The Spy House

Spycatcher #5

by Matthew Dunn

In the fifth electrifying thriller featuring Will Cochrane, the Intelligence agent must solve the unsolvable: How did four international agents working on a super-secret mission die in a safe house bunker that was locked from the inside?

When the Israeli ambassador to France is shot dead in Paris by an unknown sniper, the Israeli government blames Hamas and begins planning a massive invasion to obliterate the terrorist organization once and for all. To avoid an all-out war, three members of the UN Security Council—the United States, France, and the United Kingdom—assemble a team of intelligence agents to uncover the truth behind the assassination.

But when the team stops responding and all four agents are found dead in a bunker locked from the inside, they turn to freelance intelligence operative Will Cochrane for answers. To find out what really happened in the Paris shooting and in the bunker and prevent an unwinnable war, Cochrane will use his years of knowledge and experience to unravel the truth . . . and maybe just keep himself alive.

Critics have called Will Cochrane a “ruthless yet noble” Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, “one-man weapon of mass destruction” Daily Telegraph—"a brilliant agent from whom “Bond and Bourne could learn a thing or two” Madison County Herald.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Mystery Thriller, Spy Thriller, Mystery, Audiobook

339 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Matthew Dunn was an MI6 intelligence officer who spent years operating around the world on matters pertaining to the national security of Great Britain and its allies. For the last decade he has been an author and has written 14 published books. He is the author of the "Spycatcher" series and "Ben Sign" series of espionage-mystery noir novels.

Reviews

[Tulay]

Don't bother.

Twenty something male readers might enjoy this book, it will make a very bloody movie too. Lost count of how many people are killed. Had a hard time reading it. Read this author's other books and liked it, in the future need to read all the reviews before I buy any book.

[Leane]

The ***stars reflects my internal conflict about this 5th installment in a really good espionage series. Previous reads would get 4s & 5s. Alternating between the 1st POV of Will Cochrane (Combined MI6 & CIA covert operative) and the omniscient 3rd POV, this is an accelerating ride whirling around the politics of the US pertaining to the Middle East and the US's relationship with Israel. Trade craft is very well done; however, this time I have some issues. being the Uber spy it seems to me that Will should be better prepared for any contingencies (specifically alternate fake IDs) although I realize that would have made the plotting more difficult for the author (but isn't that his job?). I read for CH and Will has been consistently complex and layered as he actually starts to care about the people he works with and lives near while also pulling off some stunning missions. In this book (RED FLAG & Spoiler), more than one of his long-time allies and coworkers are murdered and that seems egregious even if it can be argued that the plotting is brutally realistic. Does it really serve the story to kill that many? Do the loses motivate him in other books in the series? Perhaps. I will read the next one to find out but if this purging of rich 2nd CHs turns out to be just about Will's change of handler and the an ultimate foe, I will be done.

[Zach Franz]

Dunn is essentially a British version of Brad Thor or Vince Flynn (with the added oomph that he was actually a British intelligence field operative, which, while fascinating, doesn't--in the patch of this book I got through--translate into a more revealing reading experience). I was hoping for something a bit more nuanced, less telegraphed, but twas not in the cards.

I like these stories, this world, but didn't find these characters compelling and gave up about 100 pages in.

[Michelle Arredondo]

I received this book, The Spy House via giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I love books with mystery...crime mysteries...something to solve by the end of the book. This book certainly has all the suspense, intrigue and drama that a good spy/mystery/crime/thriller should have. I did not know what to expect from this book. I have never read anything by Matthew Dunn...I have never read from this series...but after this one, I am def on the hunt for the other 4. A movie playing out in my head the entire time I read through the story and oh how exciting it was.

Suspense, government corruption, super secret missions..it's all there. A quick read and a good one at that. I love books that grip me from beginning to end. I completely recommend this book and look forward to checking out more books in this series.

[Karen]

I picked this book off the New Fiction shelf, and am disappointed that I read it before the others in the series, as it seems it would be more satisfying to read them in order. However, this was one of the best spy books I've ever read. The writing was phenomenal -- incredibly fluid and fast-paced, with great character development, plot twists and turns, political relevance, and a broad sense of empathy toward characters and governments with conflicting agendas. The author did not succumb to the "good/evil" dichotomy, as have other spy novelists like Jason Matthews, but allowed the story to reflect the deep complexity of the world in which we live. The amount of violence was a bit much for me, but it's a spy novel, so I'm not sure I can expect otherwise. I feel like I know Will Cochrane personally, though I've never (knowingly) met a spy, and am looking forward to getting to know him better through the earlier books in the series.

