Sam McCready is The Deceiver, one of the Secret Intelligence Service’s most unorthodox and most valued operatives, a legend in his own time.
But someone wants to push him out, and they’re willing to expose every secret from his past. Sam has one chance to escape the trap: it’s risky, confrontational, and it might cost him his life.
As he sets his plan in motion, he begins to realise that his opponent is trying to destabilize SIS. Who wants to get rid of him, and why? And what happens if he refuses to go quietly?
Frederick Forsyth, CBE was a English author and occasional political commentator. He was best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan, and more recently, The Cobra and The Kill List.
The son of a furrier, he was born in Ashford, Kent, educated at Tonbridge School and later attended the University of Granada. He became one of the youngest pilots in the Royal Air Force at 19, where he served on National Service from 1956 to 1958. Becoming a journalist, he joined Reuters in 1961 and later the BBC in 1965, where he served as an assistant diplomatic correspondent. From July to September 1967, he served as a correspondent covering the Nigerian Civil War between the region of Biafra and Nigeria. He left the BBC in 1968 after controversy arose over his alleged bias towards the Biafran cause and accusations that he falsified segments of his reports. Returning to Biafra as a freelance reporter, Forsyth wrote his first book, The Biafra Story in 1969.
Forsyth decided to write a novel using similar research techniques to those used in journalism. His first full length novel, The Day of the Jackal, was published in 1971 and became an international bestseller and gained its author the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel. It was later made into a film of the same name.
The Deceiver was a interesting, gripping, exciting, rational, readable read that felt realistic and possible. The main character was described as a complicated, flawed, and experienced intelligence agent. The four stories included in the book could all be read pretty much separately from one another as the book is not really a novel but a collection of short stories. This is definitely one of my favorite thriller reads. Recommended.
Sometimes you just realize when you are in the hands of someone who really knows what they're doing. I have tried a number of spy and suspense authors with varying results, but picking this book up at the library recently and reading it reminded me what it's like to be entertained by a master. Day of the Jackal was terrific, and this book, while more low-key nevertheless satisfied the reasons you read spy novels. Unfolding as a retrospective of a spy's career told in the context of an internal administrative hearing, it stitched together several very good stories with the protagonist as the common thread. Ranging from byzantine puzzles of spy vs. spy defections to a lighter final tale of a colonial governor's mysterious murder, each of the stories was well written with good characters and excellent plots. It is reminiscent of Le Carre's The Secret Pilgrim, where a George Smiley lecture at Sarratt, the SIS training academy, provides the launching point of a tour through Ned's career from Russia House, and both as well done. When I compare this book to a Dale Brown or some of the other thriller geopolitical novelists of today, they lose - badly - and you appreciate Forsyth as a storyteller even more. Admittedly, in many of his books, Forsyth has the "good guys/bad guys" certainty of the Cold War making his job easier, rather than the stateless, morally ambiguous political and terrorist landscape of today to try to make sense of while telling a good story. But Forsyth and Le Carre remind us, all was not black and white during the Cold War, and there was still plenty of moral relativity and tradeoffs to vex the heroes of their books.
This novel is divided into four stories each involving British super-sleuth Sam McCready and his operations during the last years of the Cold War From London to Berlin and Washington DC to the Mediterranean to the Caribbean we are exposed to the inner working of the British Secret Services which seems to be Forsyth's field of specialty Wherever we go action and intrigue follow us And we get to meet villains as diverse as East German STASI Secret Police , IRA terrorists , Libyan Mukhabbarat (Gadaffi's brutal Gestapo-like secret police) and Caribbean gangsters McCready is not the only hero in the book .much of it focuses on the work of other characters like the tragic end of a West German secret serviceman and a former SAS man turned reclusive author that Mc Cready manages to recruit for a high risk operation The book is dedicated to all who worked and sacrificed so that the West could win the Cold War There is always something nostalgic about remembering the Cold War and a very important message therein : During those days we knew who our enemies where before political correctness corrupted our values and blurred the difference between good and evil .Now it is fashionable to make excuses for Islamic terror .As Forsyth writes in his forward :Those were the days , my friends
A brilliant novel with a beautiful ending. Forsyth shows how it should be done. A great tribute to people like Sam McCready who spent their lives in the shadows to ensure that the people in the light were never harmed. A highly recommended read.
Re~visiting one of my old reliable authors by way of the Reader's Digest Condensed Books (RDCB), I chanced on this one during a power outage while the monsoon is raging outside. Where do old spies go, given their unusual abilities and special skills? This is the subject matter of this thriller. Samuel McCready is The Deceiver whose "relevance and usefulness" has apparently been deemed ineffective by the powers that be in Whitehall's "narrow" corridors, McCready being part of the wrong side of the invisible timeline: BC ~ Before Computers as opposed to AC ~ Age of Computers. There are 4 short stories related by Sam's counsel in his effort to convince the "firing" committee to reconsider giving him another job option aside from the other 3 lame choices being offered. The action is as fast and thrilling as only Forsyth can manage with all the impact and thought~provoking (as well as hilarious) moments that can be found in his prose. Frederick Forsyth never disappoints.
The Deceiver by Frederick Forsyth. ->This one's for you Glennie! 💗📖📚🙏
5th January 2019 Frederick Forsyth novels were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, as both my parents loved his work. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I was drawn to at the time. So, my love affair with his books began, and over the years I have read everything he’s written- keeping up with any new release/s. As my mother has been in and out of hospital quite a lot over the past year and a half, I am keeping her supplied with books to read, and buddy reading them with her, or reading them to her when she isn’t well enough to read for herself. We have gotten through quite a lot of books in this time and it has been wonderful to discuss each one with her as we read/finish. It has been a great bonding experience for us, and Mr. Forsyth is our current author of choice- and we have both really enjoyed revisiting all his books, again. Mr. Forsyth has a great knack for writing wonderfully suspenseful and exciting read, there is always great tension, action, drama, some danger, intrigue, and lots more to hold your attention. I can always count on him to deliver an intriguing read.
Forsyth’s previous novel, written in 1988, was an uncharacteristic dud. In that near-future thriller he got many things badly wrong, such as believing the world was about to run out of oil and failing to anticipate the impending collapse of the Soviet Union that occurred only a year later. He was far from alone in this, but it must have embarrassed him. He more than makes up for it in this, his next book, published in 1991.
It is really four novellas loosely woven together by a thin framing narrative. At one level, it is a moving tribute to those who worked in the dangerous shadows of the Cold War. The first two stories are classic Cold War tales. Forsyth has a deserved reputation for thorough research, and I wonder how much of these stories was based on actual events that could now be given a fictionalized treatment with the fall of the Soviets.
At another level it is a warning of the dangers of the persistent and emerging threats to come. One story concerns the links between Middle East dictatorships, in this case Qaddafi’s Libya, and terrorist organizations such as the Palestinians and the IRA. The other concerns the lingering threats from countries like Castro’s Cuba and the growing threats of drug cartels corrupting and dominating third world countries.
The research and writing are first rate, as would be expected from Forsyth. Along the way, he also does some good “inner life of the spy” writing that rivals le Carré. However, the novella format precludes a really big story arc. This is really a collection of four medium size canvases rather than one large one. It is highly enjoyable and certainly one of the better thrillers written just after the end of the Cold War, when many writers in the genre floundered. 4.25 stars.
Quite possibly the worst book I have read this year. A collection of four spy mystery novellas. I am astounded by how badly written this book is. A study in why rampant headhopping is a bad thing and info dumps the size of mt Everest. The whole premise of this book fails. Forsyth tries to show off his (supposed) detailed knowledge of how the secret services work through his info dumps. Problem is that if you are a fan of spy novels, these info dumps contain things you already know. And if you are not a fan of spy novels the minute details of how the secret services operate would bore you to tears. Another serious flaw is that Forsyth fudges, making up imaginary countries and political figures. All in all not worth the paper it is printed on :-(
Its a typical 'Fredrik Forsyth' style international spy thriller telling story of an good old, intense, undercover, secret agent Sam MacCready. His career hangs in imbalance, as his authorities tried to retire him to a desk service from field activity amidst all professionals politics thats often played in almost all fields. As his case was presented and played out among peer- panel, dispersed after each chapter, as 'interludes' in the book, Sam McCready's various rendezvous as field agent named as 'deceiver' were described making up the 04 main chapters in this book. I liked to read the last one titled ' a little bit of sunshine' as his work in northern Carribbean island. The author is the master story teller of political espionage. Thought I generally dislike to read about politics & war, that's what unfortunately makes up the world today. 03 stars for this one.
It's 1990. The Soviet Union is on the brink of disintegration. The Soviet bloc countries of Eastern Europe are tottering. The top brass in Whitehall want a new, less hands-on direction for British intelligence. Cooperation will be the name of the game henceforth. To that end, the top civil servants are leaning on the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) to get rid of their "more colourful staff members," notably one Sam McReady. McReady has been, for the last seven years, the head of the Deception, Disinformation and Psychological Operations desk at SIS. He has done some fairly amazing (and illegal) things, things that could not only have gotten him killed but could have seriously embarrassed Her Majesty's government, had information about his activities come out at the time. In the eyes of the brass, McReady is completely dispensable. He wears his non-rep tie halfway down his chest, his shirts need ironing and he is not "one of us." When McReady hears the proposals for his last three years at SIS, (archives? he says. I'm a field agent.) he decides to fight the brass and insist on a hearing. The four sections of The Deceiver relate four of McReady's successful actions against various enemies, in an attempt to overturn his retirement. There is the case of Major General Yevgeni Pankratin of the Red Army, who is McReady's source for the Soviet order of battle. Except, he has to get it to McReady. McReady hatches a simple plan involving cooperation with West German intelligence. But, as we all know, "the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley." So when things go agley Sam has to take a hand. Next there is the case of Colonel Pyotr Orlov of the KGB who defects to the US during war games in the UK. Is he genuine? Who knows The third chapter hops from the Libya of Mohommar Quadaffi to Malta to Hamburg in a complicated arms deal, while the fourth chapter deals with life on a fictional Caribbean island and the death of the British Resident. The Deceiver is a fun book, albeit a blast from the past.
I'm afraid I couldn't make it through this book. It was my first Frederick Forsyth novel, and it had moments when I really believed it was going to take off, but then it went back to more and more dull drudgery.
It just went on and on, without much happening and I just decided that life was too short to force my way through something that I just didn't want to pick up. I think when you start to avoid a book, that it's time to let go!
A real Forsyth. Spy thriller divided into three separate episodes. You can get a nostalgic feeling about a good old Cold War time. A very exciting experience, super researched, with an amazing voice of Uwe Teschner. Highly recommended!
The protagonist Sam McCready is an unconventional one. Details are sketchy as I read this a few years back. I do remember three separate plot lines being laid bare before a committee for one man's defense. Worth a read for the Cold War espionage plays.
Leuk weer eens een spionageroman te lezen. En vrij luchtig geschreven boek, om de vorm van een raamvertelling, eindtijd van de koude oorlog en daarmee dit soort boeken markerend. Het laatste deel lijkt haast een episode uit Death in paradise
Love these short espionage stories, crafter by master spy storyteller Frederick Forsyth. Once you have read the book, check out the DVD Frederick Forsyth Presents which are made for TV movie adaptations. Very '90s but worth a go. Wish Freddy had written an entire novel with Sam McCready.
Forsyth really does pack a punch doesn't he? A thriller set in East Germany? Hubba hubba.
The suspense was so well thought out - and has won me over such that I now have grown incredibly fond of Forsyth. Suspense + historical fiction + accurate East German/Soviet politics? Very well done!
I liked the idea of retelling episodes from a person's career to highlight how invaluable they were to the spy service, though it made for a bit of a disjointed read.
Overall, a good book, with great characters and settings, though it lacked pace.
'The Deceiver' was my foray into the works of Forsyth after a hiatus, and reading this reminded me of why he is one of my top 5 favourite authors. The no-nonsense, limelight averse Sam McCready has a lot of similar characteristics with several other heroes of Forsyth, but the stories do his character justice. Though the flow may appear disjointed (owing to the four separate exploits of the protagonist), the trademark narrative style of the author and the brilliant pacing ensure that the reader is never bored. Give it a go if you are a fan of the Forsythian style of storytelling or espionage thrillers in general, and you shall not be deceived.
Forsyth has done an outstanding job of detailing the circuitous paths of the old espionage game along with giving us a lot of reasons why our world of the technocrat spy really isn't a lot different from the world of dubious political activities taking place during the cold war. The KGB or what would now be called the VSR is still out there being led from the very top by a guy who was once one of the insiders of that organization under Gorbachev. The Colombian drug dealers may have been replaced by the Mexicans or S.E. Asia's Golden Triangle, but they all use many of the same old fashioned methods and don't need to rely on spy satellites, drones, or having to keep clean white gloves on for clean hands in a clandestine war that may have to go wet at times to tidy up messes. McCready and all the old school spies he represents, may seem like a fossil to the guy with a cell phone, a gps and a 'beam me up' team sitting back home with computers, but he's not traceable, when the electricity fails he's not at a loss of how to contact home, and when the 'beam me up' guys don't get the chopper into the right sector on time to pull him out he's still got a hole in the ground to go to and a backup plan to get his defector out. Each of the tales is a classic. Well worth reading several times. I did have one criticism of his use of the term 'Claymore' for a mine which should have been classified as a 'Bouncing Betty,' but I can forgive one error to an author who has been so on top of the game for years and who is now living in a time when his young editors probably wouldn't pick up on the nuances of Vietnam era weaponry. Read it. enjoy it and know that there are still men and women out there who can really pull off the job when the slick joy-stick kids on the computers screw up on a mission. That's what happens on an Op. You go in thinking you've got the mission down cold and halfway to the goal line you better have another plan or you'll be just another piece of cannon fodder. Keep the McCready clan, both men and women alive and well. We need them!
PS don't forget to check Amazon for my free book offers! See the previous blog for the dates they are going for FREE!>) at rickmcbee.me
Mr. Forsyth is one of my fave authors in his genre, besides Mr. Clancy of course. He's not relying too much on technology, but more to suspense, spy works, and his orientation is not to the Yankees, but to the Brits. That's why you'll find that in several of his novels he provide quite extensive description on the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), SAS (the best special force in the world next to Delta Force & Sayeret Matkal), Century House (now Vauxhall Cross) and Foreign Office politics, etc.
The Deceiver tells about a senior agent (the head of Deception, Disinformation and Psychological Operations (Dee Dee and PsyOps for short), Sam McCready. He's one of the main characters in Forsyth's books that I find not really interesting. Compared with the hotshots in "The Negotiator", "The Day of the Jackal" and "The Fist of God", McCready seems too...dull.
This book is consisted of four stories (It's basically a flashback of McCready's most successful operations as a spook): the dangerous hand over of a top secret military document from a Soviet spy IN East Germany, the suspected defector from the KGB which leads to mutual distrust between SIS & CIA, the cooperation between Qaddafi (yes, that Libyan dude) and IRA to attack US interests in Europe and an eventful governmental transition of a British former colony in the Caribbean started by the murder of the governor.
My fave is definitely the second story. Great twist at the end.
Overall, this is not my fave Forsyth book. Perhaps because the psyops thing (that supposed to be the center of this book) does not meet my expectation, who knows?
Otro gran trabajo del eterno Frederick Forsyth, un maestro del suspenso y del espionaje. Este título es particular porque tenemos 4 historias o mejor dicho 4 operaciones, protagonizadas por Sam Mcgready, un agente de inteligencia británico con métodos poco ortodoxos pero a la vez tremendamente eficiente a la hora de desempeñarse en distintas latitudes. Los 2 primeros casos me fascinaron; espionaje de la guerra fría en su máxima expresión. La última operación no me desagradó pero decae en comparación a las otras. Muy cerca de las 5 estrellas, quizás estoy siendo un tanto austero pero sin dudas es un excelente libro. Frederick Forsyth es un escritor tremendamente fiable, en general la gran mayoría de sus obras nunca defraudan y El Impostor no es la excepción.
Forsyth insieme a Le Carre' e' uno dei miei scrittori di spionaggio preferiti perche' e ' molto ben informato sulla storia e anche nei suoi racconti di fantasia si imparano un sacco di cose interessanti. Inoltre sa far anche ridere con situazioni paradossali, ma realistiche. Qui si trovano quattro episodi storico-spionistici diversi in luoghi e circostanze diverse, dove per trovare una soluzione e uscirne fuori interi ci vuole coraggio si, ma anche "plenty of common sense", come il protagonista dimostra di avere. Il nostro eroe stavolta e' un ometto apparentemente insignificante e sgualcito, con legami e conoscenze ovunque che sa utilizzare al momento giusto, chapeau Forsyth.
This book is four short spy stories linked together and is positively enthralling! I was skeptical of the format at first but Forsyth pulls you in and gets you invested in each story anew and takes you on a wild ride from Berlin to a tiny Caribbean island. A recommended read for anyone interested in spy novels!
Another five star read from Mr Forsyth. Authentic, amusing,believable. Don't plan on doing anything else until you have finished reading.Can't wait to start my next one. Thank you Mr Forsyth for your hard work.
Sam McCready an unassuming man but with far reaching connections in the security services. Read and enjoy these stories and marvel at the ingenuity of the author