Sion Crossing

Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler #14

by Anthony Price

Book by Price, Anthony

Genres: Fiction, Espionage, Mystery

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Born in Hertfordshire in 1928, Price was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and Oxford. His long career in journalism culminated in the Editorship of the Oxford Times. His literary thrillers earned comparisons to the best of Graham Greene, Ernest Hemingway, and Robert Goddard.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is for the audiobook. This was the least enjoyable of the Audley series because of the bizarre narration. The baseline was in a heavy non-London accent of British English for no particular reason and then the U.S. Southern accents were just off, and British people had American accents for no reason, etc.
Otherwise this is a typical entry in the series. This time the history lesson is about the U.S. Civil War.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Price at his most Twisted

Clever plot lines abound in this later spy story of Anthony Price starring - in the background as usual - David Audley. If you’re looking for page turning action, this is not going to be your cuppa tea, although there is a Civil War re-enactment and a shoot out at Simon Crossing. However, if you like twists and turns and character development via the various characters’ analyses of the situation’ then you will find this to be excellent!

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pudgy Oliver, deputy of the Service, newly passed over for promotion is tempted away on a holiday to the United States where a vengeful enemy seeks retribution against David Audley. Fortunately for him Oliver has gone instead. Fortunately for Oliver his childhood reading of Fattypuffs and Thinifers goes some way to saving his bacon.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say?
It's Anthony Price.
It's more the world of le Carre than Fleming. More stiff upper lip, tea and crumpets, gentlemen's club than casino and fast cars.
It's full of intrigue and, I suppose, office politics, and betrayal.
Lovely jubbly.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Price providing yet another intriguing and cleverly plotted book involving British Intelligence thinker and strategist David Audley. Set in the mid-eighties, Oliver St John Latimer, the Deputy-Director of the Research and Development Section of British Intelligence is sold a story about a US Senator needing help to find Confederate gold hidden at Sion Crossing in Atlanta. Instead of passing this information to Audley, Latimer jumps at the chance to get one up on his rival. Things, however, are not quite as they seem and Latimer finds himself out of his depth and in danger. Back in London, Audley and his protege Paul Mitchell have to find their way to the truth. Fiendishly cunning book with clever turns - a must for any Anthony Price fan.

[Ned Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gripping read. I’d nary a clue where it was headed. Lots of false leads; a thrilling climax and it queued me up for “Here Be Monsters,” apparently. I’ll jump to a conclusion (likely ill-advised) that David Audley is “Smiley”-like in that he is a constant point of reference — in “Colonel Butler’s Wolf,” this one, and in “Monsters.” What a delight to have discovered Price due to a quality obit. My thirst for more le Carré nearly is slaked.

[Jessica Ahlros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jag läste denna bok på svenska där den heter skenmanöver. Jag kan inte påstå att jag har en aning om vad som faktiskt hände i denna bok. Eftersom den tydligen är del 14 i en serie är jag inte helt förvånad över att jag inte fått något grepp om karaktärerna i boken. Den var dock fängslande efter ca 100 sidor så jag läste ut den på en dag. Men ändå en skum läsupplevelse.
2⭐

[Beth Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually read via the Audible audiobook, but no Goodreads listing for that. I like that we see much of the book through the POV of a character that most of the other cast of characters dislikes. In some ways it's like Miles and Mark in the Vorkosigan books -- Oliver is fat, studious, and non-athletic, but he's still very good at what he does. He comes of reasonably well in an adventure where he was totally out of his depth and possibly became a better person (and agent) for it.