The Vault

Group Fifteen Files #4

by Mark Dawson

A desperate agent. A petty criminal. An audacious plot.When Harry Mackintosh is called upon to exfiltrate a valuable asset from East to West Berlin, what could have been an intelligence coup becomes an international embarrassment. Mackintosh’s men and his lover are killed by the East German secret police in a brutal crossfire and he barely escapes with his life. He flees to the West and promises himself that he will have vengeance.Mackintosh is the head of Berlin Station but he doesn’t have the staff to compete with the Stasi. He returns to London to plead for the resources to fight back. But instead of the seasoned operatives that he needs, Mackintosh is given a single Jimmy Walker, a petty criminal with a record for robbing banks.Mackintosh takes Walker to Berlin and sets in train an audacious plan that will see them both on the other side of the Wall. Mackintosh and Walker face off against Karl-Heinz Sommer, the Stasi general known as die Spinne – the Spider – a man known for his brutality and ruthlessness.The plan is already a longshot, and then Walker learns of the riches that Sommer stole from displaced Berliners in the days after the Wall was constructed. Will Walker follow orders or will he find the prospect of the Stasi gold in Sommer’s secret vault too tempting to ignore? Will Mackintosh have his revenge or will he become another fly caught in the Spider’s web?With ambiguous loyalties, clashing agendas and danger beyond measure, these two men will struggle to form a team. But in a battle as unequal as this, the unexpected might be the best strategy that they have.Praise for Mark Dawson"A literary sensation." - The Daily Telegraph"Mark Dawson has all the skills. A great thriller writer on the top of his game." - Sunday Times bestselling author Steve Cavanagh“Nerve-shreddingly tense. Utterly addictive” - Bestselling author MJ Arlidge"A terrific fast-paced read. Mark Dawson knows how to tell a great story." - Bestselling author Scott Mariani

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Ebooks

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2020

About the author

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Mark Dawson was born in Lowestoft and grew up in Manchester and Chicago. He has worked as a lawyer and currently works in the London film industry. His first books, "The Art of Falling Apart" and "Subpoena Colada" have been published in multiple languages.

He is currently writing two series. Soho Noir is set in the West End of London between 1940 and 1970. The first book in the series, "The Black Mile", deals with the (real life but little known) serial killer who operated in the area during the Blitz. "The Imposter" traces the journey of a criminal family (think The Sopranos in austerity London and you'd be on the right track).

The John Milton series features a disgruntled special agent who aims to help people to make amends for the terrible things that he has done. Mark, as a child of the 80s, will freely admit that he watched a lot of The Equalizer in his youth.

Mark lives in Wiltshire with his family.

You can find him at www.markjdawson.com or www.facebook.com/markdawsonauthor.

Reviews

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story dealing with spies in Berlin,Russia and the British!! Engaging read! Twists, turns, spies being spies! You go across countries during the Cold War, before the Berlin Wall comes down, when you can not figure out just who is double crossing who! The descriptions put you right in the scene, before the start of Group 15, but showing the way it was started,as Harry Mackintosh is sent to recover a valuable asset from East to West Berlin. His men are killed in the process, and Mackintosh vows revenge, using a petty criminal,Jimmy Walker.
The adventure has it all, fear,action, history, and danger from all sides! A fantastic story that will have you reading late into the night. I received an ARC from the author and offer You my honest thoughts and feelings in this review.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty scattered, but at least there is a decent ending. 6 of 10 stars

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book with a few twists. Shorter than most.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIs us the first book that I have read by this author, it was a good late cold war story . I t flowed at a good pace, the mood abs setting was good and I liked the main and secondary characters. The dialogue was good and made sense. I thought the ending was decent but maybe a little bit over the top but it got the job done. My only complaint was that maybe this just went to easy and times and also maybe the story could have been a little more tighter and realistic than it was a couple of times. I will say it gets a 4.0 on the dot and I would say give it a spin.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

How pleasing to read another Mark Dawson novel. In trying to read his works, the difficulty is that his chronology is not linear in terms of books being published. This poses issues for a reader like myself who prefers to read about characters as their fictional life evolves.
The genius that if Mark Dawson is that he is not easily confined by conventional writing of series. However, regardless of his approach to writing, what is in no doubt to my mind is that every book of his I have read has been original and genre stretching.
The Vault is a fine example of the release of Dawson’s catalogue of thrillers. Marked up perhaps as the fourth title in the Group Fifteen files it was released on 31 Jan 2020. Yet it predates all previous books and short stories in that it details the genesis of that organisation and introduces us to a slippery agent control - Vivian Bloom.
Regardless of the above this is a standalone. It requires no prior reading of Dawson’s books. It is a modern twist on a old fashioned Cold War thriller. British secret service taking on East Germany’s Stasi and the KGB. Set against a Berlin with a dividing wall it is about trying to bring out to the West a turned East German who has secrets to undermine his government.
I loved the throw back to former days of tunnels; dark and dangerous East Berlin and dramatic stand offs using Checkpoint Charlie.
I was nurtured as a thriller reader on double agents, femme fatales and duplicitous agents in the field. Mark draws on such rich pickings without them ever becoming stereotypes. So we have former SS officers, horrendous torture set pieces and the death of a main player. All wrapped up in a political process that we know from history could not be derailed.
In some respects this enables such speculation and the author is able to paint a realistic and enthralling story of the that time that as yet history has not allowed come fully to public knowledge.
I loved it from page one. I am always comfortable reading this author’s books. I find them exciting, thrilling and original even if they draw on all that has gone before.
Rather than a chronological progression I have become accepting that reading his books is more akin to completing a jigsaw. In that sense The Vault is a colourful and vivid adventure with believable characters, antiheroes to route for and a frisson of sexual tension that comes from wartime or spy craft where life is held by a simple thread risked daily.
Mark Dawson an author to read.

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vault is actually the first book about what will become Group Fifteen. It is a great story about the cold war in Berlin in the final year before the wall comes down. Mark Dawson is a great writer, he captures the reader quick with his stories and great stories it is. In this book we get to follow Harry Mackintosh who will become the first Control. I find it a great way to expand and explain the world a character lives in by writing series parallel to the original one. The author can explain different characters and background that didn't fit in the books about John Milton. Now I only have to read the series about Isabella and Beatrix Rose then I'm completely caught up with this universe. Highly recommended.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mid level spy goes behind the Iron Curtain at the end of the Cold War to exfiltrate an asset. Things go wrong. Someone was tipped off. During the ensuing shoot out, the spy's lady love is executed. Burning with vengeance, he hatches a plot involving the usual Irish roustabout.

There's double crosses, triple crosses, betrayal, and most of the usual stuff expected. Not bad.

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a polished full cast production, and is set in 1989, before the Berlin wall came down. There is an interesting plot with continual action, and works really well in this medium.

[ueberdemnebelmeer · Rating 3 out of 5]

(more like 3.5) Without infamy, without praise: it's a good ol' spy story, and I particularly enjoyed it towards the end but it lacks that spark I usually experience with a 4-stars rated book. The audio production was terrific, though, with the mix of narration and multi-voice dialogues and inner thoughts (and who am I kidding, I picked it up because Colin Morgan plays Jimmy Walker)

[Lel Budge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vault set during the time of the Iron Curtain and Harry Mackintosh is trying to get PICASSO otherwise known as Gunther Schmidt out of East Berlin.

But, it ends in disaster and now Mackintosh wants revenge,

This is a cold war thriller from a time the Berlin Wall was still standing. It has intelligence agencies plotting against each other, with spies, moles and double crosses aplenty,

Great characters and a clever, twisty plot make this an immensely enjoyable and intrigue packed thriller. If you like a classic Cold War thriller then you’ll love this.

Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Dawson takes a break from his contemporary thrillers to drop his reader into late Cold War Berlin, where MI6 Head of Station Harry Mackintosh concocts an audacious and possibly suicidal plan after the attempted exfiltration of a valuable asset from beyond the Wall ends in disaster. I can never resist the opportunity to dig into yet another Cold War spy thriller, especially one set in divided Berlin - and Dawson is in excellent form with this one, which had me hooked so thoroughly that I read the whole thing in one go.

[P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue

There is betrayal and intrigue everywhere - just when the reader feels they understand what is actually going on then something else is revealed that stirs everything up again

[Arnold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. Unfortunately too short.

[KATHLEEN DORGAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read , especially interesting in light of todays
Horrible invasion of Ukrainian.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another history lesson from the world of Group 15. Did you ever wonder how Group 15 was started and how Control became the head of it? Well here's your chance to find out. Not only is the story great, but we get a great new character to cheer for. Intrigue is definitely a big part of this book since it takes place before the Berlin Wall comes down. Looking forward to more tales from Group 15, past or present.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A botched extraction from East Berlin leaves Harry hungry for vengeance. He arranges for Jimmy Walker, a skilled thief, to be charged with a crime in London so that he can take him to Berlin to help him with a revenge plot.

The whole thing is pretty far fetched, in my opinion. Jimmy doesn’t speak German and has never been out of the UK. NOW, suddenly he is hanging out with spies and trying to avoid the Stassi.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were not already a fan of Mark Dawson's work, this would convert me. A well told tale of West/East Berlin before the fall of The Wall. Spies, moles, intelligence service plants. It has it all.

I was able to read an ARC of this. Totally enjoyed it. As it has nothing to do with the John Milton series or the Isabella Rose series, when it's available just jump in.

[Steve Braker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vault-Mark Dawson
Mark Dawson is one of my heroes. He is one of the reasons I got into indie publishing in the first place. He is a great writer and although he has hit the big time in the indie publishing world he has also kept his writing career up to speed.
The vault is the first in the series of what will become Group 15 of which I have read a few. It is a great start of series book introducing the main idea and the lead character for the Group 15 books.
The Vault is a fast-paced action thriller set in Berlin just before perestroika and the fall of the wall. It is a great race through the terrors of the time. Mark manages to bring home the cold, bleak feeling that was East Berlin during this period. We get to follow Harry Mackintosh as he wades through the sewage of the British MI6 and the corruption of the East German Stasi. Harry has plans to climb the MI6 ladder and nothing will stop him.
Harry finds love for the first time, but a cruel and sadistic Stazi officer has other ideas. With his mission in pieces and nowhere to go he approaches a shadowy figure for help and is forced to work with newbies in the clandestine field so has to risk everything to get the prize.
The Vault keeps you moving, I did not get bored at all. Mark’s descriptions of the time remind me of the newsreels of when the Berlin Wall came down.
His descriptions of the way we all felt at that time the animosity towards the East, the senseless killings on both sides. It is a stark reminder that this was only in recent history and we should be very careful it does not happen again.
The Vault is a great book that will keep you on your toes, it has some nice twists and turns. Mark is a great writer of this kind of fiction.
I give it four stars as it could have been edited a bit more carefully. But all in all the story flows nicely with believable characters and a well-thought-out plot. It also starts to develop Harry Mackintosh for future roles in Group 15.

[John A. Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read many of Mr. Dawson’s Milton books, and Wormwood, the excellent story based around the Chernobyl disaster, this is another enjoyable read.
It is the late 80s and although the Cold War will soon come to an end, the western intelligence services and the Stasi are at each other’s throats. Harry Mackintosh, MI6 hot shot, is trying to get an asset from East to West Berlin, but when the operation goes wrong, he loses not only the asset, but his girlfriend to the Stasi. His dream intelligence coup becomes a nightmare, but he escapes with his life and plans vengeance. His plan is rejected, but a senior intelligence operative offers up Jimmy Walker, a bank robber who is conveniently made available. Despite his misgivings, Mackintosh comes up with a plan to use Walker’s unique skills to gain his revenge. On the other side of the wall, Mackintosh and Walker face Karl-Heinz Sommer, a vicious, brutal, ruthless Stasi general. The plan is full of risk, but Mackintosh doesn’t care. Walker is expendable – Mackintosh’s sole interest is Sonner.
Once again, Mr. Dawson seems to capture the 80s rather well – the bleakness of East Berlin is contrasted with the excitement in the West. The is a nice little twist about the operation that I certainly appreciated. Sonner is perhaps a slightly pantomime villain – ex-SS who tortures for fun – and the end is rather quicker than expected. However, I really enjoyed the story, and how it links to the genesis of Group Fifteen. I hope for more full length (although this felt considerably shorter than many of Mr. Dawson’s Milton books) books in this world.

[Phillip Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supremely satisfying Cold War thriller

Harry Mackintosh, MI6 head of Berlin Station plans an intelligence coup that will destabilise the Stasi command for months if not indefinitely. In a joint operation with French Secret Service agent, Élodie Leroux they plan to secure and smuggle out of West Berlin-PICASSO, a human intelligence source with incendiary secrets.
But when the operation is fatally compromised by brutal Stasi general- Karl-Heinz Sommer, Mackintosh is the sole survivor. Escaping back to the UK with only one thought burning in his mind, vengeance.

When Irish safe cracker and petty thief, Jimmy Walker is double crossed by notorious gangster, Eddie Fabian he finds himself presented with an offer he can’t refuse. An audacious plan that will see his criminal record expunged and Mackintosh finally gaining retribution over his nemesis Sommer.

Mark Dawson’s ‘The Vault’ is a standalone Cold War thriller, exploring the origins ‘Group 15’, an organisation best known through his beloved John Milton and Beatrix Rose series.
Like those books this is another detailed and intelligent thriller. Packet with atmosphere, duplicity and loyalty, agent running and the perils of operating behind enemy lines.
‘The Vault’ reminded me of those early Bonds, with Rosa Kleb and SMERSH, or Le Carrie and Len Deighton.
It’s a mile a minute when it gets going and doesn’t let up. Wholly recommend as a standalone or if you want some further insight into the ‘Group 15’ universe.

[John A. Sillasen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seemingly a Stand Alone Cold War Novel But Wait for New Beginnings

Mark has gone before the time of John Milton and Beatrix Rose to before the Group 15 series to East and West Berlin and The Wall during the time e of Gorbachev. MI5 & MI6 has stations in West Berlin and try to exfiltrate an East German native With enough information to discredit the infamous Stasi, the East German KGB, SS - the secret police of the East in the Soviet controlled sector beyond the separator of the Berlin Wall. The main character, Mackintosh sees nearly his entire team, a French Diplomat who's helping him get fun downed by the Stasi and his asset taken into custody. Mackintosh wants a new team sent with him to get him back and extract a bit of revenge on the Stasi General who do callously gunned down the French Diplomat and his men. Request denied. Instead he's offered one man, a safe cracker and bank robbing their they now have in custody in Scotland Yard. Such a slap in the face, he has to make the most of it if he wants to fulfill his plan and get the E.German out to England - his sole request to turn over what he knows about the head of the Stasi.
Quite a story and only one familiar character from any of Dawson's novels, Vivian Bloom. Just a little something to the everything together for the future. Such surprises unfold that will make you sit back and applaud Mark Dawson!

[Craig Smedley · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story of espionage and dirty tricks in Berlin near the end of the cold war. A British agent sees some of his team put down by the brutal Stasi in East Berlin when attempting to bring a young East German out to the west. The agent, Harry Mackintosh, seeks revenge largely due to the execution of his French girlfriend, a member of the French Secret Service who is assisting him in this extraction. He has also promised the young man he will extract him. There are many twists and turns to the story as it progresses, and it also brings to light the deviousness and the self interest of some of the people that play a part in the espionage industry. Harry has his request for more people declined but is given an Irishman arrested on trumped up charges, although he is no innocent!
With assistance of a Russian operative, Harry and his recruit, Jimmy Walker are successful in finally bringing the young East German out of the East and Harry has his revenge on the Stasi leaders that killed his team and girlfriend. But here is another twist or maybe two – Jimmy Walker has a background in safe breaking and he makes use of these skills before he leaves the Stasi headquarters having noted a vault that is too much temptation for him. A good read and well written story line that keeps the readers interest throughout.
Moses

[Jane Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A failed mission leaves Harry Mackintosh, damaged emotionally and professionally. He wants revenge, but will his bosses see the political expediency of his plan?

Jimmy Walker has more to recommend him, than his career as a safe breaker, but is he the man Mackintosh needs for this dangerous off the book’s mission?

The men form an unwilling partnership, in a deniable operation, which is both personal and professional for Mackintosh. The cast of characters are realistic, but there are no deep characterisations, perhaps reflecting the secret service operatives, lack of personal lives outside their career.

Fast-paced, this spy thriller effortlessly combines plot threads and delivers a believable, suspenseful story, that reflects the political tension at the time in Berlin. The plot has many layers, which are revealed by the main characters in different timescales.

The ending is well written and ties up the loose ends, whilst leaving avenues open for exploration, in further stories.

Absorbing, addictive and adrenaline-fueled, this story has authentic characters and an atmospheric historical setting.

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vault
Mark Dawson

I know it’s only early March, but this book could well be my favourite book of the year. It’s set in Germany in the shadow of the Berlin Wall.
Harry Mackintosh is a spy, he is called upon to free and return a valuable agent from East Berlin back to the West. During the rescue, his lover and his men are killed and they have to abort the mission. He returns to London hoping to recruit more men and return to Berlin, however the powers that be give him one man, Jimmy Walker, a small time crook, with ruthless tendencies. The pair team up and go back into Berlin. What follows is an amazing and very exciting book.

I have enjoyed reading this book so much I bought the Audible version and along with the sound effects and a brilliant cast of narrators it brings the book even more to life. I tend to listen when I take the dog out for a walk and she never had so many walks in her life. Her big brown eyes look pleadingly at me as if to say “Can we go home now?” so I say “One more chapter” and she trots on.
I would like to hear more about Harry Mackintosh and Jemmy Walker. Really enjoyed the book and can’t recommend it highly enough.

So good I bought it twice

[Kristin. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Dawsons stories get the adrenaline flowing, the bad guys dying, and the heroes brave!

This combination of Mark's heroes makes for fast paced capers, highly motivated teams, and a great deal of luck to pull off the jobs they are assigned. Mackintosh is the lead agent in a mission to smuggle an informer out of occupied East Berlin. That first mission met with many failures: team members killed, their intended rescue source was captured and tortured, a Mackintosh's French free agent ... Also.his girlfriend, who was supposed to have diplomatic immunity, was injured then executed where she lay on the dark, snow- covered street! Mackintosh found the way to get revenge, free the young informer who was daily being tortured to get information from him after enlisting the aid if a really clever bank robber- whose record would be cleared, should he survive the ordeal!
This is a quick read, if you are a Mark Dawson fan! Enjoy!!

[Mike Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent story by Mark Dawson is set mainly in East Berlin during the cold war. An informer has information about a Russian higher-up which is of vital importance to British security. After a failed attempt to get him over ‘the wall’, our main protagonist decides to go back in a rescue him. To do this he coerces a petty criminal with skills to help him do the job. At the same time, he seeks revenge against the enemy officer who has taken the informer prisoner, and who murdered a dear friend or the protagonist during that first failed attempt.
This story is typically Mark Dawson’s high standard, and is a quick, action-packed thrill ride. Everything about the book is well written, well done, and will keep you hooked to the very end. The only thing that puzzled me is the title, since ‘the vault’ is really only a small factor in the overall plot. Certainly it was nothing to detract from the quality of the story.
Well worth the read, like all this authors books.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Dawson has diversified a bit for this story, it has a link to the John Milton and Beatrix Rose series, in that it deals with the way that 'Group 15' was created, this is the part of the secret service that Milton and Rose belonged to before leaving and going solo.
The story is very evocative of the period that it is set in, prior to the Berlin wall coming down, and really portrays the atmosphere of those cold war days.
The plot, as one might expect of spies and secret agents, is satisfyingly complex, with double crosses everywhere, each side trying to turn people from the other and lots of excitement.
The usual Dawson traits of great characters and superb location descriptions are once again to the fore, making this a very enjoyable read.
I did receive an advance copy of this book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

1989. These were Cold War times. East German, Gunter Schmidt, wants to defect and he has information that can invaluable to the other side, if they can get him out. It is Harry Mackintosh’s job to make sure that happens, since he is the lead SIS agent on this op.. Unfortunately, there is an informant in their midst and the whole rescue attempt blows up in their face. A lot of the action is in determining who the traitor is. Meanwhile, back in England, there is a common thief, Jimmy Walker, whose one redeeming feature, is that he has a special talent for opening safes. He and his crew are set up, so that he could be arrested and made an offer he can’t refuse. Time and circumstance happen to all men and they conspired to bring Harry and Jimmy together to rescue Gunter, who has been recaptured. A refreshing early look at what would become Group 15, and a very interesting read!

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet again, another night's sleep ruined by an unputdownable book from Mark Dawson

Pulled in from the first few pages, I loved this Cold War story from the incomparable pen of Mark Dawson. The plot is tight, the twists and turns many and unexpected, the characters compelling, the tension gripping. Never a dull moment in Mark's books. Although one of the characters is known as the Spider, I think it is Mark himself who is the real spider, always spinning intricate webs throughout his stories.
This book stands alone from his other series but is a marvellous addition to the world that Mark's characters operate in.
If you have read Mark's books, you know you are in for a treat. If you are new to his work, lucky you to have found a new author to one-click and love.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the full dramatic version from Audible. It was an exciting and suspenseful espionage thriller and a quick peek at life immediately before the launch of Group 15. There were pieces of interest from the British, Russian and German Intelligence Services and once you thought you knew who was double crossing whom, or who had the plan that was actually being implemented, things changed! You then had to rethink everything...fun, fun fun!!

This can be read as a stand alone but if you have been involved in any of the previous books in the Milton or Beatrix world, then it was an even better experience :)