What do you think?
Rate this book
Will Lee #3
Deep Lie
Undersea espionage meets heart-stopping suspense in this action-packed thriller in the Will Lee series featuring Kate Rule—from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stuart Woods.
Sifting through reams of seemingly unrelated intelligence, CIA analyst Kate Rule discovers a chilling an ultrasecret Baltic submarine base...a crafty Russian spy-master in command...a carefully planned invasion about to be launched from dark waters.
Her suspicions, however, are dismissed by those higher up; her theory, they say, is too crazy to be true. But to Kate, it's just crazy enough to succeed—unless she can stop it. If she's right, an attack sub has already penetrated friendly waters. Worse yet, the enemy has penetrated deep into her own life, so deep she can touch him. And in this game, one wrong touch can mean Armageddon.
Sifting through reams of seemingly unrelated intelligence, CIA analyst Kate Rule discovers a chilling an ultrasecret Baltic submarine base...a crafty Russian spy-master in command...a carefully planned invasion about to be launched from dark waters.
Her suspicions, however, are dismissed by those higher up; her theory, they say, is too crazy to be true. But to Kate, it's just crazy enough to succeed—unless she can stop it. If she's right, an attack sub has already penetrated friendly waters. Worse yet, the enemy has penetrated deep into her own life, so deep she can touch him. And in this game, one wrong touch can mean Armageddon.
436 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 17, 1986
661 people are currently reading
1268 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Woods
406 books3,203 followersStuart Woods was an American novelist best known for Chiefs and his long-running Stone Barrington series. A Georgia native, he initially pursued a career in advertising before relocating to England and Ireland, where he developed a passion for sailing. His love for the sport led him to write his first published work, Blue Water, Green Skipper, about his experiences in a transatlantic yacht race.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.
His debut novel, Chiefs, was inspired by a family story about his grandfather, a police chief. The book, a gripping crime saga spanning several decades, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was later adapted into a television miniseries. It launched Woods' career as a novelist, leading to a prolific output of thrillers.
Woods' most famous creation, Stone Barrington, is a former NYPD detective turned high-profile lawyer who navigates elite circles while solving crimes. The series became a bestseller and remained a staple of his career, often featuring crossover characters from his other books, such as CIA operative Holly Barker and defense lawyer Ed Eagle.
Beyond writing, Woods was an experienced pilot and yachtsman. He maintained homes in Florida, Maine, and New Mexico, where he lived with his wife and their Labrador, Fred. His literary career spanned decades, with dozens of bestsellers to his name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 30, 2012
Here we have a story about the Cold War, US of A vs. Soviet Union, which happens to be one of my favorite genres. We also have Stuart Woods writing in the 1980's before he got hung up on recurring characters like Stone Barrington. In this one we have Katherine Rule, a CIA analyst, after wading
through mountains of data thinks she finds evidence that a renegade Spetsnaz Colonel is planning a Russian invasion of Sweden. Katherine finds it very tough to convince her superiors that her suspicions are valid. Good story.
through mountains of data thinks she finds evidence that a renegade Spetsnaz Colonel is planning a Russian invasion of Sweden. Katherine finds it very tough to convince her superiors that her suspicions are valid. Good story.
July 11, 2024
No highlights since I read this as a paperback
(real book)😳🫣🤣🤣
Will Lee is a bit of a side character in this one. Kathrine Rule (CIA agent) and Helder (Soviet Navy) are head to head in a way in this spy centered plot.
This was written in the 1980s but honestly it still holds up today.
The bad guys get what coming to them and innocent people get caught up in some of their treasonous behavior.
I’m enjoying this author more than I thought I would. He’s very prolific so I have MANY more books to read.
I’m taking a break from Will Lee for a bit though and going back to my Spenser binge… off to read…
(real book)😳🫣🤣🤣
Will Lee is a bit of a side character in this one. Kathrine Rule (CIA agent) and Helder (Soviet Navy) are head to head in a way in this spy centered plot.
This was written in the 1980s but honestly it still holds up today.
The bad guys get what coming to them and innocent people get caught up in some of their treasonous behavior.
I’m enjoying this author more than I thought I would. He’s very prolific so I have MANY more books to read.
I’m taking a break from Will Lee for a bit though and going back to my Spenser binge… off to read…
February 5, 2017
Stuart Woods never disappoints. Deep Lies was an espionage thriller that was gripping and had me holding my breath a few times as I wasn't sure if what the Soviets had planned would materialize. High recommend this one.
August 18, 2016
While this may be the third entry in Stuart Woods’ Will Lee series, Will himself is not a primary character in the novel. This tense and detailed espionage tale centers, instead, around two others. First is Katharine Rule, who is a highly placed CIA agent specializing in Soviet intelligence and who is also Will Lee’s girlfriend. The second major character is Jan Helder, an Estonian native in the service of the Soviet navy as a submarine captain. Will’s job, at this point, is aide to and legal counsel for Senator Carr of Georgia, who chairs the Senate committee for intelligence network oversight.
As our story begins, three things happen at roughly the same time. They are not only the beginning scenes; they are the beginning of the end. First, the trawl net of Oskar Oskarsson’s fishing boat snags a submarine submerged inside the restricted waters of a Swedish naval base near Stockholm. Oskar shouldn’t have been there either, but he was, with his teenage grandson aboard as mate. By the time the trawl breaks loose from the moving sub and his boat is swamped, Oskar has lost most of his left hand and the snapped cable assembly has killed his grandson.
Secondly, Jan Helder docks his sub at his home base in Murmansk after a tour in the North Atlantic. Just as the last line is made fast, he is relieved of command, treated just shy of a prisoner scheduled for court-martial, and taken to staff headquarters in Leningrad. Helder is summarily ordered to report to a special brigade in Liepaja, across from Stockholm. Within a few hours he finds himself at a well-disguised training facility called Malibu. There he is thrust into an American culture immersion program and placed in command of a specialized minisub by the base commander, Colonel Viktor Majorov.
Thirdly, Katharine Rule, as head of the CIA’s Office of Soviet Analysis, attends a high-level fact-sharing session. At this meeting, she presents information on one Roy Firsov, previously assigned in low-level positions to various Soviet embassies, including that in Stockholm. It seems Firsov had then suddenly advanced to a high rank within the KGB but dropped out of sight upon the death of his mentor instead of taking the mentor’s place. Now it appears that Firsov has re-surfaced, living richly and largely, and in charge of a major project. And Firsov now goes by the name of Viktor Majorov.
Rule wants Firsov/Majorov investigated and gets agency approval. Then, after Rule puts the unearthed pieces together, she voices to her superiors that these pieces indicate a possible plan for a Soviet invasion of Sweden. Suddenly Katharine is shut down, denied access to files and satellites, and ordered to cease the Majorov/Sweden investigation upon penalty of demotion, then job termination and criminal charges. With her life and career on the line, as well as the lives of 8 million Swedes, Katharine Rule goes quietly rogue.
Basically, as the book progresses, the chapters alternate between Rule and Helder. However, since the book is written in third person, there is never any confusion as to whose actions or dialog we are experiencing. Also, there are chapters interspersed that are devoted to the current situations of Will Lee and Oskar Oskarsson. The one problem in this technique is that Woods does not give us a clear knowledge of the passage of time. It is often difficult to tell whether the alternating chapters are concurrent or consecutive in timing. And it is also difficult to determine how much time has elapsed between events.
This tale of intrigue is a page-turner, one that can make you forego chores and sleep. There are spies and lies, espionage and betrayals, whistleblowers and moles, handguns and nukes. And regardless of the fact that Rule and Helder are facing the problem from opposite sides of the fence, so to speak, you want desperately for each to be left standing on the last page.
At this point, I offer two caveats as you read, both based on the fact that this book has a copyright date of 1986 and is fictionalizing events that take place in the early and mid 1980’s. First, there is considerable cultural, social and sexual bias shown by several male characters toward women in the workplace, regardless of the woman’s career position. Rule, though highly placed in the CIA and considered both intelligent and capable, is still thought of and tolerated only as the token woman required by Federal guidelines. Woods has portrayed this part about women in the workplace accurately, but it can still grate on the current reader’s nerves.
