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Spyfall: A Stan Wade, LA PI Novel
In October 1959, someone is out for revenge against young L.A. PI, Stan Wade, who has solved a few cases for his main client, Walt Disney. When a CIA agent mistakenly dies in Stan’s place, Stan initiates a revenge investigation that leads him outside the country, and his own comfort zone, to stop a nuclear threat to Europe that will remain classified until 2012.
171 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 18, 2016
It's 1959 and Los Angeles private eye Stan Wade is living in a world populated by the rich, famous, and notorious.
He rubs shoulders with Walt Disney, for whom he sometimes does some investigative work; knows gangster Micky Cohen; has an office in the rear of the famed Brown Derby restaurant; has played bridge with Noel Coward; and knows his way around the mean streets.
So when Disney asks him to meet with former British-intelligence-officer-turned-author Ian Fleming, who has lately run into some trouble with the mobsters he keeps inserting into his James Bond novels, it doesn't seem like that big a deal. All he has to do is convince Fleming to write more about spies than gangsters and then square things with Cohen.
If only life were that simple.
Author John Hegenberger has crafted an enormously entertaining novel in "Spyfall," a semi-noir romp that takes Wade from the sunny streets of Hollywood to Jamaica, England, Germany (both East and West), and France as he, Fleming, Disney, and their erstwhile companions try to track down secret Soviet plans and rescue a captured American agent.
Wade is an interesting character. An orphan, Disney has kept an eye on him throughout much of his life, honoring a promise he made to Wade's parents before they died. He has a beautiful girlfriend, lives on a boat, is making enough money to get by, and generally keeps his nose clean. He can be a little dense sometimes and he's prone to lose his temper on occasion, but basically he's not a bad guy. He finds himself in the middle of an international espionage case almost by accident and is astonished when he learns that "Uncle Walt" has been working for the U.S. government for many years in an effort to root out Soviet spies.
That, however, isn't the only surprise in store for Wade but I'm not about to spill the beans here. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot of this novel along with some thrill-a-minute chase scenes and more than one gun battle.
Hegenberger's narrative is a little choppy in places but it's easy to forgive that because the story moves along at a rapid-fire pace and is filled with film references and cameo appearances by a lot of entertainment VIPs ranging from Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward to a young GI named Elvis Presley, who helps Wade out of a tough spot.
The verdict: A really good story filled with all sorts of interesting characters and a novel I highly recommend.
He rubs shoulders with Walt Disney, for whom he sometimes does some investigative work; knows gangster Micky Cohen; has an office in the rear of the famed Brown Derby restaurant; has played bridge with Noel Coward; and knows his way around the mean streets.
So when Disney asks him to meet with former British-intelligence-officer-turned-author Ian Fleming, who has lately run into some trouble with the mobsters he keeps inserting into his James Bond novels, it doesn't seem like that big a deal. All he has to do is convince Fleming to write more about spies than gangsters and then square things with Cohen.
If only life were that simple.
Author John Hegenberger has crafted an enormously entertaining novel in "Spyfall," a semi-noir romp that takes Wade from the sunny streets of Hollywood to Jamaica, England, Germany (both East and West), and France as he, Fleming, Disney, and their erstwhile companions try to track down secret Soviet plans and rescue a captured American agent.
Wade is an interesting character. An orphan, Disney has kept an eye on him throughout much of his life, honoring a promise he made to Wade's parents before they died. He has a beautiful girlfriend, lives on a boat, is making enough money to get by, and generally keeps his nose clean. He can be a little dense sometimes and he's prone to lose his temper on occasion, but basically he's not a bad guy. He finds himself in the middle of an international espionage case almost by accident and is astonished when he learns that "Uncle Walt" has been working for the U.S. government for many years in an effort to root out Soviet spies.
That, however, isn't the only surprise in store for Wade but I'm not about to spill the beans here. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot of this novel along with some thrill-a-minute chase scenes and more than one gun battle.
Hegenberger's narrative is a little choppy in places but it's easy to forgive that because the story moves along at a rapid-fire pace and is filled with film references and cameo appearances by a lot of entertainment VIPs ranging from Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward to a young GI named Elvis Presley, who helps Wade out of a tough spot.