[Tom Tischler]

The Israeli ambassador to France is shot dead in Paris by an unknown sniper. The
Israeli government blames Hamas and plans a massive invasion to obliterate this
terrorist organization. To avoid war the U.S., France and the U.K. assemble a team of
intelligence agents to uncover the truth. The team suddenly stops responding and all
four agents are found dead locked in a bunker from the inside. They now turn to freelance
intelligence operative Will Cochran for answers. Cochran will have to use his years of
experience to find out what happened in the bunker and prevent an unwinnable war. He
will also need all of his experience just to stay alive. This is book five in the Spycatcher
series and it's a pretty good story with a good bit of action and a lot of suspense. I liked
this book and I gave it a 4 . Now I'm looking for book one to start at the beginning.

[Mavis Thresher]

A new author for me and one whose books I will now search out. When the Israeli ambassador to France is shot dead in Paris by an unknown sniper, the Israeli government blames Hamas and begins planning a massive invasion to obliterate the terrorist organization once and for all. To avoid an all-out war, three members of the UN Security Council—the United States, France, and the United Kingdom—assemble a team of intelligence agents to uncover the truth behind the assassination.

But when the team stops responding and all four agents are found dead in a bunker locked from the inside, they turn to freelance intelligence operative Will Cochrane for answers. To find out what really happened in the Paris shooting and in the bunker and prevent an unwinnable war, Cochrane will use his years of knowledge and experience to unravel the truth . . . and maybe just keep himself alive.

[Arthur Okun]

This is the fifth book in this SPYCATCHER series.I jumped the gun Having read DARK SPIES AND SENTINEL.
Those I have not read,but certainly will are SLING SHOT AND SPY CATCHER.
The super spy-agent Spartan super "man"is Will Cochrane.
Someone assassinated the Israel Ambassador----and war is going to happen--with Hamas.
Death surrounds Will but the president and Admiral Tobias Mason are hoping Will will halt this war.
I loved this series and it is a great THRLLING READ.

[Jim]

One of the best spy books ever. Has all the elements of what a spy book should have. I'm really surprised I've never read him, liking this genre like I do. It's nice to know he's written many more with this main character. It'll keep me busy for a while.

[Marc Parijs]

This in an excellent book. It kept my attention till the last page.
I will read more books of this author.
I would recommend this books to other readers.

[Susan]

I won this book from Goodreads and what a lucky winner I am. This spy novel is so good, it's one of my top books of 2015. Look for it on Listopia.

[Chris]

Awesome, awesome book. Will Cochrane is up there with the best agents in all counter terror books.

[Jim Kelly]

Excellent location descriptions - DC, London, Beirut

Too many pointless killings

[Diane Hamel]

Exciting..well written, read it in 2 days

[Sue Marie]

Lots of action and deaths by assassination.

[Minnesinger]

Wow—Dunn keeps getting better and better. I was not prepared to like this book as much as his others, but by the end I was in awe. Don’t get me wrong; there are a few flaws, like how a supposedly brilliant & talented 32-year-old woman with a PhD could be so idiotic as to fall in with an evil mastermind and yet not go to her godfather sooner for advice. Plus the man who ‘rescues’ Safa seemed a bit shady from the get-go, and Safa’s teacher did not verify his identity before she recommended that Safa go with him. Oh—and that once the word got out that Roger’s wife was killed nobody thought to warn the others to go into hiding or get 24/7 protection. Patrick at least had the sense to call 911 when he knew there was an intruder in his home, but come on—he should have known better than to go all macho and expose himself to Rowe. He thought he could kill a professional assassin after sitting at a desk for decades? Pffft. A lot of _really_ horrible things happen here (to a lot of people) and Will feels gutted, but soldiers on because he knows if he fails it will mean even more people get hurt. What a job!
Two things I really hated: That so many of his friends—and innocents—had to die, and that there is a cliffhanger at the end. We STILL don’t know who Thales is! On the positive side, there is a clever plot twist at the end, and Will gets one very pleasant surprise—but I won’t say when, because that would spoil the surprise..

[Savsandy]

Spies Chasing Spies

"The Spy House: A Will Cochrane Novel" has much to offer the reader; a suspenseful plot, oftentimes elegant phrasing, and excellent character development. My surprise at the complexity that is the character of Will Cochrane is understandable. Not just his physical prowess but his unexpected emotional side, because professional assassins are stereotypically stone-cold "just business" killers. What bothered me was the lack of segue, with only a new paragraph to indicate a different character was speaking and at times, the pacing lagged. Perhaps because throughout the first half there didn't seem to be much sincere urgency from Will, despite the fact he was supposed to be racing the clock for a solution. And so many characters! Puts me in mind of vintage Tom Clancy, sans the technical minutiae of a plethora of weapons. Now I must decide whether to tag along with Will on his next journey "A Soldier's Revenge."

[Max]

Matthew Dunn is a good writer, and William Cochrane is a fine hero, not super strong and not into gadgets, but smart and brave and quick to react to the threats around him. First, the good. The narration is excellent, with vivid descriptions of the various locales. The first person parts, told by Cochrane, are interesting, and his back story and self-doubts and analysis all add tension and are interesting. The dialogue is solid. As to the plot, it is ok but not original at all, and the Israeli sniper who goes out on a mission based on an anonymous note and no fact-checking really bothered my sensibilities. There is little spycraft in this, no humor, and a fair amount of unrealistic elements that made the book hard to finish.

[Ryland Davidson]

I have recently read The Spy House by Matthew Dunn. This book depicts the adventures of a former MI6 agent by the name of Will Cochrane. When tragedy strikes in Paris and the Israeli ambassador to France is assassinated, Will is recruited by the CIA and former colleagues to try to get to the bottom of the mystery before Israel invades Palestine. Major characters are Will, Thames, Safa, and Tanner.
I loved the balance of mystery and thriller novel this book has. Not only is it mentally intriguing but it is extremely entertaining with Cochrane's baleful stunts. If I could change anything it would be the senseless killing of many innocent bystanders.
I believe most people would enjoy this book because it contains a high energy climax with a profoundly layered storyline.

[Pete]

Easy to read and the story line kept me interested. The ending was a surprise and i felt the author could have ended the story a different way (not going to give it away) rather than prolonging it unless of course he plans to use that character in a future novel. I will read another novel from this author to see if I would like more of what he has written. I always like novels written by authors who have a background in what they are writing. It is not a requirement for me, I just like knowing the author has or had some experience in that area.

[Dan Cotter]

Decent installment in the series. The inhabitants of a spy house shared by several nations appears to have been murdered by one of the four, and with other activity is likely to trigger war. The protagonist is hired in his new private capacity to investigate. Like this series. One thing changed here is the protagonist Speaks in first person and not sure I like that as much. But will Lee reading series, good entertainment.

[Jim Todd]

Wavered between 3* and 4* . A pretty good read. My biggest complaint would be it didn't seem any different than most other books in the same genre: a disgraced Agency asset is pressed into service to ensure deniability, uber villain tries multiple times to take him out, government insiders selling secrets, etc. Well written and a pretty quick read, just nothing to distinguish it from amny others. Hence, the 3*.

[Norman Smith]

This was more or less o.k.

If you want action, this has it.

However, I found the characters to be two-dimensional, and close to caricatures in some cases. The plot seemed rather incredible. The big resolutions all fell rather flat. The style was not very engaging...

But lots of action and a righteous hero!

I am about to begin a novel by Alan Furst, and suspect it will be better.

[Joe O'Connor]

Outstanding; Continuing character: Will Cochrane; when agents from four countries turn on each other in a locked room while spying on a Hamas group though to have killed an Israeli official, Cochrane is brought in to try and avert war and determine what really happened, putting those he cares for in mortal danger

[Jamie Moore]

Good book!

This is the first book I've read from this author and I'm hooked. Definitely want to read more about Will Cochran. Plot at the end caught me off guard. All in all I enjoyed it.

[Steven Lewis]

A series of improbable events carried off without panache. As if Seth Macfarlane wrote an animated spoof of Bourne then turned it into a musical and someone else turned the musical into a humourless novel.

[Jon Dean]

Least favorite in the series. Major problems with plausibility. Also, killing off basically every supporting character didn’t feel necessary or consistent with the theme of the books. Finally, the death of all this characters doesn’t seem to impact the protagonist

[Rob Lewan]

So… the first half of the novel I would have rated it 3 stars but the second half earned 5. I split the middle and gave it a 4. I’m not sure if this is part of a series so I may have read it not in the order the author wanted but still am rating it 4 so it must still be good.

[Natalie]

Good read

Good story with many twists, perfect light reading for vacation of airplane rides. Look forward to reading more books by Matthew Dunn

[Shannon Tobin]

A very well done spy novel. The only thing unfortunate about my experience with the novel is I read this one first when it's the 5th in the series.