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Secret Families Trilogy #2
The Secret Houses
Traces the lives of the British Railtons and the American Farthings from the final months of World War II to the Cold War, when old intelligence community loyalties give way to the demands of a new world
390 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 10, 1987
67 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
John Gardner
113 books179 followersBefore coming an author of fiction in the early 1960s, John Gardner was variously a stage magician, a Royal Marine officer and a journalist. In all, Gardner has fifty-four novels to his credit, including Maestro, which was the New York Times book of the year. He was also invited by Ian Fleming’s literary copyright holders to write a series of continuation James Bond novels, which proved to be so successful that instead of the contracted three books he went on to publish some fourteen titles, including Licence Renewed and Icebreaker.
Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series.
Having lived in the Republic of Ireland, the United States and the UK, John Gardner sadly died in August of 2007 having just completed his third novel in the Moriarty trilogy, Conan Doyle’s eponymous villain of the Sherlock Holmes series.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 3, 2021
Even better than the first
This book focuses on WWII and the aftermath, concerning the younger set of Railtons and their American cousins, the Farthings. So many twists and turns: who works for who, whether Brits, Germans, Russians or Americans and when. Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
This book focuses on WWII and the aftermath, concerning the younger set of Railtons and their American cousins, the Farthings. So many twists and turns: who works for who, whether Brits, Germans, Russians or Americans and when. Kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!
June 27, 2021
One of the best but most frustrating espionage books I have ever read.
My introduction to espionage was John le Carre novels. There has been no one who has ever equaled his ability to tell a story of espionage. One of his qualities was his ability to never make the story impossible to follow by jumping back and forth in time frames. Or not refreshing ones memory when bringing back someone from much earlier in the story. This is the second of 3 books in this series. It was an excellent novel of the genre, but I had to start it over after reading 23% because I lost the thread of the story. It was the first time I ever had to start a novel over because I was lost with who was who and what was going on. It's an example of a novelist lost in his own story, and making it a challenge for the reader to know what is happening. Or just maybe at 75 it's me finding it hard to follow a many character, many time frame story? Unfortunately, because the reader had to be left in the dark about the whys, wheres, and whos of key characters till the very end, it seemed like I was in a "Catch 22" till it was over. It is making it hard for me to make a decision of whether I want to read the 3rd book in this series. Considering I am now fully cognizant of all the characters it should be easier. If I do, there will be another review. PS-READ THIS NOVEL.
My introduction to espionage was John le Carre novels. There has been no one who has ever equaled his ability to tell a story of espionage. One of his qualities was his ability to never make the story impossible to follow by jumping back and forth in time frames. Or not refreshing ones memory when bringing back someone from much earlier in the story. This is the second of 3 books in this series. It was an excellent novel of the genre, but I had to start it over after reading 23% because I lost the thread of the story. It was the first time I ever had to start a novel over because I was lost with who was who and what was going on. It's an example of a novelist lost in his own story, and making it a challenge for the reader to know what is happening. Or just maybe at 75 it's me finding it hard to follow a many character, many time frame story? Unfortunately, because the reader had to be left in the dark about the whys, wheres, and whos of key characters till the very end, it seemed like I was in a "Catch 22" till it was over. It is making it hard for me to make a decision of whether I want to read the 3rd book in this series. Considering I am now fully cognizant of all the characters it should be easier. If I do, there will be another review. PS-READ THIS NOVEL.
May 26, 2021
It was okay, though I spent most of it trying to figure out why any of this was important: most of the characters seemed to be working for just about everybody - Nazis, Communists, Americans, and Brits - so on the one hand, they were plucky double agents, while on the other hand their loyalties were deeply suspect. Meanwhile, they were all torn between extracting vengeance for previous wrongs (and pretty much all of them did some pretty bad stuff in the war), and wanting to extract as much information as possible about the Other Side. I guess at the time it would have made more impact. Le Carre and Deighton are better.
September 30, 2022
Quality writing from a master of the art.
The second book of the trilogy but works as a standalone story.
Brilliant characters throughout especially the introduction of a teenage 'Herbie Kruger' later to star in his own series of stories.
Clever descriptive imaginative intelligent totally engaging from first to last page. A spy story but with plenty of mystery and suspense totally absorbing. The only slight downside is due to this readers ageing memory which occasionally struggled to remember who's who with the amount of characters involved.
Completely recommended.
The second book of the trilogy but works as a standalone story.
Brilliant characters throughout especially the introduction of a teenage 'Herbie Kruger' later to star in his own series of stories.
Clever descriptive imaginative intelligent totally engaging from first to last page. A spy story but with plenty of mystery and suspense totally absorbing. The only slight downside is due to this readers ageing memory which occasionally struggled to remember who's who with the amount of characters involved.
Completely recommended.
March 8, 2021
War is complex
I liked this book. I had to review who was who at times because it was a large cast of characters. I learned a few new things about both WW1 and WW2 that I had not realized before. I was also dismayed to Learn what happened to several of the individuals who spied for the allies and were incarcerated by us anyway while we saved some Nazis who we needed for the cold war. This was a complicated book.
I liked this book. I had to review who was who at times because it was a large cast of characters. I learned a few new things about both WW1 and WW2 that I had not realized before. I was also dismayed to Learn what happened to several of the individuals who spied for the allies and were incarcerated by us anyway while we saved some Nazis who we needed for the cold war. This was a complicated book.
March 27, 2020
A worthy successor to The Secret Generations
The gradual uncovering of secrets, the detailed analysis of interrogations, the interplay between English and American agents, the skilful descriptive passages and the real life doubts and fears of the protagonists make this a"not-to-put-down" book. I loved it.
The gradual uncovering of secrets, the detailed analysis of interrogations, the interplay between English and American agents, the skilful descriptive passages and the real life doubts and fears of the protagonists make this a"not-to-put-down" book. I loved it.
February 25, 2021
Excellent work
A great read keeping the reader held in suspense until the very last pages when the connection made at the earliest part of story are drawn together in the conclusion
A great read keeping the reader held in suspense until the very last pages when the connection made at the earliest part of story are drawn together in the conclusion
September 5, 2018
This is a great trilogy if you like spy stories and families over generations
June 16, 2020
Great book
April 10, 2021
Great book
Really enjoyed the book looking forward
to reading book 3 and reading more of John Gardner 's hopefully they are all as good as this trilogy
Really enjoyed the book looking forward
to reading book 3 and reading more of John Gardner 's hopefully they are all as good as this trilogy
March 11, 2017
Even better than the first book.
September 19, 2016
This second novel of the Secret Generations trilogy is much less of a family saga and history of the birth and developments of the intelligence services (which was the case for the first book) and more of a classic spy thriller; still a pretty good one...
The story takes place, with some back and forth in time, between the preWWII and the immediate post war periods; only a few of the large Railton family featured in book one play a major role here (though many others appear in the background), and the storytelling is much more singleminded. This is essentially the story of a network of the French resistance during WWII, and of the several double and triple games played by their members and the numerous connected players (the SIS/MI6, the OSS/CIA, the NKDV/KGB, the Abwehr).
Don't get mistaken by the fact that the author has been the James Bond novelist for the last decades: the style here is much more Len Deighton (or even to a lesser extent Le Carré) than 007. The plot is quite complex and articulated without being overworked, the key characters are all 3D and quite engaging, the connections between fiction and history rather interesting.
So, very enjoyable read and already looking forward to the third and last book of the series.
The story takes place, with some back and forth in time, between the preWWII and the immediate post war periods; only a few of the large Railton family featured in book one play a major role here (though many others appear in the background), and the storytelling is much more singleminded. This is essentially the story of a network of the French resistance during WWII, and of the several double and triple games played by their members and the numerous connected players (the SIS/MI6, the OSS/CIA, the NKDV/KGB, the Abwehr).
Don't get mistaken by the fact that the author has been the James Bond novelist for the last decades: the style here is much more Len Deighton (or even to a lesser extent Le Carré) than 007. The plot is quite complex and articulated without being overworked, the key characters are all 3D and quite engaging, the connections between fiction and history rather interesting.
So, very enjoyable read and already looking forward to the third and last book of the series.
May 16, 2015
Book two of one of my favorite trilogies, Gardner again wove a tale of intrigue and deceit in the aftermath of World War Two and the start of the Cold War. Gardner's most famous work may be his James Bond continuation novels, but I find this trilogy to be a real masterpiece.
October 31, 2021
A real page turner
This is certainly a brilliant second story in the series,like the previous one I found it difficult to put down the plot is rivetting and keeps the reader finding a new twist to the tale, Looking forward to the next one.
This is certainly a brilliant second story in the series,like the previous one I found it difficult to put down the plot is rivetting and keeps the reader finding a new twist to the tale, Looking forward to the next one.
May 10, 2008
An exciting book about an English family involved in espionage.
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October 2, 2008A Gar
July 29, 2014
Read more like a soap opera than a spy novel. While the characters were engaging, the story could have used some excitement.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews