but nevertheless I thought I'd throw it out there. Those who do don't speak about it,a nd those who don't so embellish with a flair. He evidently"...recruited and ran agents, coordinated and participatedin special operations, and acted in deep-cover roles throughout the world. He operated in highly hostile environment s where, if compromised and captured he would have been executed." And is goes on and on A real "Spy-God"...Unfortunately the author appears more talented at fiction than reality. So let's run with that.
October 31, 2020
The details at the beginning of this story were a bit overwhelming; however, I knew it would prove to be important later on. The pieces all came together, along with a lesson: question why you are doing something -- the answer could turn you in a completely different direction than where you planned to go. The story builds to an absolutely amazing ending -- bumped my rating up to 4 stars! 8 out of 10.
June 11, 2013
Matthew Dunn in his new book, “Slingshot” Book Three in the Spycatcher series published by William Morrow brings us another adventure of Will Cochrane.
From the back cover: Master spy Will Cochrane must catch a missing Russian defector as well as one of Europe’s deadliest assassins in this action-packed follow-up to Sentinel, written by real-life former field officer Matthew Dunn
Will Cochrane monitors the nighttime streets of Gdansk, Poland—waiting for the appearance of a Russian defector, a man bearing a top-secret document. Will believes the defector is about to step out of the cold and into the hands of Polish authorities, but suddenly everything goes sideways. The target shows up, but so does a team from the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR, and they are hell-bent on keeping the man from walking. Then, in a hail of cross fire, a van speeds into the melee and snatches the defector out from under them all. Everyone wants the man and the codes he carries—but now he’s gone and it’s up to Will and his CIA/MI6 team to find him before the Russians do.
Will tracks both the missing Russian and his kidnappers, believing the defector has his own warped agenda. But soon it’s apparent that the real perpetrator could be someone much more powerful: a former East German Stasi officer who instigated a supersecret pact between Russian and U.S. generals almost twenty years ago. An agreement, which if broken for any reason, was designed to unleash the world’s deadliest assassin.
Then Will learns that the Russians have tasked their own “spycatcher”—an agent just as ruthless and relentless as Will—to retrieve the document. Now Will knows that he faces two very clever and deadly adversaries, who will stop at nothing to achieve their aims.
I think that the really best spy stories are the ones when they are spy versus spy. Sometimes equally matched, sometimes not, one knows the other but only the one and generally the bad guy. This is the environment that Will Cochrane finds himself embroiled in. As a former MI6 field officer, Matthew Dunn was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection, deep-cover deployments, small arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, and infiltration, and conducted approximately seventy missions – all of them successful. If anyone can write about spy versus spy missions with authenticity it is Mr. Dunn. Mr. Dunn puts Will Cochrane’s life is great danger as he and the other foreign agents hunt for the missing documents. “Slingshot” is a wonderful thriller as the tension mounts as Cochrane has to deal with two adversaries who have no qualms about killing him. ”Slingshot” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. When you finish this book you will heave a hugely satisfying sigh because you have enjoyed yourself immensely. Ms. Franklin James has provided us with a great spy in Will Cochrane. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series from this very talented author.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: Master spy Will Cochrane must catch a missing Russian defector as well as one of Europe’s deadliest assassins in this action-packed follow-up to Sentinel, written by real-life former field officer Matthew Dunn
Will Cochrane monitors the nighttime streets of Gdansk, Poland—waiting for the appearance of a Russian defector, a man bearing a top-secret document. Will believes the defector is about to step out of the cold and into the hands of Polish authorities, but suddenly everything goes sideways. The target shows up, but so does a team from the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR, and they are hell-bent on keeping the man from walking. Then, in a hail of cross fire, a van speeds into the melee and snatches the defector out from under them all. Everyone wants the man and the codes he carries—but now he’s gone and it’s up to Will and his CIA/MI6 team to find him before the Russians do.
Will tracks both the missing Russian and his kidnappers, believing the defector has his own warped agenda. But soon it’s apparent that the real perpetrator could be someone much more powerful: a former East German Stasi officer who instigated a supersecret pact between Russian and U.S. generals almost twenty years ago. An agreement, which if broken for any reason, was designed to unleash the world’s deadliest assassin.
Then Will learns that the Russians have tasked their own “spycatcher”—an agent just as ruthless and relentless as Will—to retrieve the document. Now Will knows that he faces two very clever and deadly adversaries, who will stop at nothing to achieve their aims.
I think that the really best spy stories are the ones when they are spy versus spy. Sometimes equally matched, sometimes not, one knows the other but only the one and generally the bad guy. This is the environment that Will Cochrane finds himself embroiled in. As a former MI6 field officer, Matthew Dunn was trained in all aspects of intelligence collection, deep-cover deployments, small arms, explosives, military unarmed combat, surveillance, and infiltration, and conducted approximately seventy missions – all of them successful. If anyone can write about spy versus spy missions with authenticity it is Mr. Dunn. Mr. Dunn puts Will Cochrane’s life is great danger as he and the other foreign agents hunt for the missing documents. “Slingshot” is a wonderful thriller as the tension mounts as Cochrane has to deal with two adversaries who have no qualms about killing him. ”Slingshot” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. When you finish this book you will heave a hugely satisfying sigh because you have enjoyed yourself immensely. Ms. Franklin James has provided us with a great spy in Will Cochrane. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series from this very talented author.
If you would like to listen to interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.
To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 17, 2013
This is such a good book! I was already half way through when I realized that the author has hands on experience in intelligence work, confirming my impression of the veracity of his depiction of how the world of intelligence functions in all its grit and glory.
The characters are well rounded and developed so they each come to live. The story line is complex with various agencies, from various countries, having different goals and sub-goals combined with individuals who have their own agenda under the pretext of working for an agency.
I would have loved to read it in one sitting for two reasons. One is that it is easier to keep my mind with the complex story lines and second is that it is a real page turner! Real life didn’t allow for that, which meant for me that I kept my notes of who is who doing what close at hand.
Even though this book is part of a series and contains a few allusions to previous books, it is a perfect stand alone. However, the author has grabbed me with his excellent combination of authentic portrayal of life-as-a-spy and storytelling at its finest, that he got me hooked and I want to read all his other books as well!
The characters are well rounded and developed so they each come to live. The story line is complex with various agencies, from various countries, having different goals and sub-goals combined with individuals who have their own agenda under the pretext of working for an agency.
I would have loved to read it in one sitting for two reasons. One is that it is easier to keep my mind with the complex story lines and second is that it is a real page turner! Real life didn’t allow for that, which meant for me that I kept my notes of who is who doing what close at hand.
Even though this book is part of a series and contains a few allusions to previous books, it is a perfect stand alone. However, the author has grabbed me with his excellent combination of authentic portrayal of life-as-a-spy and storytelling at its finest, that he got me hooked and I want to read all his other books as well!
January 21, 2016
Will Cochran monitors the nighttime streets of Gdansk, Poland waiting for a Russian
defector, a man bearing a top secret document. Will believes that the defector is going
to appear out of the cold and into the hands of Polish authorities but suddenly everything
goes wrong. The target shows but so does a team from Russian SDR and they want this man.
In all of the shooting a van appears and snatches the defector from all of them. Will tracks the
defector but it soon appears that the real perpetrator is a former East German Stasi officer
who instigated a top secret plan between Russian and U.S. Generals almost 20 years ago.
An agreement that if broken for any reason was designed to unleash the world's most
deadly assassin. Will learns that the Russian's have tasked this man who is just as deadly
as Will to retrieve the document. Will knows that now he faces two very clever and deadly
adversaries who will stop at nothing to achieve this aim. This is book three in the Spycatcher
series and it's another kill everyone page turner. I gave it a 4.
defector, a man bearing a top secret document. Will believes that the defector is going
to appear out of the cold and into the hands of Polish authorities but suddenly everything
goes wrong. The target shows but so does a team from Russian SDR and they want this man.
In all of the shooting a van appears and snatches the defector from all of them. Will tracks the
defector but it soon appears that the real perpetrator is a former East German Stasi officer
who instigated a top secret plan between Russian and U.S. Generals almost 20 years ago.
An agreement that if broken for any reason was designed to unleash the world's most
deadly assassin. Will learns that the Russian's have tasked this man who is just as deadly
as Will to retrieve the document. Will knows that now he faces two very clever and deadly
adversaries who will stop at nothing to achieve this aim. This is book three in the Spycatcher
series and it's another kill everyone page turner. I gave it a 4.
Want to read
April 10, 2013I will have to hide this from my daughter until I get it read!
October 30, 2015
Riveting
Fast moving thriller with a complex plot. I had a hard time putting this down so that I could get to sleep at night, then had dreams about it!
