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Thomas Bladen #1
Standpoint
An ordinary surveillance photographer is drawn into an uneasy partnership and a deadly web of institutional corruption in this grounded British espionage thriller.
His job is to watch. His mistake is noticing too much.
Covert officer Thomas Bladen’s days have a way of melding into one. He snaps fraudsters for the Surveillance Support Unit, where the hours are long, the pay is modest, and the office politics are all too familiar.
That is, until he’s assigned a routine stakeout at Harwich docks—and someone gets shot.
Examining his high-resolution photos, Thomas spots a 4x4 belonging to a superior officer. Keen to keep his head down, he edits it out of the frame.
Before he can make sense of what he’s done, Thomas is sent on an off-the-books cash drop. Finding an unrecorded £4,000 surplus, he suspects someone is trying to buy his silence.
But his enigmatic ex-Army colleague Karl McNeill warns that more than money is at stake.
And it doesn’t take long for Thomas to discover the price of defying his handlers.
When his on-off girlfriend becomes a target, he must turn his skills against his own agency to keep her alive…
For readers who
Fallible, reluctant protagonists with no superhuman skillsGrounded British government surveillance and street-level spycraftInstitutional corruption and official cover-upsDry, sardonic British workplace humourComplex partner dynamics and troubled personal lives
Standpoint is book one in the Thomas Bladen Spy Thrillers series—gritty, grounded British espionage fiction perfect for fans of Mick Herron, John le Carré, and Len Deighton.
_________________________________________
Praise for the Thomas Bladen Spy
★★★★★ If you like John le Carré-type characters then this is a book you should read.
★★★★★ Thomas is a much more realistic and well-rounded character than in most thriller novels.
★★★★★ An excellent read from cover to cover—the dialogue is sparkling and witty.
★★★★★ I would love to see this made into a film - it would be a brilliant, gritty London thriller.
★★★★★ Well-drawn three-dimensional characters… definitely recommended, even if you’re not a thriller reader.
His job is to watch. His mistake is noticing too much.
Covert officer Thomas Bladen’s days have a way of melding into one. He snaps fraudsters for the Surveillance Support Unit, where the hours are long, the pay is modest, and the office politics are all too familiar.
That is, until he’s assigned a routine stakeout at Harwich docks—and someone gets shot.
Examining his high-resolution photos, Thomas spots a 4x4 belonging to a superior officer. Keen to keep his head down, he edits it out of the frame.
Before he can make sense of what he’s done, Thomas is sent on an off-the-books cash drop. Finding an unrecorded £4,000 surplus, he suspects someone is trying to buy his silence.
But his enigmatic ex-Army colleague Karl McNeill warns that more than money is at stake.
And it doesn’t take long for Thomas to discover the price of defying his handlers.
When his on-off girlfriend becomes a target, he must turn his skills against his own agency to keep her alive…
For readers who
Fallible, reluctant protagonists with no superhuman skillsGrounded British government surveillance and street-level spycraftInstitutional corruption and official cover-upsDry, sardonic British workplace humourComplex partner dynamics and troubled personal lives
Standpoint is book one in the Thomas Bladen Spy Thrillers series—gritty, grounded British espionage fiction perfect for fans of Mick Herron, John le Carré, and Len Deighton.
_________________________________________
Praise for the Thomas Bladen Spy
★★★★★ If you like John le Carré-type characters then this is a book you should read.
★★★★★ Thomas is a much more realistic and well-rounded character than in most thriller novels.
★★★★★ An excellent read from cover to cover—the dialogue is sparkling and witty.
★★★★★ I would love to see this made into a film - it would be a brilliant, gritty London thriller.
★★★★★ Well-drawn three-dimensional characters… definitely recommended, even if you’re not a thriller reader.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2015
About the author
Derek Thompson
24 books45 followersDerek is a British author of novels and short fiction.
Thomas Bladen Spy Thrillers published by Vinci Books: STANDPOINT, LINE OF SIGHT, CAUSE & EFFECT, SHADOW STATE, FLASHPOINT, and PATHFINDER.
DS Wild Crime Mysteries published by Joffe Books:
LONG SHADOWS, WEST COUNTRY MURDER, and DEATH IN WILTSHIRE.
INTO THE VOID is a collection of short fiction by Sixpence Publishing.
Reviews
THOMAS BLADEN SPY THRILLERS
"Realistic rather than glitzy. This story did not disappoint with its gritty detail and credible characters. Kept me hooked right to the end. Great writing!" VC
DS WILD CRIME MYSTERIES
"...Slid down like a beer at the end of a hard day... engaging and entertaining story that kept me in suspense. A good balance of male & female characters, well written and believable." Helenmx5
Thomas Bladen Spy Thrillers published by Vinci Books: STANDPOINT, LINE OF SIGHT, CAUSE & EFFECT, SHADOW STATE, FLASHPOINT, and PATHFINDER.
DS Wild Crime Mysteries published by Joffe Books:
LONG SHADOWS, WEST COUNTRY MURDER, and DEATH IN WILTSHIRE.
INTO THE VOID is a collection of short fiction by Sixpence Publishing.
Reviews
THOMAS BLADEN SPY THRILLERS
"Realistic rather than glitzy. This story did not disappoint with its gritty detail and credible characters. Kept me hooked right to the end. Great writing!" VC
DS WILD CRIME MYSTERIES
"...Slid down like a beer at the end of a hard day... engaging and entertaining story that kept me in suspense. A good balance of male & female characters, well written and believable." Helenmx5
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 28, 2015
Published: 17/03/2015
Author: Derek Thompson
Recommended for: fans of thrillers
Edition: Kindle
I found this story of the Kindle Store for free and so I thought that I would give it a go. It was a very well written novel, it did have a few spelling mistakes and grammer mistakes which lost it a star with me, but the book did keep hold of my attention right through until the very end.
This book features the character of Thomas Bladen who work on the surveillence unit of the British Government, during his usual routine of checking the cameras he see's a shooting which opens up a world of danger. It is a really great debut novel for Derek Thompson, the characters are all well developed which adds great depth too the novels and makes you really feel like you know them.
Author: Derek Thompson
Recommended for: fans of thrillers
Edition: Kindle
I found this story of the Kindle Store for free and so I thought that I would give it a go. It was a very well written novel, it did have a few spelling mistakes and grammer mistakes which lost it a star with me, but the book did keep hold of my attention right through until the very end.
This book features the character of Thomas Bladen who work on the surveillence unit of the British Government, during his usual routine of checking the cameras he see's a shooting which opens up a world of danger. It is a really great debut novel for Derek Thompson, the characters are all well developed which adds great depth too the novels and makes you really feel like you know them.
June 15, 2018
I read Flashpoint (which is book 5) and I realised that as much as I loved the book and it does work as stand alone I really needed to learn the background to Thomas Bladen and so this book has been on my To Read list ever since and I am so pleased I finally found time to read it.
Thomas is a complex character. He has loved, lost and is now single but has a friends with benefits relationship with Miranda (who he still loves). Karl is a mysterious character he is from a military background and has many talents but can he be trusted? Miranda comes from a very close and resourceful family and Thomas is treated as one of this tight family unit but will this save him?
The story begins as Thomas is photographing under surveillance at a customs port and he sees a few things that he wishes he hadn't. He then ends up out of his depth and his life becomes very complicated. When Miranda gets caught up in Thomas' mess life gets even more dangerous and complicated.
This is a fast moving book with a very complex story which involves corruption and evil. Who is the enemy? A lot of seemingly unconnected strands come together in an edge of the seat ending that has the adrenaline pumping.
I found the book to be a bit slow going for the first 30% as we got to know Thomas and Karl and the complex relationships between the characters. It is this background that I felt I had missed in Flashpoint so I was happy to slowly learn and get to know these characters and the background to a complicated story that made for absolutely gripping reading. A brilliant book very well researched and written. I now need to go and read the next book.
A very well deserved 5 stars from me :)
Thomas is a complex character. He has loved, lost and is now single but has a friends with benefits relationship with Miranda (who he still loves). Karl is a mysterious character he is from a military background and has many talents but can he be trusted? Miranda comes from a very close and resourceful family and Thomas is treated as one of this tight family unit but will this save him?
The story begins as Thomas is photographing under surveillance at a customs port and he sees a few things that he wishes he hadn't. He then ends up out of his depth and his life becomes very complicated. When Miranda gets caught up in Thomas' mess life gets even more dangerous and complicated.
This is a fast moving book with a very complex story which involves corruption and evil. Who is the enemy? A lot of seemingly unconnected strands come together in an edge of the seat ending that has the adrenaline pumping.
I found the book to be a bit slow going for the first 30% as we got to know Thomas and Karl and the complex relationships between the characters. It is this background that I felt I had missed in Flashpoint so I was happy to slowly learn and get to know these characters and the background to a complicated story that made for absolutely gripping reading. A brilliant book very well researched and written. I now need to go and read the next book.
A very well deserved 5 stars from me :)
June 4, 2017
Reading and reviewing books
What a good mystery. I simply could not stop reading. Everything moved together very smoothly right to the end. I will be looking for more books by this author.
What a good mystery. I simply could not stop reading. Everything moved together very smoothly right to the end. I will be looking for more books by this author.
April 27, 2015
Excellent
Couldn't put it down. I rearranged my whole day to read it nonstop. I can't wait for the next one.
Couldn't put it down. I rearranged my whole day to read it nonstop. I can't wait for the next one.
July 14, 2020
It really took a bit of time to get into this book (about 33%) but that is what's required to set up the characters and their backgrounds It is the first book in the series (of 5) I'm not going to go through the plot, but it was different and British based. Certainly going to read the rest of the series...
December 18, 2024
A pretty intricate procedure, you have to remember who's who and how they all intermingle and who belongs to who.
The author is the best word-smith, but trying. (At least one man "blushes": do men actually blush much? I don't think so..)
I guess I'll buy number #2; there are 4.
The author is the best word-smith, but trying. (At least one man "blushes": do men actually blush much? I don't think so..)
I guess I'll buy number #2; there are 4.
December 8, 2024
Stand Point
A very good thriller. The story line moved along rapidly from one intriguing action to another. The ending tied up everything nicely. A book hard to put down.
A very good thriller. The story line moved along rapidly from one intriguing action to another. The ending tied up everything nicely. A book hard to put down.
Want to Read
January 4, 2019Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2019/01...
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2019/01...
August 21, 2016
Reading Standpoint will make you an Anglophile. The dialogue is crisply Brit, and the wit of the author bleeds through the pages as if a bullet hole had a spigot, open and closed at will. There is of course, a plot, but it is the mix of characters that really drives the story. The hero of the tale is made credible as a spy because he possesses no extraordinary talents, just tries to muddle through like the rest of us. We can't all be James Bond. The plot is well put together, and the fact that the hero is accessible makes us want him get the girl, and live to see another day, if only by accident.
February 9, 2018
Lots of action
Yes, maybe even too much action. All terribly complicated, no touch with reality - but that is par for the genre. I would actually delete the last chapter and let it end at the preceding one. But then I have been too spoiled by Smiley ... oh well, not for me another book in this series.
Yes, maybe even too much action. All terribly complicated, no touch with reality - but that is par for the genre. I would actually delete the last chapter and let it end at the preceding one. But then I have been too spoiled by Smiley ... oh well, not for me another book in this series.
February 14, 2018
Loved it
Oh my, this is my first book by this author,and I was surprised how I got into this without reading any others in the Thomas bladen series. It's well laid out so you just keep turning the pages. This author certainly knows how to keep readers entertained while he is writing. I so look forward to reading more in the series.
Oh my, this is my first book by this author,and I was surprised how I got into this without reading any others in the Thomas bladen series. It's well laid out so you just keep turning the pages. This author certainly knows how to keep readers entertained while he is writing. I so look forward to reading more in the series.
April 25, 2015
Photographer sucked in a web of intrigue
Well written and with very colorful characters. You will enjoy the dilemma that Thomas has with his love Miranda and the love hate relationship he has with his boss.
Well written and with very colorful characters. You will enjoy the dilemma that Thomas has with his love Miranda and the love hate relationship he has with his boss.
October 30, 2016
A very good read, if you like the 'spy' type novel genre. It's one that I've read several times and I must give it ten out of ten as there were bits I'd forgotten after my first reading and second time around it was still captivating.
May 27, 2017
I thought this was a decent book. It had a higher level of tension than most of the Brit Police Procedurals I read. My primary criticism is that many of the questions raised in the book were not answered at the end.
December 27, 2017
great read, couldn't put it down once l started to read
April 5, 2020
Good Yarn
Good read with enough double dealings to keep interested. Great characters. Unlikely hero makes it all the better!. Worth a read
Good read with enough double dealings to keep interested. Great characters. Unlikely hero makes it all the better!. Worth a read
February 5, 2021
Fantastic read. Gripping from start to finish, with more twists than a bucket of worms. Definitely recommended.
August 13, 2023
Standpoint by Derek Thompson is book 1 in the Thomas Bladen series. It is an espionage thriller. Thomas Bladen and his partner Karl McNeill are part of the Surveillance Support Unit, but they seem to caught up in more intricate investigations. Thomas is not really sure how much he can trust anyone. Events happen he can’t make sense of, and he is confused as he tries to come to terms with the secrecy and the lies. It was cleverly written as I didn’t know who to trust either. I really liked Thomas’s girlfriend, Miranda. She had real gumption and determination. The shadowy atmosphere of the whole setting fits the storyline well. This was a slow burn till near the end when it really ramped up.
February 23, 2021
The characters are well formed but I found this book confusing, to say the least. For me, a lot of the tongue-in-cheek humour didn’t work. Our ‘hero’, Thomas Bladen, seems to cry every second or third chapter, which gets rather annoying. The escape was contrived and I still don’t know how Miranda got to the bunker for the final showdown. Sheryl’s sporadic appearances seem a bit off at times too.
I downloaded the series but I won’t be reading the rest of it. Disappointing.
I downloaded the series but I won’t be reading the rest of it. Disappointing.
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June 16, 2021Disappointing
Was really looking forward to reading this book as going by the description it's just the sort of story I like. However the quarter of the way through nothing was making sense halfway through nothing was making sense and it wasn't until about three quarters of the way through that it's started to form some sort of picture. Very jumbly, very messy, loose ends everywhere a real shame
Was really looking forward to reading this book as going by the description it's just the sort of story I like. However the quarter of the way through nothing was making sense halfway through nothing was making sense and it wasn't until about three quarters of the way through that it's started to form some sort of picture. Very jumbly, very messy, loose ends everywhere a real shame
June 6, 2020
DNF I got to chapter 17 still don’t know what is going on I just can’t go on sorry
August 12, 2022
enjoyed this book
I really enjoyed this book and am moving on to book two. Love the wit and intrigue. Well written and developed story.
I really enjoyed this book and am moving on to book two. Love the wit and intrigue. Well written and developed story.
June 1, 2015
A Gripping Thriller Indeed!
This is a very exciting story! You don't know who are the good guys and who are the bad. This is a rollercoaster of a spy story.
The characters are a sorted bunch, and are at different skill levels at playing this spy game.
I think anyone who likes this genre will enjoy this story. I sure did.
This is a very exciting story! You don't know who are the good guys and who are the bad. This is a rollercoaster of a spy story.
The characters are a sorted bunch, and are at different skill levels at playing this spy game.
I think anyone who likes this genre will enjoy this story. I sure did.
April 30, 2015
i tried to like this book i just didnt warm to any of the characters...but i saw the book through to the end to see who the baddies were...
May 8, 2015
Good read for free
British settings.
British dialogue.
British style of humour and tenor.
Wanted unusual read about intelligence and high value intrigues among characters.
British settings.
British dialogue.
British style of humour and tenor.
Wanted unusual read about intelligence and high value intrigues among characters.
November 5, 2016
I found this story tedious and God knows how I made it to the end! It became an endurance test and I wasn't going to give in. I won't be reading the follow up!!!!
April 19, 2015
An intriguing British spy caper.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews