The Old Vengeful

Dr David Audley & Colonel Jack Butler #12

by Anthony Price

When David Audley, that most subtle of Intelligence chiefs, sends his insubordinate protege Paul Mitchell off to investigate a KGB operation by researching a long-forgotten naval engagement off France in 1812, it doesn't look to Mitchell as if it will lead anywhere. But the fate of the crew of the Vengeful has more than a few surprises in store for Mitchell and suddenly the past throws a dazzling and very dangerous light on the present.

Genres: Fiction, Espionage, British Literature, Novels, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

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

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-moving and clever yarn about an M16 investigation into a mysterious entry seen on a list of KGB "projects" - "The Old Vengeful." The story is told elliptically, and the investigator or agent is the likable if somewhat personally "tortured" professional historian Paul Mitchell, who reports to a mid-level operative named Dr. Audley.

The book seems like a purposeless whodunit at first as a number of fruitless dead ends are chased down - but the charm of the novel is in its deft descriptions, and of course the reader's sympathy for Mitchell, trapped by duty in a way, since he has no idea exactly what he is looking for at first.

The mystery comes together at the very end - unfortunately, I didn't find the ending that surprising although there was a shocking denouement near the end. There were perhaps one too many improbable plot twists at the very end. Still, the character of Mitchell is memorable and in his own way, endearing. I won't give any more away since that would be a spoiler.

This is a great book for anyone who likes thrillers, with some travel to WWI French battlefield sites and Paris thrown in. Price ended his mystery writing career when the USSR fell; "The Old Vengeful" written in the early '80s, prior to the advent of Gorbachev, still retained the Cold War "us vs them" paradigm or enmity that formed the basis of the world's tensions at the time, and of course provided the framework for so many thrillers and movies. The idea was to outsmart the KGB in general, but in particular, with respect to "The Old Vengeful" to figure out exactly what the significance of the project title was for the KGB. It took a lot of stumbling into false suppositions/theories before the truth finally emerged.

A couple of quotes:

[Dr. Paul Mitchell:] "She was good, and pretty as a picture with it, and I adored her, Elizabeth. ... Which is dead against the rules, and against all common sense as well, which is what rules are all about: 'gladiator, make no friends of gladiators' is the rule, and it's a good rule.'"

[Professor Basil Wilson Wilder:] "...that's what makes the historian, Miss Loftus, the sudden fertilization of knowledge by intelligence, to breed some tiny embryo of truth! Nurture it, Miss Loftus, nurture it and cherish it!"

"...if, when the Last Trump sounded, [the Portsmouth Plot] ... was all of immense importance in some ledger of human courage and constancy in adversity, it added up to nothing in the cruel and selfish priorities of now."

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1982, Anthony Price’s The Old Vengeful is a cold war spy novel with all the fast plotting, unexpected twists, faceless agencies, and wryly literate prose we came to enjoy from the genre. I have always had a soft spot for Le Carre and the like, and would in any case have read this with pleasure. I picked the book up, however, because I am a lover of Historic Naval Fiction and the cover picture (on the American edition) of a warship of the Napoleonic era caught my eye. Was there anything for a reader of HNF? Sure enough, while the plot unfolds in the here and now (well, 1982 seems contemporary to us oldsters), there is a good bit of naval history and adventure for the aficionado of HNF. It seems the Russian plot our heros are trying to foil is wrapped up in a warship, the HMS Vengeful. Problem is, there have been twelve Vengefuls through history and we don’t know which one holds the key. Most of the attention focuses on Vengeful number seven, a frigate. In 1812 she defeated a French frigate before being wrecked on the coast of Normandy. The crew was captured and imprisoned in Alsace. A group of them escaped, trying to make their way across France to freedom.

1812 was a pivotal year for Napoleon, and somehow these escaping English sailors are important to his grand strategy of conquering Russia and beyond. Why did Napoleon move heaven and earth to find these humble sailors? How does their story relate to the current KGB operation? Historian/spy Paul Mitchell is sent to find out, along with the daughter of the commander of Vengeful number eleven and a minder who reports to the rival of spymaster David Audley.

As Mitchell & Co move across England and France, dodging the KGB, the DST and old-fashioned gangsters, they uncover more and more about both the events of 1812 and their current situation. HNF fans are treated to a good deal of information about the French treatment of captured sailors, naval prisons and escapes. The line from Alsace to the Channel crosses some of the bloodiest battlefields of World War I, and Price makes sure readers don’t forget 1914-1918 as well.

I’m glad the cover picture caught my attention (even if it is an image of a brig, not a frigate). The Old Vengeful offers clean writing, classic nothing-is-as-it-seems plotting, and both details and strategy from the Napoleonic wars that may be new to even veteran readers of HNF.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Price has written some of the best espionage mysteries ever. THE OLD VENGEFUL is about right in the middle of the series which is best read in order, but can be read as stand-alone books. I can't recommend them highly enough.

[Keith Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Royal Navy has named twelve ships The Vengeful, no, thirteen, but it's the one sunk in 1812 which appears to excite the attention of the KGB. A wonderful mix of bluff, double bluff, misdirection and misinformation.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recent Listens: The Old Vengeful. Part of Anthony Price's Audley series of counter espionage novels, pits Paul Mitchell against a KGB plot that seems to involve the Napoleonic War escape of the crew of a naval ship from a French castle. What is the secret people are dying for? Plot and counterplot.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Price does it again. His stories are fascinating and well told. So much happens in conversations in comfy rooms, cafes, libraries and lounges. I bet this is the way real espionage happens.
British Intelligence has been tipped off that the Soviets are planning something very naughty. The only clue they have is the word "Vengeful" and the clever chaps led by David Audley start off their investigation by looking at a series of British Naval craft that went by that name... and suddenly one ship in particular starts to stand out, and interesting possibilities open up.

[Thelma]

It is SO HARD reading these old Anthony Price novels and being female at the same time. The historical knowledge they contain is so interesting, or else I wouldn't inflict this on myself. Price's books clearly could have been so much better. Price's advanced, nearly scientific ability to reproduce women's many traditional humiliations makes me wonder if "Anthony" wasn't a pseudonym.

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Price, after several David Audley novels which dealt with his character development, returns to the contempary novel with The Old Vengeful. What adds to the book's enjoyment is the return of Audley's protégé Paul Mitchell, who's history background brings it to life explaining the small details which could boring it is very engrossing. Mitchell last appeared in Tomorrow's Ghost where is partner Frances Fitzgibbons was murdered trying to save his life. His task is look in to a long-forgotten naval engagement off France in 1812, using notes provided by Elizabeth Loftus who's Naval father was writing an account prior to his death. What starts a straightforward job soon turns nasty forcing Mitchell, Loftus and an unwanted new partner to travel to France to research a Napoleonic ship called the Vengeful. However this is an Anthony Price novel and what you see is not alwaysa conventional spy with David Audley weaving his spell through this great novel.

[Deepti · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent espionage novel again steeped in trying to uncover old history . In this book the mystery goes to the 1800s naval history when things were fraught between England ( Farmer George )and France ( Bonaparte times). Through in some current times KGB hot on the trail and it becomes an interesting mystery again linking the past to uncover the present.

1 star off though for being extremely homophobic and for being sexist.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of the series, this is a good addition, with another trademark history lesson, this time with a fascinating counterfactual about POWs in 1812. Price also is starting to deal here with the casual sexism of the previous books/years. I appreciate the understated humor and preposterously elaborate puzzles in all these stories.

[Beth Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually read via the Audible audiobook, but no Goodreads listing for that. This one is somewhat flawed by giving away the Russian part of the plot early on, but it makes up for it with the historical mystery. I wish Elizabeth had a bit more confidence in herself, but given her horrible (and fortunately dead) father, it's totally understandable that she doesn't.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another reviewer suggested reading these in order and I would agree. The stories get more knotted as time goes by. This a good one and the first I puzzled out before the end!

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Vengeful" is a historical fishing trip featuring Paul Mitchell, WWI historian and spy. It's unclear what his mission is when superior David Audley sends him to investigate Elizabeth Loftus, history teacher and daughter of a deceased naval hero. It's hard to say more without giving away the plot, but Loftus and Mitchell travel to France accompanied by another agent, Aske, to find out what happened to the survivors of a long-sunk battleship.

I've never been interested in naval history and I particularly dislike war-related literature, but it's clear that Price knows his stuff. Reading this as part of the Crime Masterworks series, the mystery seems to be an academic exercise in picking through historical debris. The pedantic details are however sweetened by the cast of characters, especially the subtle romantic tension between the leads.

History buffs would appreciate this. It would also make for a solid movie, beginning especially with the intrigue of the prologue.

[Tom Allman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I REALLY wanted to like this book, but came away very disappointed. While I was drawn to the idea of this series, I am sincerely hoping that this book is not representative of the whole.
Mister Price failed to deliver a decent ending, though having ample opportunity.
I found the thinly veiled misogyny and the overt homophobia off-putting to say the least. Since I have a copy of "the Labyrinth Makers" on it's way, I will give that a try and hope for the best.