Fast moving thriller with a complex plot. I had a hard time putting this down so that I could get to sleep at night, then had dreams about it!
March 1, 2018
My original thought of spy novels was that they weren’t going to be my forte. However, I was proven wrong by reading Slingshot, by Matthew Dunn. The book, as with the theme of a spy novel, was full of twists, turns, exotic characters, and multiple unexpected plot changes that kept me in for the ride until the end. However, the story is no James Bond, which actually makes the story better in a fashion that it is more realistic and could have actually happened, given the history. The plot was indeed well constructed, with most aspects covered up until exactly the right moment, where they are revealed before the reader like a cloche at a restaurant. To keep the likening to food, these vents were delicious to the eyes and to the mind as well. The cast of characters was wide, with various characters, some good, some evil, some morally in between, from places like Belarus to Britain to America. This cast provides many different interactions, and provides that no character, save Will, has plot armor. This “Anyone is fair game” mentality provides a new layer to the story and keeps the reader on edge until the very end. Lord, is it an end to be witnessed as well. The story wraps up with a flourish that leaves me hungry for more, wondering what Will Cochrane will do next, who will live and who will die. The book also left me wanting to read more books by Dunn, and left me wondering if there actually are more stories to this series. If there are, I do indeed hope I can read them sometime in the near future to find out about the 19 other assassins and the female heir mentioned at the end of the book. All in all, I rate this book a solid 8/10 and would strongly recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a entertaining and chilling spy thriller.
November 28, 2017
After reading a string of weighty and literary books, I was looking for a good book that would be more fun to read. I found Matthew Dunn's book in a bookstore, and I bought it. I read it over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I found it very entertaining. It was clearly written by someone who was in the spy-trade, so it had a feeling of authenticity throughout the story. Like all good books about the clandestine world of intelligence gathering and spying, the shifting borders and qualities of the characters and plots was a reminder that, as Dunn quoted in his book, "We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us."
May 31, 2020
A solid spy thriller
This book is technically a stand alone but it’s better if you’ve been reading the series in order.
There is a bit more melodrama than I love in Dunn’s writing, the usual lonely, tortured soul of the good guy assassin spy doomed by duty but ignore that and you’ve got a pretty ass kicking spy story. It features a truly diabolical villain, a surprising ally, an epic assassin, good twists and terrific action. It is a solid entry in its genre and highly entertaining.
This book is technically a stand alone but it’s better if you’ve been reading the series in order.
There is a bit more melodrama than I love in Dunn’s writing, the usual lonely, tortured soul of the good guy assassin spy doomed by duty but ignore that and you’ve got a pretty ass kicking spy story. It features a truly diabolical villain, a surprising ally, an epic assassin, good twists and terrific action. It is a solid entry in its genre and highly entertaining.
August 2, 2024
I first learned of Dunn on a BBC tv show about MI6. This is my first Dunn book I have read. It’s a dark spy/antiterrorist book. He does keep the searched for international secret well concealed until the book’s end. The violence is pretty continuous between the antagonists. It is tedious at points which slows the book down. I’ll probably read more of his books but I can’t read them back to back.
July 3, 2017
Spycacther is an interesting mix of genre styles: there are parts of it rooted in the most classical cold-war espionage stories, with lots of subtle tradecraft stuff, multilayer plot, etc. Others instead remind me more of James Bond, Ludlum or Clancy fiction. As I am a big fan of the former and much less of the latter, I am kind of half way with my review, hence my 3 stars.
January 2, 2020
I banked some quick reads for the holidays. I'll admit this was a quick read (500 pages done by January 1!) but it was highly mediocre. Dunn is a former agent who is now an author. The results are mixed. The characters and dialogue are wooden. I'm sure the actions and weaponry are authentic and the plot isn't terrible but it cannot overcome the trite written product.
July 26, 2013
SLINGSHOT is the thrid book in the SPYCATCHER saga, the others being SPYCATCHER and SENTINEL. The author Matthew Dunn is a former SIS officer who spent five years in the espionage world. What sets him above the pack is the fact that he’s lived and breathed in the world he writes about, and his experience shows in what is possibly one of the most intriguing spy thrillers of 2013.
The novel kicks off in 1995 East Germany. With the Cold War closing down and the world on the brink of the 21st century, a group of American and Russian generals and intelligence officers gather in a dank military base. There, under the watchful eye of a former Stasi officer, they draw up a diplomatic agreement and war plan. This agreement, codenamed SLINGSHOT is unique, as unlike your average diplomatic agreement, its purpose is to help conduct genocide. Dunn keeps the target and true purpose of SLINGSHOT unrevealed till the end, using the questions on what its target is and its true purpose to help drive the novel forward. As the talks conclude, the Stasi officer throws in one final detail. In order to keep the agreement confidential, he arranges for the Stasi’s best assassin to kill any of the signatories of SLINGSHOT if they chose to make it public.
In the present day, Will Cochrane, the point man for a joint CIA/SIS venture called SPARTAN, is conducting an operation in Gdansk with a team of UK Special Forces personnel in order to ensure a defection from the Russian Federation goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the Russian foreign intelligence agency SVR has dispatched a hit squad, attempting to apprehend the defector. As a result, the operation falls apart with a massive and surprisingly realistic three way gunfight between the SVR, Polish internal intelligence and Cochrane’s team erupting through a Polish shipyard. Suddenly, a team of mercenaries arrive, gunning down most of the other operatives and making off with the defector to parts unknown. Before being forced to flee, Cochrane learns that the defector had in his possession a paper “that could kill”. The repercussions of this operation are felt in Langley Virginia and the German countryside. In Langley, a faction of the CIA led by one of the SLINGSHOT signatories begins to try and derail Cochrane’s search for the agreement permanently while in the German countryside, the former Stasi officer learns that one of the signatories plans to leak SLINGSHOT’S existence and begins to activate his contingencies to prevent it from happening.
What happens next through the course of the book is an epic four
way chess match across Europe between several extremely deadly spies trying to outwit and out-gun each other. A fantastic blend of melancholic Le’Carre like atmosphere, 2013 modernity and Vince Flynn level research, in SLINGSHOT, Dunn has created a modern spy novel with a dark, classic noir vibe which helps capture the emotional toll and solitude of spying while delivering realistic and brutal action throughout. Character-wise, SLINGSHOT is briliant, Cochrane, Dunn’s protagonist is a far more refined, tragic and tougher killer than the great Mitch Rapp ever was. Unlike Rapp however, Cochrane is played realistically with flaws which get him into trouble in his cut throat job and in SLINGSHOT, he faces the emotional roller coaster of having to protect his pacifist sister from being used as a pawn in the increasingly vicious fight over SLINGSHOT. Most of the other characters are great as well, the banter between the other members of the SPARTAN group is very entertaining and the SVR officer who’s Cochrane’s opposite number is a surprisingly fun character. But the one who steals the show is the Stasi assassin assigned to eliminate any whistle-blowers of SLINGSHOT. He’s a cross between the Terminator and Fredrick Forsyth’s Jackal. Meticulous, creative and always nails his man, there’s a scene near the end of the book which shows off these qualities in devastating fashion. As for the plot, it’s impressive. Who knew that you could make the Cold War relevant in 2013 like SLINGSHOT does? Dunn pulls it off in style with one of SLINGSHOT’S many underlying themes being “needlessly hunting for enemies” by using the SLINGSHOT agreement, a loose end of the Cold War as a metaphor for over-reaction to a current geopolitical issue (revealed near the end of the book). However, there are a few flaws with SLINGSHOT. Firstly, there is a small amount of noticeable, sometimes cringe worthy sentences scattered through the book, but they’re few in number. Secondly, the main antagonist is somewhat flat, a massive let down from Dunn’s previous novel SENTINEL which had a genuinely formidable and terrifying antagonist in the form of a Spetsnaz ALFA colonel. Thirdly, the big reveal of SLINGSHOT may be somewhat of an anti-climax to a few of you.
Overall, Matthew Dunn has grown as a novelist, getting noticeably better with each book. With SLINGSHOT, he blows the quality of his previous novels out of the water and crafts an elegant, modern spy thriller that’s highly tense, will wow you too the final chapter and leave you anticipating the next part of the SPYCATCHER saga.
The novel kicks off in 1995 East Germany. With the Cold War closing down and the world on the brink of the 21st century, a group of American and Russian generals and intelligence officers gather in a dank military base. There, under the watchful eye of a former Stasi officer, they draw up a diplomatic agreement and war plan. This agreement, codenamed SLINGSHOT is unique, as unlike your average diplomatic agreement, its purpose is to help conduct genocide. Dunn keeps the target and true purpose of SLINGSHOT unrevealed till the end, using the questions on what its target is and its true purpose to help drive the novel forward. As the talks conclude, the Stasi officer throws in one final detail. In order to keep the agreement confidential, he arranges for the Stasi’s best assassin to kill any of the signatories of SLINGSHOT if they chose to make it public.
In the present day, Will Cochrane, the point man for a joint CIA/SIS venture called SPARTAN, is conducting an operation in Gdansk with a team of UK Special Forces personnel in order to ensure a defection from the Russian Federation goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the Russian foreign intelligence agency SVR has dispatched a hit squad, attempting to apprehend the defector. As a result, the operation falls apart with a massive and surprisingly realistic three way gunfight between the SVR, Polish internal intelligence and Cochrane’s team erupting through a Polish shipyard. Suddenly, a team of mercenaries arrive, gunning down most of the other operatives and making off with the defector to parts unknown. Before being forced to flee, Cochrane learns that the defector had in his possession a paper “that could kill”. The repercussions of this operation are felt in Langley Virginia and the German countryside. In Langley, a faction of the CIA led by one of the SLINGSHOT signatories begins to try and derail Cochrane’s search for the agreement permanently while in the German countryside, the former Stasi officer learns that one of the signatories plans to leak SLINGSHOT’S existence and begins to activate his contingencies to prevent it from happening.
What happens next through the course of the book is an epic four
way chess match across Europe between several extremely deadly spies trying to outwit and out-gun each other. A fantastic blend of melancholic Le’Carre like atmosphere, 2013 modernity and Vince Flynn level research, in SLINGSHOT, Dunn has created a modern spy novel with a dark, classic noir vibe which helps capture the emotional toll and solitude of spying while delivering realistic and brutal action throughout. Character-wise, SLINGSHOT is briliant, Cochrane, Dunn’s protagonist is a far more refined, tragic and tougher killer than the great Mitch Rapp ever was. Unlike Rapp however, Cochrane is played realistically with flaws which get him into trouble in his cut throat job and in SLINGSHOT, he faces the emotional roller coaster of having to protect his pacifist sister from being used as a pawn in the increasingly vicious fight over SLINGSHOT. Most of the other characters are great as well, the banter between the other members of the SPARTAN group is very entertaining and the SVR officer who’s Cochrane’s opposite number is a surprisingly fun character. But the one who steals the show is the Stasi assassin assigned to eliminate any whistle-blowers of SLINGSHOT. He’s a cross between the Terminator and Fredrick Forsyth’s Jackal. Meticulous, creative and always nails his man, there’s a scene near the end of the book which shows off these qualities in devastating fashion. As for the plot, it’s impressive. Who knew that you could make the Cold War relevant in 2013 like SLINGSHOT does? Dunn pulls it off in style with one of SLINGSHOT’S many underlying themes being “needlessly hunting for enemies” by using the SLINGSHOT agreement, a loose end of the Cold War as a metaphor for over-reaction to a current geopolitical issue (revealed near the end of the book). However, there are a few flaws with SLINGSHOT. Firstly, there is a small amount of noticeable, sometimes cringe worthy sentences scattered through the book, but they’re few in number. Secondly, the main antagonist is somewhat flat, a massive let down from Dunn’s previous novel SENTINEL which had a genuinely formidable and terrifying antagonist in the form of a Spetsnaz ALFA colonel. Thirdly, the big reveal of SLINGSHOT may be somewhat of an anti-climax to a few of you.
Overall, Matthew Dunn has grown as a novelist, getting noticeably better with each book. With SLINGSHOT, he blows the quality of his previous novels out of the water and crafts an elegant, modern spy thriller that’s highly tense, will wow you too the final chapter and leave you anticipating the next part of the SPYCATCHER saga.
November 7, 2018
Kept my interest.
December 9, 2018
Written by a former MI6 operative, this is a fun and engaging read. Tight and fairly intricate plotting, with good dialogue (for the genre). A great holiday read. I'll be reading Matthew Dunn again.
September 13, 2019
Best in the series so far. On to book 4.
November 25, 2019
This was a much better story - still cheesy in some parts but overall good. 🧳
February 14, 2021
I liked the story of this book, but the writing style often pulled me out of the moment. I also was confused with keeping all of the characters and terminology straight.
March 6, 2022
I enjoyed this. Complicated plot (towards the beginning), but it became more clear.
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