For the second caveat, there is substantial mention, practically bragging, in regards to the computer technology available at the time, particularly as it is both important to the problem and the solution. However, in that time frame, computers ran on MS-DOS and UNIX, not Windows and HTML. So when you find a character extoling the magnificence of his 900-baud modem and his 25-megabyte hard drive, don’t put your head in your hands and scream. Just keep reminding yourself of the time frame, enjoy the plot, and thank your lucky stars for what we have to work with now.
As our story begins, three things happen at roughly the same time. They are not only the beginning scenes; they are the beginning of the end. First, the trawl net of Oskar Oskarsson’s fishing boat snags a submarine submerged inside the restricted waters of a Swedish naval base near Stockholm. Oskar shouldn’t have been there either, but he was, with his teenage grandson aboard as mate. By the time the trawl breaks loose from the moving sub and his boat is swamped, Oskar has lost most of his left hand and the snapped cable assembly has killed his grandson.
Secondly, Jan Helder docks his sub at his home base in Murmansk after a tour in the North Atlantic. Just as the last line is made fast, he is relieved of command, treated just shy of a prisoner scheduled for court-martial, and taken to staff headquarters in Leningrad. Helder is summarily ordered to report to a special brigade in Liepaja, across from Stockholm. Within a few hours he finds himself at a well-disguised training facility called Malibu. There he is thrust into an American culture immersion program and placed in command of a specialized minisub by the base commander, Colonel Viktor Majorov.
Thirdly, Katharine Rule, as head of the CIA’s Office of Soviet Analysis, attends a high-level fact-sharing session. At this meeting, she presents information on one Roy Firsov, previously assigned in low-level positions to various Soviet embassies, including that in Stockholm. It seems Firsov had then suddenly advanced to a high rank within the KGB but dropped out of sight upon the death of his mentor instead of taking the mentor’s place. Now it appears that Firsov has re-surfaced, living richly and largely, and in charge of a major project. And Firsov now goes by the name of Viktor Majorov.
Rule wants Firsov/Majorov investigated and gets agency approval. Then, after Rule puts the unearthed pieces together, she voices to her superiors that these pieces indicate a possible plan for a Soviet invasion of Sweden. Suddenly Katharine is shut down, denied access to files and satellites, and ordered to cease the Majorov/Sweden investigation upon penalty of demotion, then job termination and criminal charges. With her life and career on the line, as well as the lives of 8 million Swedes, Katharine Rule goes quietly rogue.
Basically, as the book progresses, the chapters alternate between Rule and Helder. However, since the book is written in third person, there is never any confusion as to whose actions or dialog we are experiencing. Also, there are chapters interspersed that are devoted to the current situations of Will Lee and Oskar Oskarsson. The one problem in this technique is that Woods does not give us a clear knowledge of the passage of time. It is often difficult to tell whether the alternating chapters are concurrent or consecutive in timing. And it is also difficult to determine how much time has elapsed between events.
This tale of intrigue is a page-turner, one that can make you forego chores and sleep. There are spies and lies, espionage and betrayals, whistleblowers and moles, handguns and nukes. And regardless of the fact that Rule and Helder are facing the problem from opposite sides of the fence, so to speak, you want desperately for each to be left standing on the last page.
At this point, I offer two caveats as you read, both based on the fact that this book has a copyright date of 1986 and is fictionalizing events that take place in the early and mid 1980’s. First, there is considerable cultural, social and sexual bias shown by several male characters toward women in the workplace, regardless of the woman’s career position. Rule, though highly placed in the CIA and considered both intelligent and capable, is still thought of and tolerated only as the token woman required by Federal guidelines. Woods has portrayed this part about women in the workplace accurately, but it can still grate on the current reader’s nerves.
For the second caveat, there is substantial mention, practically bragging, in regards to the computer technology available at the time, particularly as it is both important to the problem and the solution. However, in that time frame, computers ran on MS-DOS and UNIX, not Windows and HTML. So when you find a character extoling the magnificence of his 900-baud modem and his 25-megabyte hard drive, don’t put your head in your hands and scream. Just keep reminding yourself of the time frame, enjoy the plot, and thank your lucky stars for what we have to work with now.
April 16, 2022
Wow! This is my 2nd favorite Woods book. Two Dollar Bill is still his best work IMO.
May 14, 2018
May 2018 Three years later and I still consider this a ***** rated story.
Good story telling and strong characters.
There are some characters that the reader really hates.
This story has a MOST satisfying ending. If only it were reality!
May 2015
Thanks to Goodreads, I have a record of the ___ books I have read since I started Goodreads.
This is my first read of DEEP LIE, an early Stuart Woods and the third Will Lee book.
Wonderful story. I'm not sure this was the most well written Woods book but it had a terrific plot and
the details were quite fun to read. It would have been better to read Will Lee in sequence, oh well.
I gave this book one of my few 5 star ratings. Loved the details, including the grandfatherly fisherman of Sweden.
Good story telling and strong characters.
There are some characters that the reader really hates.
This story has a MOST satisfying ending. If only it were reality!
May 2015
Thanks to Goodreads, I have a record of the ___ books I have read since I started Goodreads.
This is my first read of DEEP LIE, an early Stuart Woods and the third Will Lee book.
Wonderful story. I'm not sure this was the most well written Woods book but it had a terrific plot and
the details were quite fun to read. It would have been better to read Will Lee in sequence, oh well.
I gave this book one of my few 5 star ratings. Loved the details, including the grandfatherly fisherman of Sweden.
July 31, 2023
This book seems so relevant in today’s world even though it was written in 1986. The book is about the struggles between the CIA and KGB and the efforts and sacrifices a few people make to keep the world safe. The disinformation and lies that could put the world at war almost come true in this book. I thought the book was well written and very believable. Katharine Rule and Will Lee and several other charters put it all on the line where others only saw power and money. One of the best Stuart Wood’s books I have read.
December 28, 2019
This is an older Stuart Woods book with Ed Rawls, Will Lee, Kate Rule. Good story well laid out. Interesting espionage story line.
June 24, 2025
Reading while cruising Alaska. Haven’t read the other Lee books but found Rule as a strong CIA character. She unraveled a deep lie decades in the making. Sweden is a big winner.
November 12, 2025
This was a very intense story with spies, lies, and deep undercover espionage.
February 23, 2019
A thriller from start to finish. Katherine Rule works to find out what the Soviets doing in the Baltic region. How does Will Lee who is piloting a yacht for a friend come into the midst of things? A man and his grandson in Sweden have a strange encounter while fishing. What is happening. You will find to all the answers when you read this fantastic book.
March 11, 2017
Excellent spy thriller. The books about Katherine Rule and Will Lee are so much better than the Stone Barrington books!
September 21, 2015
Deep Lie is the third novel in the "Will Lee"-series (included there apparently even if the first Chiefs son from Chiefs, who went on to become a US senator, only has a minor role in this one).
Tells the story of a CIA analyst, who suspects that the Soviet submarine activity in Swedish waters in the mid 80's really are preparations for an invasion. Kind of suspenseful, but way to unbelievable. Fun read, since this kind of "high-tech" thriller contains "state of the art" technology that you really forgot about.
A funny side note is that the book is dedicated to Ebbe Carlsson, who apparently was very helpful during the research. This may actually explain some things. Ebbe was a journalist and book publisher who was a confidant of government officials, including prime minister Olof Palme and, as such, managed to sneak his way into places and procedures where he had absolutely no business being or being part of, legally or otherwise. This was brought to a crash when he, obviously with the implied approval of some law enforcement officials, launched into a private investigation into the murder of Palme in 1987-88. This came into light and to an abrupt stop, when Carlssons bodyguard was caught smuggling illegal wire-tapping equipment into Sweden, which could be tied to Carlsson himself. He died of AIDS in 1992. There is a great book, Ebbe : mannen som blev en affär, unfortunately, it does not seem to be translated to English.
Tells the story of a CIA analyst, who suspects that the Soviet submarine activity in Swedish waters in the mid 80's really are preparations for an invasion. Kind of suspenseful, but way to unbelievable. Fun read, since this kind of "high-tech" thriller contains "state of the art" technology that you really forgot about.
A funny side note is that the book is dedicated to Ebbe Carlsson, who apparently was very helpful during the research. This may actually explain some things. Ebbe was a journalist and book publisher who was a confidant of government officials, including prime minister Olof Palme and, as such, managed to sneak his way into places and procedures where he had absolutely no business being or being part of, legally or otherwise. This was brought to a crash when he, obviously with the implied approval of some law enforcement officials, launched into a private investigation into the murder of Palme in 1987-88. This came into light and to an abrupt stop, when Carlssons bodyguard was caught smuggling illegal wire-tapping equipment into Sweden, which could be tied to Carlsson himself. He died of AIDS in 1992. There is a great book, Ebbe : mannen som blev en affär, unfortunately, it does not seem to be translated to English.
April 11, 2016
I've read all of the Stone Barrington series, mostly because they're entertaining and quick reads for a rainy afternoon, but found this older book on my library's shelf and checked it out.
It seems Woods used to be able to write a good thriller - and I thought this one was really good, with far more conspiracy and spy stuff than politics.
I'll look for more of these older Woods' books now. The contrast between his old and new books is striking.
It seems Woods used to be able to write a good thriller - and I thought this one was really good, with far more conspiracy and spy stuff than politics.
I'll look for more of these older Woods' books now. The contrast between his old and new books is striking.
March 13, 2025
Deep Lie (Will Lee, #3) by Stuart Woods
This is a stand alone book. You don't need to read any of the prior books to enjoy it. I Loved the book so much I will be reading more of the series.
Oskar Oskarsson is fishing with his grandson, Ebbe, when all of a sudden his ship gets stuck in something underneath. Unbeknown to him, he has landed on a soviet sub. Trying to disentangle from whatever is holding his ship, Ebbe dies and Oskar is harmed for life.
Senior Lieutenant Jan Helder is a Soviet submarine captain. He is pulled from his ship and, thinking he's in a lot of trouble, is pleasantly surprised when he gets a promotion to work with Viktor Sergeivich Majorov's SPETSNAZ project - a precise and foolproof plan for the Soviets to invade Sweden - knowing that the US will not risk WWIII for a non NATO member.
Sifting through reams of seemingly unrelated intelligence, CIA analyst Katherine Rule discovers a chilling pattern: an ultra-secret Baltic submarine bas eat the Liuepaja's Estonian base. She is aware that the US used a CIA based trick of using NATO Exercises to make the Russians think they needed to defend their western front. It has apparently backfired.
Rule, a crafty Russian spy-master in command is convinced that a carefully planned Swedish invasion is about to be launched from dark waters.
Her suspicions, however, are dismissed by those higher up; her theory, they say, is too crazy to be true. But to Katherine, it's just crazy enough to succeed - unless she can stop it. If she's right, an attack sub has already penetrated friendly waters. Worse yet, the enemy has penetrated deep into her own life, so deep she can touch him. And in this game, one wrong touch can mean Armageddon.
Katherine is convinced that her ex-husband, Simon, is in cahoots with Alan Nixon - the Deputy Director of Intelligence (DDI) and the inexperienced CIA Director, a political appointee. She is dating Will Lee, the 38 y/o Senator Carr's (D-Georgia) assistant. She thinks Simon is trying to find a reason to put her in a situation where she might lose custody of their son, Peter.
Narrated from the third person point of view this is a hard to put down thriller that will hold you right away and will keep you guessing until the very last page. I read it in two sittings. I loved it. I love the way that Mr. Woods finds a way to make every secondary character count in delivering his very well conceived plot.
I loved the book, highly recommend it, and I plan to read more of Mr. Woods work.
This is a stand alone book. You don't need to read any of the prior books to enjoy it. I Loved the book so much I will be reading more of the series.
Oskar Oskarsson is fishing with his grandson, Ebbe, when all of a sudden his ship gets stuck in something underneath. Unbeknown to him, he has landed on a soviet sub. Trying to disentangle from whatever is holding his ship, Ebbe dies and Oskar is harmed for life.
Senior Lieutenant Jan Helder is a Soviet submarine captain. He is pulled from his ship and, thinking he's in a lot of trouble, is pleasantly surprised when he gets a promotion to work with Viktor Sergeivich Majorov's SPETSNAZ project - a precise and foolproof plan for the Soviets to invade Sweden - knowing that the US will not risk WWIII for a non NATO member.
Sifting through reams of seemingly unrelated intelligence, CIA analyst Katherine Rule discovers a chilling pattern: an ultra-secret Baltic submarine bas eat the Liuepaja's Estonian base. She is aware that the US used a CIA based trick of using NATO Exercises to make the Russians think they needed to defend their western front. It has apparently backfired.
Rule, a crafty Russian spy-master in command is convinced that a carefully planned Swedish invasion is about to be launched from dark waters.
Her suspicions, however, are dismissed by those higher up; her theory, they say, is too crazy to be true. But to Katherine, it's just crazy enough to succeed - unless she can stop it. If she's right, an attack sub has already penetrated friendly waters. Worse yet, the enemy has penetrated deep into her own life, so deep she can touch him. And in this game, one wrong touch can mean Armageddon.
Katherine is convinced that her ex-husband, Simon, is in cahoots with Alan Nixon - the Deputy Director of Intelligence (DDI) and the inexperienced CIA Director, a political appointee. She is dating Will Lee, the 38 y/o Senator Carr's (D-Georgia) assistant. She thinks Simon is trying to find a reason to put her in a situation where she might lose custody of their son, Peter.
Narrated from the third person point of view this is a hard to put down thriller that will hold you right away and will keep you guessing until the very last page. I read it in two sittings. I loved it. I love the way that Mr. Woods finds a way to make every secondary character count in delivering his very well conceived plot.
I loved the book, highly recommend it, and I plan to read more of Mr. Woods work.
September 12, 2019
I thoroughly enjoy his books and have read quite a few of the Stone Barrington series and will read many more in the future. I regard these books as popcorn reads, simple in making, easy and quick to consume and don’t live long in the memory. I sense that Woods can knock these out without too much effort and very little research.
However, the Will Lee series which started well before the Barrington books started is superbly crafted, obviously well researched, deep political plots and thrilling finales. This book is slightly dated due to references to technological espionage, relating to floppy disks, low capacity computers, etc. At the time this was written, it state of the art but now resigned to the scrap heap of techno-history.
Well worth a read and don’t be put off by the Stone B's books, this series is so much better if you like hard edged writing and plots, oh and no sex scenes. The only similarity is Stuart Woods' silky smooth writing style.
However, the Will Lee series which started well before the Barrington books started is superbly crafted, obviously well researched, deep political plots and thrilling finales. This book is slightly dated due to references to technological espionage, relating to floppy disks, low capacity computers, etc. At the time this was written, it state of the art but now resigned to the scrap heap of techno-history.
Well worth a read and don’t be put off by the Stone B's books, this series is so much better if you like hard edged writing and plots, oh and no sex scenes. The only similarity is Stuart Woods' silky smooth writing style.
October 10, 2021
This is a good espionage based story. It’s the earliest book by Stuart Woods that I have read (thrift store find). He developed an interesting plot line with good characters, though the plot itself is somewhat unrealistic (the USSR taking over Sweden?). He mixes in technology with details on sailing and on computers and software which took me back to the mid eighties. And, that is when this book was written. In comparison to his Stone Barrington series, this book does have a worthy plot and hands on action, with much less sex, no planes nor fancy dinners, and no Knob Creek bourbon. A few characters from this book continue forward to the Barrington books I’ve read including Will Lee and Ed Rawls. Ed Rawls turns out bad in the Ed here, but is in good favor in later books, so I’ll need to find a few more older books to track the character development. Overall, this is a solid story and fun to read.
March 24, 2025
Deep Lie is a Cold War novel written when the Cold War was still going on. It centers on a secret Soviet plan to invade and take over Sweden. The author jump started his idea from an actual Soviet sub that ran aground in Sweden in 1981. From there you have a devious soviet KGB leader Majerov planning a takeover of Sweden using a planned submarine grounding, while Spetznaz forces, fully trained in Swedish and English and placed in Sweden rise up and take over the country. CIA operative Katharine Rule begins to be suspicious and to investigate, opposed by the hierarchy of the CIA. Majerov recruits an ambitious sub captain, Jan Helder, to help carry out his plan, neglecting to tell him some of the more devious parts. The book is a very exciting page turner.
This is called a Will Lee novel but Lee plays only a small but crucial part in the action. In a previous Wil Lee novel, he wasn't that big a factor, either.
This is called a Will Lee novel but Lee plays only a small but crucial part in the action. In a previous Wil Lee novel, he wasn't that big a factor, either.
June 6, 2017
While I'm not a huge fan of spy drama, I did enjoy this book. It was like a race to see if the big disaster was going to happen. A CIA analyst discovered it in spite of being blocked at every turn including attempted murder. I can only hope nothing like this can happen in real life. Will was mostly passive so I don't know if I would enjoy reading any more of his series or not. The Soviet instigator is just plain crazy. Only in a dictatorial country can a person get away with what he almost did. I have to admit that there are several sections that I found myself holding my breath. You know it's not going to happen, but OMG, what if?
October 12, 2025
one of Woods’ better novels
I have enjoyed stories by Stuart Woods for a long time. I don’t know how I missed this one. This is a story of espionage, moles, Russian invasion, and an analyst the good old boys club didn’t want to believe. The story alternates chapters between CIA analyst Kate and Russian sub captain telling what is happening until their storylines intersect. It is obvious that Woods did his research and told the story in a realistic way. The characters and setting were well developed, and the plot moved along at a good pace. If you like spies and international intrigue, then this is a must read!
I have enjoyed stories by Stuart Woods for a long time. I don’t know how I missed this one. This is a story of espionage, moles, Russian invasion, and an analyst the good old boys club didn’t want to believe. The story alternates chapters between CIA analyst Kate and Russian sub captain telling what is happening until their storylines intersect. It is obvious that Woods did his research and told the story in a realistic way. The characters and setting were well developed, and the plot moved along at a good pace. If you like spies and international intrigue, then this is a must read!
August 3, 2021
I enjoyed this book in the series more than I thought I would given the book’s description. In general - I thought it a well told story that I enjoyed listening to - perfect narration for these characters.
As with many Stuart Woods books…the details set up the story, but so many put me to sleep and this book had many.
I’m a fan of the Stone Barrington series, so learning about Will and Katherine in their early relationship shed a whole new light on their roles in another series, I appreciated the connections.
As with many Stuart Woods books…the details set up the story, but so many put me to sleep and this book had many.
I’m a fan of the Stone Barrington series, so learning about Will and Katherine in their early relationship shed a whole new light on their roles in another series, I appreciated the connections.
July 4, 2022
Couldn't put it down
I finished this in a day stopping only to eat. This describes a fantastical scenario where a single nutcase Russian who wanted to go down in history by making Russia great again, sets out to invade Sweden. Sound familiar? No, it's not Putin at the helm of this invasion. This book was written in the 1980s, but the story is very believable. Truth is stranger than fiction. Never say never. It only takes one megalomaniac to destroy an entire civilization.
I finished this in a day stopping only to eat. This describes a fantastical scenario where a single nutcase Russian who wanted to go down in history by making Russia great again, sets out to invade Sweden. Sound familiar? No, it's not Putin at the helm of this invasion. This book was written in the 1980s, but the story is very believable. Truth is stranger than fiction. Never say never. It only takes one megalomaniac to destroy an entire civilization.
March 25, 2023
Although Stuart Woods wrote this novel in 2009, it’s still relevant today. This story takes place during the Cold War and the Soviet Union is threatening an invasion of Sweden. That may have sounded far fetched then but with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the plot doesn’t seem quite as unlikely today. In addition if you enjoy the characters in the Stone Barrington novels, you will come across some of the same characters in this series. You have to admire any author who can get so much mileage out of the same characters. Perhaps that’s a key to his being so prolific.
February 28, 2025
3 stars, I liked it. I haven't read the earlier books in the series and it wasn't an issue. I enjoyed this thriller- didn't love it- and that's ok sometimes. I like that it wasn't too long and that there was some mystery and suspense, cool locations and characters. There weren't too many twists, and that's probably why it is 3 stars for me; it's just a simple little political/war thriller.
Note on content- Rare adult profanity. No sex scenes, although sex is peripherally part of the plot. Some violence, none graphic. Recommended for adults and teens.
Note on content- Rare adult profanity. No sex scenes, although sex is peripherally part of the plot. Some violence, none graphic. Recommended for adults and teens.
February 14, 2018
Deep Lie
By Stuart Woods
A tragedy at sea, causing the death of a beloved grandchild both begins and ends this novel about a secret submarine base in Russia and their plans to invade Sweden. The covert base is discovered by an American CIA analyst and the plot evolves at a fast pace. The Russians in this novel are crafty and crude, ultimately turning a reader’s sympathies toward the Americans. As the novel moves along we realize that the plans of the Communists are plausible and scary.
By Stuart Woods
A tragedy at sea, causing the death of a beloved grandchild both begins and ends this novel about a secret submarine base in Russia and their plans to invade Sweden. The covert base is discovered by an American CIA analyst and the plot evolves at a fast pace. The Russians in this novel are crafty and crude, ultimately turning a reader’s sympathies toward the Americans. As the novel moves along we realize that the plans of the Communists are plausible and scary.
March 1, 2018
I love this book. A great story. It is a little plagued by coincidence but the author does such a great job of weaving the story that it is actually believable. The story is complex and exciting, I could not put it down, just like all Stuart Woods books.
This was a great story and helped us to get to know Will and the other continuing characters better. Having read all the Stone Barrington books, I pretty well know what happens to them.
This was a great story and helped us to get to know Will and the other continuing characters better. Having read all the Stone Barrington books, I pretty well know what happens to them.
December 9, 2019
I'm reading the first three books in this series as a trilogy although there are seven in the series to date. The first three span the 1920s through President Reagan.
Woods can get chatty in his dialogue but by and large discourse between the characters furthers the plot and rounds out the characters.
Woods' storytelling is compelling and his plotting flows using some tropes and few surprises.
An enjoyable, good read.
Woods can get chatty in his dialogue but by and large discourse between the characters furthers the plot and rounds out the characters.
Woods' storytelling is compelling and his plotting flows using some tropes and few surprises.
An enjoyable, good read.
September 28, 2020
Helder/Majorov/Lee chapters 5 stars. It was an excellent story along the lines of the Hunt for Red October. However, Rule chapters were one star. Women do no have to be smarter and more conniving - and liars based on what she says at the end to be successful. She is totally unrealistic and pretentious. But shes probably suitable to become US president... Since the chapters alternated between the characters, 3 stars is the average.
October 30, 2020
Not my normal genre. It definitely kept my interest and was kind of an exciting book. At the same time it was a little bit predictable and at times contrived. The ending of the story was a little bit hard to piece together. She identified Ed as the mole and all along we thought it was going to be her husband even to the point where her son said that he was really nervous. Maybe I miss something to see how he connected those dots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2022
When the grandson of an old Swedish fisherman is killed in an encounter with a Russian sub, the incident precipitates death & mayhem on a near global scale. CIA head of the Office of Soviet Analysis Katharine Rule, Senatorial Aide/Attorney Will Lee, & Russian Sub Commander Jan Helder are caught up in a web of plots, counterplots & betrayal, until only the 3 of them have between them the data to prevent a nuclear disaster.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews