What do you think?
Rate this book
Spy Sinker: A Bernard Samson Novel
“Deighton writes with effortless mastery.” —Wall Street Journal
Bernard Samson’s wife, Fiona, has just been chosen by the British Secret Service to be their top agent in Germany, set to undermine the East German economy. When she embarks on a violent, unparalleled mission of worldwide importance, it’s clear that there is only one way she can succeed. Fiona has always been a mystery to Samson—wife, mother, traitor, patriot, double agent—and now she is on the brink of betraying him. In the third novel in the brilliant Hook, Line, Sinker trilogy and the first in the series told in the third person, Len Deighton brings superspy Fiona Samson to center stage and Who does Bernard really trust? And can we trust him?
Bernard Samson’s wife, Fiona, has just been chosen by the British Secret Service to be their top agent in Germany, set to undermine the East German economy. When she embarks on a violent, unparalleled mission of worldwide importance, it’s clear that there is only one way she can succeed. Fiona has always been a mystery to Samson—wife, mother, traitor, patriot, double agent—and now she is on the brink of betraying him. In the third novel in the brilliant Hook, Line, Sinker trilogy and the first in the series told in the third person, Len Deighton brings superspy Fiona Samson to center stage and Who does Bernard really trust? And can we trust him?
378 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2024
31 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Len Deighton
222 books943 followersDeighton was born in Marylebone, London, in 1929. His father was a chauffeur and mechanic, and his mother was a part-time cook. After leaving school, Deighton worked as a railway clerk before performing his National Service, which he spent as a photographer for the Royal Air Force's Special Investigation Branch. After discharge from the RAF, he studied at St Martin's School of Art in London in 1949, and in 1952 won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1955.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
Deighton worked as an airline steward with BOAC. Before he began his writing career he worked as an illustrator in New York and, in 1960, as an art director in a London advertising agency. He is credited with creating the first British cover for Jack Kerouac's On the Road. He has since used his drawing skills to illustrate a number of his own military history books.
Following the success of his first novels, Deighton became The Observer's cookery writer and produced illustrated cookbooks. In September 1967 he wrote an article in the Sunday Times Magazine about Operation Snowdrop - an SAS attack on Benghazi during World War II. The following year David Stirling would be awarded substantial damages in libel from the article.
He also wrote travel guides and became travel editor of Playboy, before becoming a film producer. After producing a film adaption of his 1968 novel Only When I Larf, Deighton and photographer Brian Duffy bought the film rights to Joan Littlewood and Theatre Workshop's stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! He had his name removed from the credits of the film, however, which was a move that he later described as "stupid and infantile." That was his last involvement with the cinema.
Deighton left England in 1969. He briefly resided in Blackrock, County Louth in Ireland. He has not returned to England apart from some personal visits and very few media appearances, his last one since 1985 being a 2006 interview which formed part of a "Len Deighton Night" on BBC Four. He and his wife Ysabele divide their time between homes in Portugal and Guernsey.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 27, 2024
The third of the middle Samson trilogy shuttles between the beginnings of the plot to insert Fiona Samson into E Germany and the conclusion of her mission. The flashback chapters set the scene and state of mind of the major players. The ones on the “present” chart the effects of Fiona’s tension under the dual pressures of her faked treason and the actual one of having left her family.
Two points: it’s inconceivable that the English secret service would accept the “accidental” meeting of Fiona with Harry Kennedy and allow the relationship to continue. One of the problems with this series is that supposedly savvy spies, including Samson, are very credulous. And I find it impossible to believe that the English service would have an American, however Anglophile, in a position of authority.
Two points: it’s inconceivable that the English secret service would accept the “accidental” meeting of Fiona with Harry Kennedy and allow the relationship to continue. One of the problems with this series is that supposedly savvy spies, including Samson, are very credulous. And I find it impossible to believe that the English service would have an American, however Anglophile, in a position of authority.
October 7, 2024
I have finally reached my limit with this series. This book, the sixth in the series, is fundamentally different than the preceding five in that it jumps around in time and ties up a bunch of loose ends. Also, as the author notes in the afterword, it is mostly/entirely written in the third rather than first person. I needed a scorecard or a chart to keep track of the plot and found myself returning to the other five books so I could follow this one. Also, so much of what I like about the series is the characters and the tension between their professional and personal lives. Much less of that in this one. If you like the other books in this series, I would read this one for completeness, but definitely my least favorite of the six.
November 5, 2024
And so the second trilogy in this set of books end.
This one feels like a mopping up of loose ends ...not told in the first person like the others this allows us to explore motivations and thoughts of the other players as well as broadening the narrative.
All in all satisfying and despite the fact these where a series where books could work individually this was less the case here as this book would offer too many spoilers if used as a starting point.
Anyhow onto the last trilogy now.
This one feels like a mopping up of loose ends ...not told in the first person like the others this allows us to explore motivations and thoughts of the other players as well as broadening the narrative.
All in all satisfying and despite the fact these where a series where books could work individually this was less the case here as this book would offer too many spoilers if used as a starting point.
Anyhow onto the last trilogy now.
December 30, 2024
Really enjoyed reading this series after having read everything I could from Deighton a few decades ago. This one brings a different perspective and thus style and tone but just as enjoyable. Great characters and locations with lots of intrigue and mystery. Just classic espionage fiction.
January 10, 2025
Started the year with a cracking, 5-star read. I can count on one finger the other spy-lit author that can write dialogue as well as Len Deighton.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews