Avalanche Express

by Colin Forbes

paperback, vg++

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Adventure, Action, Novels

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Raymond Harold Sawkins was a British novelist, who mainly published under the pseudonym Colin Forbes, but also as Richard Raine, Jay Bernard and Harold English. He only published three of his first books under his own name.Sawkins wrote over 40 books, mostly as Colin Forbes. He was most famous for his long-running series of thriller novels in which the principal character is Tweed, Deputy Director of the Secret Intelligence Service.

Sawkins attended The Lower School of John Lyon in Harrow, London. At the age of 16 he started work as a sub-editor with a magazine and book publishing company. He served with the British Army in North Africa and the Middle East during World War II. Before his demobilization he was attached to the Army Newspaper Unit in Rome. On his return to civilian life he joined a publishing and printing company, commuting to London for 20 years, until he became successful enough to be a full-time novelist.

Sawkins was married to a Scots-Canadian, Jane Robertson (born 31 March 1925, died 1993). Together they had one daughter, Janet.Sawkins died of a heart attack on August 23, 2006.

Sawkins was often quoted as personally visiting every location he features in his books to aid the authenticity of the writing. As a result, there is detailed description of the places where the action in his books takes place.

Fury (1995) was inspired by the courage of his wife before she died, and he set it apart from his other novels “because of the strong emotion and sense of loss that runs through it”.

Just one of Forbes' novels was made into a film: Avalanche Express, directed by Mark Robson and starring Lee Marvin and Robert Shaw, which was released in 1979 to generally poor reviews.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Cold War spy story. The movie version of it was terrible - stick with the book! 4.5 stars

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story of Cold War times. Fast paced and intriguing.

[Georgewhite · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this book up on a charity stall as up to that point I’d never read any of Forbes books. I found the story to be laborious and unnecessarily repetitive. It felt as though I was reading a weekly serial where the author has to interleave key context into each chapter in case the reader has forgotten who characters are.
The story is based in the Cold War and it feels almost like a piece of propaganda as the allies defeat the axis. The ending of the book is very unsatisfying, as the story reaches a crescendo it feels like the author is growing bored of writing.
I’m sure this type of book had its time and following but I found or too long, poorly scripted and patronising!

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1977 Avalanche Express has for the most part stood the passage of time well. Whilst some parts reference radio direction finding and basic radio broadcasts to communicate and there's the stark absence of modern technology this in no way detracts from the mystery, action and intrigue.

I found this to be much more enjoyable than the novels Tweed & Co series.

Essentially the story involves an American plot to exfiltrate a highly placed Russian KGB operative who has been feeding them quality intelligence. All does not go to plan however when their cover is immediately blown and storms move in shutting down airports leading to a cat & mouse game on the 'Atlantic Express' Trans-Europe train.

And yes, it does involve an avalanche.

[Scott MacBurnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not bad, overall. It’s very much mired in “middle of the Cold War” hysteria; which dates the narrative a little bit. Still, the cat & mouse extraction of the high-level defector is reasonably well executed, and the story is sufficiently interesting that you want to stick around and see it through. The characters are a little forgettable, and most are just “names” or introduced and disposed of at such a rapid pace that you never really feel any profound attachment to most of them. Also, the men are all very alpha, with the women being (mostly) eye candy to gaze longingly at the menfolk and hope to be taken to bed by the story’s end. Still and all, not an entirely unexpected thing in a spy caper novel from this era. Overall, not bad but it lacks the distinctiveness that marks better spy stories, or makes them endure.

[Karl Øen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exciting and fast-paced Cold War thriller, but way too unsophisticated and simplistic. Cardboard characters, Black-White descriptions does not help. All the westerners are brave and resourceful while the opposition are devious and cunning, meeting their respectivly unsavoury ends due to their own hubris.

If the train run on electricity, how did they get the helicopter airborne from the moving train whitout getting tangled in the powerlines?

[Quillermo Pellicaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een boek over spionnen in de jaren 70. Ruim voor de tijd van internet. Toen was een spion nog echt spion.

Een Russische dubbelspion met een trein uit Rusland smokkelen, ik geloof niet dat het nu nog zo gebeurd. Alle communicatie gaat met radiozenders. Wat dat betreft is het boek enorm gedateerd. Het was een vermakelijk boek uit de tijd dat Russen nog echt eng waren.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure whether I was going to like this - spy stories aren't really my thing - but I was pleasantly surprised. Action-packed and thrilling. It also helped that I am at least a little familiar with most of the places mentioned so it felt more "real".

[Ed Zirkwitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging if you love spy thrillers. Expect mishaps along the way. All very believable plot lines, events, characters and outcomes. Will Western spies prevail or the Soviets or a mixture if the two. Hang on to you seats until the very end.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good spy novel with many twists and turns. I would recommend. Since it is from the days of yore, there are no cell phones, you gotta use secret transmitters! Lots of cool European locations. "Together, we will beat the Soviets!"

[Jenny Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent spy thriller

[Bent Andreassen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in Norwegian. Rimelig god bok som også ble en rimelig bra Hollywood film.

[Stefan Salonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Upptakten utomordentlig, lite väl simpelt fullföljd.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent cold war thriller about the struggle of western agency to lead a high level Soviet official to safety when he chooses to defect. There is a good mix of what could be described as old fashioned 'spy craft' and typical over the top Forbes action as the Soviets make one attempt after another to kill the defector before he reaches safety. Complicating matters is one of the largest snow storms to ever hit Europe, this means that instead of being able to fly him out a long train journey though multiple countries is required before they reach Holland and the last open airport.
To make matters worse (if that were possible) there may be a double agent on the train. Can the agents lead the defector to safety or will the Soviets manage to kill him.

[Madelon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first so-called "grown up" book I read (way, way back!). I think I was about eleven years old and it made a lasting impression. I have re-read it a number of times over the years and it still keeps on pulling me in. It is a good book, and though history has made the story outdated, it still manages to capture at least my interest

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book.

[Beatté · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

[Stefan Salonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spänning ja, men upplösningen överraskar inte.