The verdict: A really good story filled with all sorts of interesting characters and a novel I highly recommend.
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May 6, 2017I bought this for my husband some time ago as a gift. I didn't plan to read it myself as this author is spitting out one book after another in his series while I can't seem to finish the second book in my own series. My husband read it and enjoyed it. I now needed to find a home for this book and was packing it up to send to my brother and his wife in Boise, Idaho. I made the mistake of reading a little bit of it, then more, and the next day I finished the book - faster than I should've read, but I needed to know the ending. If you have the time to read and not afraid of getting hooked on a series where the author puts new books out quickly, you'll love this. I don't even want to try to describe it other than to say a private detective in the late 50s working in LA with clients like Walt Disney. I have no idea what genre to call this book, but it's humorous and interesting page by page.
September 9, 2018
A lot of fun and nostalgic
One of my friends and her husband read another of the author's books, Tripl3 Cross. They called it whimsical. I think that's perfect. The author obviously knows a lot about the silver screen (he wrote a book about collecting silver screen memorabilia). He also obviously researched the area of East Berlin where much of the book takes place and is spot on when it comes to the technology and culture of the late 50s. I was very impressed by the detailed descriptions of the group's movements and how the surroundings appeared. I loved the fact that Stan Wade was traveling and involved in spy activities with Walt Disney and Ian Fleming. Such fun!
The writing style, while whimsical, is, nevertheless, good. Try it. You'll like it. Gee, do those words sound familiar?
One of my friends and her husband read another of the author's books, Tripl3 Cross. They called it whimsical. I think that's perfect. The author obviously knows a lot about the silver screen (he wrote a book about collecting silver screen memorabilia). He also obviously researched the area of East Berlin where much of the book takes place and is spot on when it comes to the technology and culture of the late 50s. I was very impressed by the detailed descriptions of the group's movements and how the surroundings appeared. I loved the fact that Stan Wade was traveling and involved in spy activities with Walt Disney and Ian Fleming. Such fun!
The writing style, while whimsical, is, nevertheless, good. Try it. You'll like it. Gee, do those words sound familiar?
November 16, 2015
A sheer delight! Spyfall captures the flavor of Hollywood’s golden era. It is a fast-paced thriller. It’s “The Thin Man” laced with the spicy intrigue of James Bond. The tongue-in-cheek irreverence kept a smile on my face. Stan Wade is down-to-earth, extremely likable and believable. I couldn’t put the book down. Spyfall is a diverting caper that everyone must read.
Merged review:
A sheer delight! Spyfall captures the flavor of Hollywood’s golden era. It is a fast-paced thriller. It’s “The Thin Man” laced with the spicy intrigue of James Bond. The tongue-in-cheek irreverence kept a smile on my face. Stan Wade is down-to-earth, extremely likable and believable. I couldn’t put the book down. Spyfall is a diverting caper that everyone must read.
Merged review:
A sheer delight! Spyfall captures the flavor of Hollywood’s golden era. It is a fast-paced thriller. It’s “The Thin Man” laced with the spicy intrigue of James Bond. The tongue-in-cheek irreverence kept a smile on my face. Stan Wade is down-to-earth, extremely likable and believable. I couldn’t put the book down. Spyfall is a diverting caper that everyone must read.
November 13, 2015
Hollywood, the Brown Derby, Walt Disney, Ian Flemming, Elvis, U2 spying, those gastly Russians, all before the Berlin wall came tumbling down. A fast paced old style gumshoe that also makes one smile - a great yarn without being preachy or trying to proove a point - entertainment at its highest peak with several twists that will take you by surprise. We need more books like this. Book 1 in what I understrand will be a series. Trust the others will be as exciting.
May 12, 2016
Lots of fun!
This is a great way to get into a whole new idea. 1959, Los Angeles, private eyes, who could ask for anything more, or less? And if you think this was good you should read the rest of the books in the series. Ha, Ha.
This is a great way to get into a whole new idea. 1959, Los Angeles, private eyes, who could ask for anything more, or less? And if you think this was good you should read the rest of the books in the series. Ha, Ha.
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April 27, 2016Review to follow
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews