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Requiem for a Glass Heart
Sensing that they are being set up, an Eastern European assassin and an undercover DEA agent cross paths at a summit meeting of international crime lords and must choose between their true selves and their secret identities
681 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
19 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
David L. Lindsey
29 books92 followersI’m a native Texan, and I spent my early years a few miles from the Mexican border in Starr County. Eventually my family moved to West Texas where I grew up in the oil fields and ranches of the Colorado River valley northwest of San Angelo. After graduating from North Texas State University and spending a year in graduate school (focusing on 19th century European literature), I moved to Austin in 1970 where my wife, Joyce, and I still live.
Although I wanted to try my hand at writing fiction after graduate school, Joyce and I had two small children, and the often-rocky road to publishing and establishing a writing career seemed a risky proposition that I couldn’t afford to take at that point. I took an editing job with a small regional press and spent the next decade knocking around in a variety of jobs, including running my own small publishing company for a few years, and editing books in the humanities for the University of Texas Press.
Finally, in 1980, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer to try my hand at fiction. Knowing I couldn’t afford to write for nothing, I decided to increase my odds of getting published by researching what kinds of fiction had the best chance of finding a publisher. Mystery novels rose to the top of my research results. I don’t think I’d ever read a “mystery novel” at that time, but I immediately bought a representative collection of twenty-five popular, famous, and classic mystery novels, including British and European writers. After reading these, and many more, I realized that the “genre” encompassed a startling variety of work, everything from Mickey Spillane to Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Two years later I began my writing career by publishing two mystery novels in the same year. Thirty-odd years later I’ve just finished my 15th novel. Though I began writing in the mystery genre, I eventually went on to write fiction in other areas, mostly dealing with the criminal, national, and private intelligence professions.
When I’m not writing, I spend most of my time in my library. My other pleasure is gardening and landscape work, though where I live in the hilly streets of west Austin, “gardening” most often looks like wrestling with nature, rather than gently nurturing it. Still, though it’s a lot of work, it’s a great pleasure to watch things grow. Joyce and I now sit in the shade of trees that are forty feet tall that we planted when we first moved to this place nearly thirty years ago. That’s a good thing.
Although I wanted to try my hand at writing fiction after graduate school, Joyce and I had two small children, and the often-rocky road to publishing and establishing a writing career seemed a risky proposition that I couldn’t afford to take at that point. I took an editing job with a small regional press and spent the next decade knocking around in a variety of jobs, including running my own small publishing company for a few years, and editing books in the humanities for the University of Texas Press.
Finally, in 1980, I decided I couldn’t wait any longer to try my hand at fiction. Knowing I couldn’t afford to write for nothing, I decided to increase my odds of getting published by researching what kinds of fiction had the best chance of finding a publisher. Mystery novels rose to the top of my research results. I don’t think I’d ever read a “mystery novel” at that time, but I immediately bought a representative collection of twenty-five popular, famous, and classic mystery novels, including British and European writers. After reading these, and many more, I realized that the “genre” encompassed a startling variety of work, everything from Mickey Spillane to Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Two years later I began my writing career by publishing two mystery novels in the same year. Thirty-odd years later I’ve just finished my 15th novel. Though I began writing in the mystery genre, I eventually went on to write fiction in other areas, mostly dealing with the criminal, national, and private intelligence professions.
When I’m not writing, I spend most of my time in my library. My other pleasure is gardening and landscape work, though where I live in the hilly streets of west Austin, “gardening” most often looks like wrestling with nature, rather than gently nurturing it. Still, though it’s a lot of work, it’s a great pleasure to watch things grow. Joyce and I now sit in the shade of trees that are forty feet tall that we planted when we first moved to this place nearly thirty years ago. That’s a good thing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 5, 2017
Der beste zweisträngige Thriller, den ich je gelesen habe. Der beste von David L. Lindsey sowieso, der die konzeptionsbedingten Nachteile weitest gehend vermeidet oder sogar zum Vorteil in Sachen spannender Entwicklung oder Charakterisierung seiner Heldinnen nutzt.
Wer meine bisherigen Thriller-Rezis gelesen hat, weiß wie sehr ich jene Gattung von Spannungsromanen hasse, in deren Verlauf der Erzähler ständig zwischen einem brillanten Bösewicht und einem sympathischen Ermittler hin und her springt. Denn entweder kommt der Ordnungshüter in geradezu traumwandlerischer Sicherheit jeder noch so heimtückischen Schliche auf die Spur oder der Wahrer unserer westlichen Werte stolpert so traudüdelig von einem Tatort zum nächsten, dass die abschließende Schlussrauferei alias Showdown irgendwie ziemlich gewaltsam herbei geführt werden muss und irgendwie unglaubwürdig wirkt. Im 21. Jahrhundert liefert zumeist ein Team von Forensikern ein ganzes Arsenal von Hinweisschildern auf bislang übersehene Fakten. Requiem für ein Herz aus Glas ist etwa 20 Jahre alt und von daher spielen die später so überaus populären Laborratten noch keine Rolle, dafür sind Implantate (Sender nicht Silikon) der letzte Schrei in Sachen Überwachungstechnik.
Die Stuart Haydon Romane von David L. Lindsey haben einen großen Anteil daran, dass mir diese Wechselspiele zwischen abartigem Finsterling und Muster-Gutmensch ziemlich verhasst sind, obwohl ich beim Erstkontakt mit diesem Autor Dunkles Leuchten auf ein verhältnismäßig gelungenes Beispiel dieser Technik gestoßen bin und jeden Mord der Killerin genossen habe, obwohl sie wirklich und gern für die Bösen gearbeitet hat. Eine entsprechend hohe Erwartungshaltung an einen Autor mit durchgehend guter Beschreibungskunst und angenehm lesbarem Stil war die Folge. Ab seinem Opus 5 Teuflisch steigt die Qualität auch auf der inhaltlichen Ebene zwar deutlich an, aber Dunkles Leuchten war inzwischen fast schon zum mythischen Maßstab mutiert, als ich mich zwischen den Jahren noch einmal an das bereits zwei mal nach Kapitel 1 und dem ersten Doppelmord in der Honigfalle zurück gestellte Requiem für ein Herz aus Glas heran wagte.
Nach 90 Seiten war mir klar, dass es Lindsey gelingt, dem Leser alles mitzuteilen, ohne ihn je zu langweilen oder gar in das übliche Schema zu verfallen, weil er Killerin und Agentin beide zu Sympathieträgern aufbaut. Während Killerin Irina auf den finalen Coup vorbereitet wird, lernt die vom FBI für eine Mission gegen das organisierte Verbrechen reaktivierte Undercover-Witwe Cate Cuevas die objektiven Fakten über den Russen-Mafia-Boss Krupatin kennen, den sie während dessen Aufenthalt in Houston als Lockvogel aufreißen soll. Das heißt Cate lernt jene Fakten kennen, die sie zum Zeitpunkt der Einweisung wissen soll, während des Einsatzes kommt noch so manches an persönlicher Vorgeschichte der Beteiligten im Überwachungsteam zu Tage, das nicht nur die Undercoveragentin erbleichen lässt.
Allerdings haben weder Cate noch ihre Auftraggeber anfangs Irina auf der Liste und auch nicht die beiden anderen Großkriminellen Bontante und Wei Tsing, die sie im Rahmen eines geheimen Gipfeltreffens der großen Bosse für ihrem Meister eliminieren soll. Insofern ist Cate, bis zum finalen Showdown immer den typischen Schritt oder zwei hinter dem eigentlichen Geschehen hinterher, auch wenn sie immer mehr ins Zentrum des Geschehens vorrückt. Andererseits ist der aufmerksame Leser, den Lindsay bei seinem optimal ausbalancierten Thriller um die wachsende Nähe zwischen einer Auftragskillerin und einer praktisch dem Informationsgewinn aufgeopferten Undercoveragentin nie langweilt, als einziger voll im Bilde. Im großen Finale gewinnt sogar Bargeschwätz zwischen zwei Immobilientanten aus der Anfangsphase an Relevanz, während das Ü-Team, das Cate in Sachen Empfangspause bei horizontalen Aktivitäten herein gelegt hat, plötzlich kein Signal mehr bekommt. Mehr sollte ich wirklich nicht spoilern, auch Irinas Arsenal an Mordmethoden behalte ich für mich, aber wer den strengen Moralisten David L. Lindsey kennt, kann sich denken, dass sie ihre Quittung Insofern bleibt zuletzt doch gewissermaßen alles beim Alten im Genre und auch in der kriminellen Welt, auch wenn die Namen wechseln wie Cate beim Abschluss ihrer persönlichen Mission erfährt, mit der sie Irinas letzten Willen erfüllt und den Anspruch des Titels einlöst.
In Sachen Gebrauch und Missbrauch von Menschen halte ich den anderswo beklagten Vergleich mit John Le Carré im Klappentext der englischen Ausgabe für angemessen. Ansonsten ist Requiem für ein Herz aus Glas jedem mit bekannten Roman des Altmeisters der skeptischen Spionageliteratur in jeder Hinsicht überlegen. Mit etlichen kriminell gewordenen kalten Kriegern des KGB gibt es vielleicht auch eine zweite Vergleichsebene, ich würde allerdings eher Teuflisch als Lindseys Ausflug ins JLC-Land bezeichnen, auch wenn der letzte Stuart-Haydon-Roman in einer lateinamerikanischen Diktatur spielt.
Wer meine bisherigen Thriller-Rezis gelesen hat, weiß wie sehr ich jene Gattung von Spannungsromanen hasse, in deren Verlauf der Erzähler ständig zwischen einem brillanten Bösewicht und einem sympathischen Ermittler hin und her springt. Denn entweder kommt der Ordnungshüter in geradezu traumwandlerischer Sicherheit jeder noch so heimtückischen Schliche auf die Spur oder der Wahrer unserer westlichen Werte stolpert so traudüdelig von einem Tatort zum nächsten, dass die abschließende Schlussrauferei alias Showdown irgendwie ziemlich gewaltsam herbei geführt werden muss und irgendwie unglaubwürdig wirkt. Im 21. Jahrhundert liefert zumeist ein Team von Forensikern ein ganzes Arsenal von Hinweisschildern auf bislang übersehene Fakten. Requiem für ein Herz aus Glas ist etwa 20 Jahre alt und von daher spielen die später so überaus populären Laborratten noch keine Rolle, dafür sind Implantate (Sender nicht Silikon) der letzte Schrei in Sachen Überwachungstechnik.
Die Stuart Haydon Romane von David L. Lindsey haben einen großen Anteil daran, dass mir diese Wechselspiele zwischen abartigem Finsterling und Muster-Gutmensch ziemlich verhasst sind, obwohl ich beim Erstkontakt mit diesem Autor Dunkles Leuchten auf ein verhältnismäßig gelungenes Beispiel dieser Technik gestoßen bin und jeden Mord der Killerin genossen habe, obwohl sie wirklich und gern für die Bösen gearbeitet hat. Eine entsprechend hohe Erwartungshaltung an einen Autor mit durchgehend guter Beschreibungskunst und angenehm lesbarem Stil war die Folge. Ab seinem Opus 5 Teuflisch steigt die Qualität auch auf der inhaltlichen Ebene zwar deutlich an, aber Dunkles Leuchten war inzwischen fast schon zum mythischen Maßstab mutiert, als ich mich zwischen den Jahren noch einmal an das bereits zwei mal nach Kapitel 1 und dem ersten Doppelmord in der Honigfalle zurück gestellte Requiem für ein Herz aus Glas heran wagte.
Nach 90 Seiten war mir klar, dass es Lindsey gelingt, dem Leser alles mitzuteilen, ohne ihn je zu langweilen oder gar in das übliche Schema zu verfallen, weil er Killerin und Agentin beide zu Sympathieträgern aufbaut. Während Killerin Irina auf den finalen Coup vorbereitet wird, lernt die vom FBI für eine Mission gegen das organisierte Verbrechen reaktivierte Undercover-Witwe Cate Cuevas die objektiven Fakten über den Russen-Mafia-Boss Krupatin kennen, den sie während dessen Aufenthalt in Houston als Lockvogel aufreißen soll. Das heißt Cate lernt jene Fakten kennen, die sie zum Zeitpunkt der Einweisung wissen soll, während des Einsatzes kommt noch so manches an persönlicher Vorgeschichte der Beteiligten im Überwachungsteam zu Tage, das nicht nur die Undercoveragentin erbleichen lässt.
Allerdings haben weder Cate noch ihre Auftraggeber anfangs Irina auf der Liste und auch nicht die beiden anderen Großkriminellen Bontante und Wei Tsing, die sie im Rahmen eines geheimen Gipfeltreffens der großen Bosse für ihrem Meister eliminieren soll. Insofern ist Cate, bis zum finalen Showdown immer den typischen Schritt oder zwei hinter dem eigentlichen Geschehen hinterher, auch wenn sie immer mehr ins Zentrum des Geschehens vorrückt. Andererseits ist der aufmerksame Leser, den Lindsay bei seinem optimal ausbalancierten Thriller um die wachsende Nähe zwischen einer Auftragskillerin und einer praktisch dem Informationsgewinn aufgeopferten Undercoveragentin nie langweilt, als einziger voll im Bilde. Im großen Finale gewinnt sogar Bargeschwätz zwischen zwei Immobilientanten aus der Anfangsphase an Relevanz, während das Ü-Team, das Cate in Sachen Empfangspause bei horizontalen Aktivitäten herein gelegt hat, plötzlich kein Signal mehr bekommt. Mehr sollte ich wirklich nicht spoilern, auch Irinas Arsenal an Mordmethoden behalte ich für mich, aber wer den strengen Moralisten David L. Lindsey kennt, kann sich denken, dass sie ihre Quittung Insofern bleibt zuletzt doch gewissermaßen alles beim Alten im Genre und auch in der kriminellen Welt, auch wenn die Namen wechseln wie Cate beim Abschluss ihrer persönlichen Mission erfährt, mit der sie Irinas letzten Willen erfüllt und den Anspruch des Titels einlöst.
In Sachen Gebrauch und Missbrauch von Menschen halte ich den anderswo beklagten Vergleich mit John Le Carré im Klappentext der englischen Ausgabe für angemessen. Ansonsten ist Requiem für ein Herz aus Glas jedem mit bekannten Roman des Altmeisters der skeptischen Spionageliteratur in jeder Hinsicht überlegen. Mit etlichen kriminell gewordenen kalten Kriegern des KGB gibt es vielleicht auch eine zweite Vergleichsebene, ich würde allerdings eher Teuflisch als Lindseys Ausflug ins JLC-Land bezeichnen, auch wenn der letzte Stuart-Haydon-Roman in einer lateinamerikanischen Diktatur spielt.
June 25, 2017
Gosh, I'm sure getting hard to please lately, aren't I?
This is, I think, the 8th DNF for me so far this year.
Psychological suspense has long been one of my favourite genres. Over 20 years ago, when anyone would ask me for recommendations, three novels would immediately spring to mind: The Silence of the Lambs, Mortal Fear (Greg Iles), and Mercy by David L. Lindsey.
Now all these years later I decided to read another book by Mr. Lindsey. Aaand at 30% in I had to throw the towel in.
This isn't a bad book, but I'm just not feeling it. I can pretty much see where it's heading, and, well I think I'd rather spend my time with something...different.
I'm also getting this sense of the writer's male fantasies at work here (coincidentally enough, similar to the reason I gave up on Greg Iles), and frankly it reads like a run of the mill 80s thriller for the big screen.
I'm probably not giving this a fair chance, but I'm feeling impatient lately and feel well within my rights to move on. I have the feeling if I finished it I'd give it 3 stars, so let's give it that.
This is, I think, the 8th DNF for me so far this year.
Psychological suspense has long been one of my favourite genres. Over 20 years ago, when anyone would ask me for recommendations, three novels would immediately spring to mind: The Silence of the Lambs, Mortal Fear (Greg Iles), and Mercy by David L. Lindsey.
Now all these years later I decided to read another book by Mr. Lindsey. Aaand at 30% in I had to throw the towel in.
This isn't a bad book, but I'm just not feeling it. I can pretty much see where it's heading, and, well I think I'd rather spend my time with something...different.
I'm also getting this sense of the writer's male fantasies at work here (coincidentally enough, similar to the reason I gave up on Greg Iles), and frankly it reads like a run of the mill 80s thriller for the big screen.
I'm probably not giving this a fair chance, but I'm feeling impatient lately and feel well within my rights to move on. I have the feeling if I finished it I'd give it 3 stars, so let's give it that.
July 16, 2015
the greatest crime novel of all time (my personal favourite) :)
March 13, 2020
REQUIEM FOR A GLASS HEART [1996] By David L. Lindsey
My Review Five Stars*****
I finished the last page of this beautifully crafted story last night, and its climax was a tear jerking punch in the gut. Yes, I felt the tears in my eyes and the moisture on my cheeks. The subsequent conclusion of the novel was a poignant yet not wholly unexpected finale after the shocking showdown that had previously played out involving the two primary characters, Irina and Cate. I encountered something in one of the Editorial Reviews about Lindsey's writing that I experienced first hand and I would like to share in this review of my own because I found it to be incredibly on point. " ...Lindsey has long ruled that grim land where acts of despicable evil can be committed by people for whom readers' hearts are breaking". His style is elegant and his observations into the psyches of his characters penetrating. I thought about this novel and its emotional impact long after I finished reading it.
It has been nearly a quarter of a decade since this novel was published, arguably a timeless, utterly haunting literary classic of the espionage genre, and certainly the most riveting, suspense-laden, emotionally charged spy novel I have ever come across. Lindsey has been compared to John le Carre, and I read quite a few espionage thrillers during the time frame that Lindsey published Requiem For A Glass Heart [1996]. Somehow I never became acquainted with any of his works at the time which was certainly my loss.
Lindsey initially delved into the crime fiction genre, more specifically the realm of the serial killer. It was somewhat later that he proved his gravitas in the field of the international thriller genre. A list was published a few years back on Britain's Crime Fiction Lover.com [Serial Killer Novels 10 Of The Best]. One of the books listed was MERCY by David L. Lindsey, and I have been determined to read it ever since. Unfortunately, at the time his early works (including Mercy) were not available in ebook format. Recently my library system notified me that they had purchased a copy of Requiem For A Glass Heart [1996]. This prompted me to do another search for his works on Amazon and I also found An Absence Of Light [1994]. MERCY [1990] and another one of his novels I'd love to read A COLD MIND [1983] is simply not available. Like MERCY, it is well known to fans of serial killer fiction in its groundbreaking impact on a fledgling genre at the time.
So you might accurately conclude that I sort of stumbled onto the works of David L. Lindsey by sheer accident. My go-to genres these days are principally serial killer thrillers, psychological suspense, police procedurals, and hard boiled mysteries. Having said that, this novel I just finished, Requiem For A Glass Heart, is likely to stick with me until the end of my time. There are literally only a half dozen or so books that I have ever read that are in the distinct category of being utterly and completely unforgettable. This is one of them. I cannot begin to describe the incredible talent of Lindsey. It's like his characters walk right off the page...The story pulled me in immediately, and mesmerized me from beginning to end. He has the ability to paint a vision with his words that is so real that you can not only "see" the scene in your mind's eye, but also feel that a part of you has become actually immersed in the colorful sensational tapestry of the narrative he spins. His fictional characters feel that they are human enough to reach out and touch so explicit and full-bodied is the character development in even some of the more peripheral players on his world stage. This gripping novel has it all, from international atmospheres that range from countries all over the globe to a complex plot containing the full spectrum of human emotions and motivations. It is profoundly atmospheric, wonderfully complex, and incredibly haunting. This superbly crafted, complex story never slows down for a moment. As a reader I felt spell bound, my emotions held hostage, until I finished reading the final sentence.
Finally, I have a single criticism and that is the poor editing. Reviewers on Amazon made remarks like "riddled with typos", "simply stupid punctuation" (I especially liked "... the typos were killing me! - Cate/Gate/Care as an example - it's so frustrating..." but frankly, that is being all too kind. I found the editing job on this Kindle edition to be absolutely infuriating and completely inexcusable. I totally agree with a reader who dubbed it the "worst edited book on the kindle market". Not unsurprisingly there are but a dozen or so reviews on Amazon and many of the poor ratings were rants that should be directed at an absent, inept, or inebriated editor. The story itself flows from the pen of a truly gifted author and it is a shame that such a worthy entry in the espionage genre should be printed and circulated to readers with such an easily preventable flaw.
My Review Five Stars*****
I finished the last page of this beautifully crafted story last night, and its climax was a tear jerking punch in the gut. Yes, I felt the tears in my eyes and the moisture on my cheeks. The subsequent conclusion of the novel was a poignant yet not wholly unexpected finale after the shocking showdown that had previously played out involving the two primary characters, Irina and Cate. I encountered something in one of the Editorial Reviews about Lindsey's writing that I experienced first hand and I would like to share in this review of my own because I found it to be incredibly on point. " ...Lindsey has long ruled that grim land where acts of despicable evil can be committed by people for whom readers' hearts are breaking". His style is elegant and his observations into the psyches of his characters penetrating. I thought about this novel and its emotional impact long after I finished reading it.
It has been nearly a quarter of a decade since this novel was published, arguably a timeless, utterly haunting literary classic of the espionage genre, and certainly the most riveting, suspense-laden, emotionally charged spy novel I have ever come across. Lindsey has been compared to John le Carre, and I read quite a few espionage thrillers during the time frame that Lindsey published Requiem For A Glass Heart [1996]. Somehow I never became acquainted with any of his works at the time which was certainly my loss.
Lindsey initially delved into the crime fiction genre, more specifically the realm of the serial killer. It was somewhat later that he proved his gravitas in the field of the international thriller genre. A list was published a few years back on Britain's Crime Fiction Lover.com [Serial Killer Novels 10 Of The Best]. One of the books listed was MERCY by David L. Lindsey, and I have been determined to read it ever since. Unfortunately, at the time his early works (including Mercy) were not available in ebook format. Recently my library system notified me that they had purchased a copy of Requiem For A Glass Heart [1996]. This prompted me to do another search for his works on Amazon and I also found An Absence Of Light [1994]. MERCY [1990] and another one of his novels I'd love to read A COLD MIND [1983] is simply not available. Like MERCY, it is well known to fans of serial killer fiction in its groundbreaking impact on a fledgling genre at the time.
So you might accurately conclude that I sort of stumbled onto the works of David L. Lindsey by sheer accident. My go-to genres these days are principally serial killer thrillers, psychological suspense, police procedurals, and hard boiled mysteries. Having said that, this novel I just finished, Requiem For A Glass Heart, is likely to stick with me until the end of my time. There are literally only a half dozen or so books that I have ever read that are in the distinct category of being utterly and completely unforgettable. This is one of them. I cannot begin to describe the incredible talent of Lindsey. It's like his characters walk right off the page...The story pulled me in immediately, and mesmerized me from beginning to end. He has the ability to paint a vision with his words that is so real that you can not only "see" the scene in your mind's eye, but also feel that a part of you has become actually immersed in the colorful sensational tapestry of the narrative he spins. His fictional characters feel that they are human enough to reach out and touch so explicit and full-bodied is the character development in even some of the more peripheral players on his world stage. This gripping novel has it all, from international atmospheres that range from countries all over the globe to a complex plot containing the full spectrum of human emotions and motivations. It is profoundly atmospheric, wonderfully complex, and incredibly haunting. This superbly crafted, complex story never slows down for a moment. As a reader I felt spell bound, my emotions held hostage, until I finished reading the final sentence.
Finally, I have a single criticism and that is the poor editing. Reviewers on Amazon made remarks like "riddled with typos", "simply stupid punctuation" (I especially liked "... the typos were killing me! - Cate/Gate/Care as an example - it's so frustrating..." but frankly, that is being all too kind. I found the editing job on this Kindle edition to be absolutely infuriating and completely inexcusable. I totally agree with a reader who dubbed it the "worst edited book on the kindle market". Not unsurprisingly there are but a dozen or so reviews on Amazon and many of the poor ratings were rants that should be directed at an absent, inept, or inebriated editor. The story itself flows from the pen of a truly gifted author and it is a shame that such a worthy entry in the espionage genre should be printed and circulated to readers with such an easily preventable flaw.
October 5, 2019
Interesante y entretenido thriller éste que nos ofrece David Lindsey. Si bien de alguna forma resulta predecible en su trama, en ciertos personajes que manifiestan estereotipos, y en su desenlace, se trata de una novela plena de acción, que nos hace pasear por distintos lugares del mundo mientras asistimos , entre ingeniosos asesinatos, a una lucha por el poder en el mundo de la mafia, con sus jefes despiadados, sus lugartenientes y sus matones arquetípicos; y, al mismo tiempo, a los esfuerzos, por parte de un grupo de agentes internacionales para darles caza y poner fin a su operación criminal. Lucha en la qué los distintos personajes van moviéndose según sus propios criterios y en defensa de sus propios intereses.
Las protagonistas son dos mujeres, Irina, una asesina profesional, y Cate, una agente encubierta del FBI, cuyas historias se van narrando en forma alternada. En estas historias, que, naturalmente van confluyendo hasta entrelazarse, vemos a dos personajes tratados con profundidad psicológica, que, con sus pensamientos, sentimientos, y acciones, van conduciendo los sucesos a lo largo de la novela, dándole a ésta una mayor fuerza dramática, que traspasa al relato meramente criminal, agregándole un plus de calidad a una obra cuya lectura, desde ya, recomendamos.
https://sobrevolandolecturas.blogspot...
Las protagonistas son dos mujeres, Irina, una asesina profesional, y Cate, una agente encubierta del FBI, cuyas historias se van narrando en forma alternada. En estas historias, que, naturalmente van confluyendo hasta entrelazarse, vemos a dos personajes tratados con profundidad psicológica, que, con sus pensamientos, sentimientos, y acciones, van conduciendo los sucesos a lo largo de la novela, dándole a ésta una mayor fuerza dramática, que traspasa al relato meramente criminal, agregándole un plus de calidad a una obra cuya lectura, desde ya, recomendamos.
https://sobrevolandolecturas.blogspot...
August 14, 2020
4.5 stars. The pacing of this novel was exquisite.
Towards the end though, one of the main characters starts to talk so much which is very uncharacteristic of her when killing, but one has to take into consideration her particular attachment to the victim, which allows me to forgive the writing and continue reading.
Krupatin’s end game for the organization will always be a mystery. But the point of the story is his end game for Irina.
Sometime in the beginning, when Irina talks about her plans in disappearing with her child, one gets the idea that it’s not going to happen. Because it will only be a continuation of the status quo, this time constantly hiding. Irina needed Cate to provide a new life for Felia. A life still familiar to her own, but one with much lower chances of violence and the need to escape, that only Cate can provide.
I love this book because it has brought me out of the romantic happily ever after a to the harsh world we live in that may not accommodate the HEA.
Well written, excellent rhythm especially in the telling and not showing parts. Awesome first book from David Lindsey.
Thank you Tita She Agregado for insisting I read this book. I finally did after 15 years that you decided to just give it to me.
Towards the end though, one of the main characters starts to talk so much which is very uncharacteristic of her when killing, but one has to take into consideration her particular attachment to the victim, which allows me to forgive the writing and continue reading.
Krupatin’s end game for the organization will always be a mystery. But the point of the story is his end game for Irina.
Sometime in the beginning, when Irina talks about her plans in disappearing with her child, one gets the idea that it’s not going to happen. Because it will only be a continuation of the status quo, this time constantly hiding. Irina needed Cate to provide a new life for Felia. A life still familiar to her own, but one with much lower chances of violence and the need to escape, that only Cate can provide.
I love this book because it has brought me out of the romantic happily ever after a to the harsh world we live in that may not accommodate the HEA.
Well written, excellent rhythm especially in the telling and not showing parts. Awesome first book from David Lindsey.
Thank you Tita She Agregado for insisting I read this book. I finally did after 15 years that you decided to just give it to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2024
The ending is stupid.
Cate gets Irina killed by Sergei by urging her not to kill him, then goes on to putting at least 3 bullets in the mafiya boss herself anyway. With zero introspection following after as she goes onto adopting Felia, like what if you kept your mouth shut and let the man die there?? Smh
Cate gets Irina killed by Sergei by urging her not to kill him, then goes on to putting at least 3 bullets in the mafiya boss herself anyway. With zero introspection following after as she goes onto adopting Felia, like what if you kept your mouth shut and let the man die there?? Smh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2021
Review
I .enjoyed the story but the author should be mortified by the editing. What was her name, Cate, Gate, Care? All were used throughout the book along within many punctuation errors and misspellings. Very annoying!!!!!
I .enjoyed the story but the author should be mortified by the editing. What was her name, Cate, Gate, Care? All were used throughout the book along within many punctuation errors and misspellings. Very annoying!!!!!
January 5, 2018
The version I read is British and 614 pages.
I went through it rather quickly and really did enjoy it. I’ll definitely read other books from this author.
I went through it rather quickly and really did enjoy it. I’ll definitely read other books from this author.
February 15, 2019
Enjoyed this book. I would read more of his stuff.
January 9, 2020
Another good mystery. Takes place in Houston!
April 28, 2021
Read in 1996. Among the best spy thrilers to come along.
December 21, 2021
Really good mystery/thriller.
May 22, 2023
David Lindsey, from Austin, writes great books about Houston.
June 18, 2023
Só mesmo porque me fartei e não consegui acabar. Demasiado seca ://
June 14, 2025
really good read, interesting plot, good character description etc...
October 30, 2025
interesting tropes, but hasn't aged well.
August 28, 2012
Really liked it. I've written a thriller about the Russian mafia (not yet published) and this book rang so many bells with me. There was one paragraph about crossing the line that I wish I'd written - since my book is likely to be called Crossing the line - it fits so well. Darn it. The story is basically one of double cross, betrayal, blackmail, murder - there's everything thrown in there. A manipulative Russian persuades Irina to do despicable things for him because he holds her daughter somewhere secret. Cate's on the other side, working for the intelligence service and yet is also expected to do very difficult things to get the information her superiors need. The book is fast moving, very violent and deeply creepy. I devoured it in a couple of sittings, but I do have a love for Russian thugs - in the most innocent of ways. I need to read more by David Lindsey!!
June 25, 2012
Main problem with the book are the two female main characters. They are just not convicing women - he author is not able to get into the female mind. It is all a bit like a male fantasy, and after a while it becomes so predicatalble AND irritating that one starts skipping pages and in the end dropped it. He is also overindulgent decribing drescodes building and furniture that the novel becomes utterly boring instead of being a spy thiller as the coverpromises. No ways does the authors rank "alongside such giants as John le Carre" as mention on the backcover.
December 14, 2025
Breaks my heart every time
I read this novel for the first time several years ago, and like many of my most favorite ones, it just gets better every time I pick it up.
Some people never understand when others read a book more than once. That only means they have never truly loved to get lost in another world; transported through time and space into someone else's life for awhile.
The story is so smart, so intricate in its telling and full of such sadness, but so much beauty and strength. Ah, what we do for love.
I read this novel for the first time several years ago, and like many of my most favorite ones, it just gets better every time I pick it up.
Some people never understand when others read a book more than once. That only means they have never truly loved to get lost in another world; transported through time and space into someone else's life for awhile.
The story is so smart, so intricate in its telling and full of such sadness, but so much beauty and strength. Ah, what we do for love.
October 22, 2015
While not exactly a spy novel, this book is of the same type. Cate is an FBI agent who wants to move more into international operations. Irinna is an operative for a Russian mafiya operation. By a series of events not that unusual in an intelligence operation (at least in fictional stories) they come to be involved in the same situation. After several unexpected plot twists they wind up going after the top Russian guy. but even at the end things don't go uniformly smoothly for them.
March 9, 2016
I seriously love this book, even if it is overly plotted and ridiculous at times. It's a very, very fast read, and it's neat because the two protagonists are female--it offers a very different approach than the usual Jason Bourne-male-dominated spy thrillers (speaking of ridiculous plots). Also, it has one of my favorite titles of all time.
July 31, 2012
Wasn't sure where this one was going to lead except that it was advertised as a thriller. What would you do if someone was holding your child up as a "carrot", demanding that you commit despicable acts in order to gain her back? All the usual ingredients for an exciting read. Starts off slow, then never slows down again.
October 11, 2014
Rarely do you find a novel in which you can reach out and touch the characters and feel their environment in the way you can in Lindsey's novel. This story has such richly woven prose that it attacks your senses. It's an experience in itself, beautifully crafted to be its own world in which you are privileged to dwell for too short a time.
March 27, 2013
David Lindsey is that rare combination of story teller and stylist. He writes quite harrowing yarns with the supple prose of a Conrad or a Fitzgerald. His characters are always deeply engaging, even when you don't like them, or feel guilty when you do.
February 2, 2016
Lindsey is one of my very favorite writers and this is another of his really great books. The story brings Irena, a Russian assassin, and Cate, an undercover FBI agent, together in a tense and exciting thriller. A really good read.
September 6, 2016
Spy thriller set in Houston that just grows in intensity as the end approaches. One of those books where the ending is not tied up in a nice bow but it a slightly less convoluted knot. The characters are fallible and real. It is still a bit sensationalist, but that serves to advance the plot
September 21, 2008
I loved this book; trash thriller at it's best, perfect beach or plane read. Naughty,naughty. Lindsey can be very creative, taught me many things, including the best way ever to kill someone.
September 26, 2008
This book was a guilty pleasure. It mad me want try to be an assaign. Sleep with one eye open...
November 24, 2014
Suspenseful plot; fascinating charcters. What more can a thriller provide?
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