Wildcat

Kenneth Aubrey and Patrick Hyde #6

by Craig Thomas

An East German defector dies in a tragic accident. Kenneth Aubrey, Britian's master spycatcher, was suppose to bring him back alive. Now, he must face the wrath of an unstoppable enemy - a woman whose unlimited control of East German intelligence gives her supreme international power. A woman whose rage over her son's death is matched only by her ruthless political ambition. A woman who seeks the ultimate revenge...on a global scale.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Adventure, Espionage

398 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 6, 1988

About the author

David Craig Owen Thomas was a Welsh author of thrillers, most notably the Mitchell Gant series.

The son of the Western Mail rugby union writer, JBG Thomas, Craig was educated at Cardiff High School. He graduated from University College, Cardiff in 1967, obtaining his M.A. after completing a thesis on Thomas Hardy. Thomas became an English Teacher, working in various grammar schools in the West Midlands, and was Head of English at the Shire Oak School, Walsall Wood.

After unsuccessfully trying script writing for radio, Thomas wrote part-time, with his wife as editor, in two fields: philosophical thoughts in books of essays; and techno-thriller genre, which although invention is often attributed to the better-known Tom Clancy, many feel that Thomas was its true originator. Most of Thomas's novels are set within MI.6 and feature the characters of Sir Kenneth Aubrey and Patrick Hyde.

His best-known novel which brought him to global prominence, Firefox became a successful Hollywood film, both directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. After writing his third novel, 1960s Cold War espionage thriller Wolfsbane, he left teaching altogether in 1977. His later books include Snow Falcon and A Different War. Shortly before his death he finished a two-volume commentary on German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

Thomas and his wife Jill had lived near Lichfield, Staffordshire, but moved to Somerset in 2010. He died on April 4, 2011 from pneumonia, following a short battle with acute myeloid leukemia. He was 68.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a typical Cold War intelligence agency story: An East German defector whose mother is an East German intelligence general and the British Intelligence Agency doing the work for the CIA.

The book is well written, and the characters are interesting. The plot twist and turns. The story has lots of violent action. My major problem was the print in the paperback was too small. This made it difficult for me to read. If you are looking for an old fashion Cold War thriller, try this book.

I read this as a paperback. It has 398 pages. It was published in 1988 by Jove Book.

[Jason Waltz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great premise not very well delivered, actually becoming more dreadful the more written, a protracted melodrama mostly unnecessary and generating zero empathy with a feeble has-been and a naive imbecile. Leaves a terrible aftertaste as I mourn the loss of a once-formidable spy.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is out of print in the US, has a different title in the UK (All the Grey Cats) and probably didn't sell that well in part because it is a cold war tale, involving East Germany and the Russians that was published the year the Berlin Wall fell. I also think my enjoyment of this novel was handicapped by the fact that I haven't read any other Thomas novels and several of the characters have established back stories that I just wasn't familiar with. I found the Nepal plot, and the parts of the story that took place there, interesting but the botched defection and the vendetta that followed was not so convincing. Not a great stand alone novel, except for the actual Nepal action, I bet it would make a better piece of a larger set of stories.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this was much better then Winterhawk I think I am done with the books of Craig Thomas.

[Cws]

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