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A Chosen Path
Rebecca’s father, Edward, scoots Sam Mitchell from Bangkok to London.
Boris Voikevich, only days past, was vehement; demanding Sam hole up on a remote farm in Northern China. Now, overnight almost, he’s agreeable to Sam’s return.
Is that reckless? Naïve even?
To those on the outside, maybe. With secrets to trade and never wanting to trust the British: they’ve a track record for failing to keep secrets, secret. Have those that command the clandestine activities of the Voikevich family found a broker?
As with Ben Carlyle's debut novel, ‘The Roads Chosen’, we delve into the inner workings of the intelligence services. But this time, laid bare, we become versed in how to move pieces on the board.
Set in 2008, a second and equally enthralling ‘trade craft’ thriller from Ben Carlyle. A more thought-provoking and more complex a tale, you’ll struggle to find.
A plot that runs over twelve months; starts in St Petersburg, moves to London, flies to Baku, sails to Volgograd, returns to London, sneaks to the Ural Mountains, races to Moscow and ends with further conspiracy in St Petersburg.
Here, we witness heated discussions in top floor offices, where time-served officers throw knowledge of previous undertakings on the table. Where they voice gut feelings. Where they unwrap the motives that drove KGB traitors into the arms of Western agencies. A real life understanding of the past days of SIS.
Rebecca breaks out from her shell. An evil killed Sam’s parents. Why? To flush Sam out. They would regret that. She’d kept her relationship with Sam a secret. If she’d not, would they have come for her? “Well, try taking me now. You’ll see just how angry with you my father is.”
Meet Philip Chaundler. He accepts, he is, in part, responsible for the death of Sam’s parents. “Ask Mitchell to sketch out his plan. I’ll keep it on my desk, as an op-request and have contractors assigned; that’ll allow all the paperwork to remain with me. I want this, Edward. And I don’t want that boy’s parents dying for nothing,”
Sit with Geoff when he’s asked to ‘dig-up-the-bones’ and find evidence of this ‘Fifth Column’. Become acquainted with ALP; his family is in banking. “Neither Edward nor I will break any law. Financial institutions will invest in the start-up.”
“Off the books?”
“This will remain on Phil’s desk as an op-request. We are within our rights to keep op-requests locked in a drawer until the need for a green light. We’ll not be breaking the rules.”
And, Harry steps up to the plate. “You can think in spirals, Harry. Which we’ll need if Mitchell is going to pull this off.”
We’re introduced to Vicky Spencer; a former Head of Research. “She remains the street-fighting, tub-thumper we all feared,” Geoff said, and offered a brittle look. “When I made to leave, she said, ‘Next time you drag your sorry backside halfway across the country, bring your bloody wife, you idle whelp.’”
Then, along comes Martha Denton; she has mud on her boots and the expertise you’ll need when an op-request falls off a desk in London, becomes a business start-up and is used to insert a known into a foreign country. “I’ll ask Rob to drive you. That way you can nip down, get a measure, and skip back to the road. Not have to worry about where to park the Batmobile.”
The procedural authenticity will convince you; you will put this down in sure knowledge of having spent time inside Britain’s intelligence services.
The novel closes with the reader holding their breath: crime bosses are on the rack, their millions about to disappear.
Can the conspirators now turn ‘Londongrad’ on its head and shake it?
Ben Carlyle brings what must be professional knowledge of intelligence work to the story. His investment in credible reasoning to justify the action that takes place pays off, giving a solid frame, in which this, his second, hugely elaborate plot plays out.
Boris Voikevich, only days past, was vehement; demanding Sam hole up on a remote farm in Northern China. Now, overnight almost, he’s agreeable to Sam’s return.
Is that reckless? Naïve even?
To those on the outside, maybe. With secrets to trade and never wanting to trust the British: they’ve a track record for failing to keep secrets, secret. Have those that command the clandestine activities of the Voikevich family found a broker?
As with Ben Carlyle's debut novel, ‘The Roads Chosen’, we delve into the inner workings of the intelligence services. But this time, laid bare, we become versed in how to move pieces on the board.
Set in 2008, a second and equally enthralling ‘trade craft’ thriller from Ben Carlyle. A more thought-provoking and more complex a tale, you’ll struggle to find.
A plot that runs over twelve months; starts in St Petersburg, moves to London, flies to Baku, sails to Volgograd, returns to London, sneaks to the Ural Mountains, races to Moscow and ends with further conspiracy in St Petersburg.
Here, we witness heated discussions in top floor offices, where time-served officers throw knowledge of previous undertakings on the table. Where they voice gut feelings. Where they unwrap the motives that drove KGB traitors into the arms of Western agencies. A real life understanding of the past days of SIS.
Rebecca breaks out from her shell. An evil killed Sam’s parents. Why? To flush Sam out. They would regret that. She’d kept her relationship with Sam a secret. If she’d not, would they have come for her? “Well, try taking me now. You’ll see just how angry with you my father is.”
Meet Philip Chaundler. He accepts, he is, in part, responsible for the death of Sam’s parents. “Ask Mitchell to sketch out his plan. I’ll keep it on my desk, as an op-request and have contractors assigned; that’ll allow all the paperwork to remain with me. I want this, Edward. And I don’t want that boy’s parents dying for nothing,”
Sit with Geoff when he’s asked to ‘dig-up-the-bones’ and find evidence of this ‘Fifth Column’. Become acquainted with ALP; his family is in banking. “Neither Edward nor I will break any law. Financial institutions will invest in the start-up.”
“Off the books?”
“This will remain on Phil’s desk as an op-request. We are within our rights to keep op-requests locked in a drawer until the need for a green light. We’ll not be breaking the rules.”
And, Harry steps up to the plate. “You can think in spirals, Harry. Which we’ll need if Mitchell is going to pull this off.”
We’re introduced to Vicky Spencer; a former Head of Research. “She remains the street-fighting, tub-thumper we all feared,” Geoff said, and offered a brittle look. “When I made to leave, she said, ‘Next time you drag your sorry backside halfway across the country, bring your bloody wife, you idle whelp.’”
Then, along comes Martha Denton; she has mud on her boots and the expertise you’ll need when an op-request falls off a desk in London, becomes a business start-up and is used to insert a known into a foreign country. “I’ll ask Rob to drive you. That way you can nip down, get a measure, and skip back to the road. Not have to worry about where to park the Batmobile.”
The procedural authenticity will convince you; you will put this down in sure knowledge of having spent time inside Britain’s intelligence services.
The novel closes with the reader holding their breath: crime bosses are on the rack, their millions about to disappear.
Can the conspirators now turn ‘Londongrad’ on its head and shake it?
Ben Carlyle brings what must be professional knowledge of intelligence work to the story. His investment in credible reasoning to justify the action that takes place pays off, giving a solid frame, in which this, his second, hugely elaborate plot plays out.
356 pages, Paperback
Published February 20, 2021
1 person is currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Ben Carlyle
3 books20 followersBen was born in Britain to a mother commissioned into the Royal Navy and a father serving with the United States Armed Forces. Soon after, the family moved to San Diego; whence, as just a toddler, Ben became acquainted with the water.
Before his teens, the family moved back to Britain, where Ben received the offer of a place at boarding school. From university, Ben set his sights on the ancient trading routes of Asia. Nearly a decade later, Ben returned to the United States, settling down on a smallholding that prides itself on minimising its environmental impact and maintaining a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle.
Long winter nights gave pause for reflection and time to gather his thoughts. Ben’s experiences and the voices of the friends he made whilst vagabonding gave him the foundations upon which his books are based.
At the present time, Ben is working with a small team engaged in the transportation of household goods within the Black Sea basin and is rarely online; though messages left on his author page will, if not immediately, receive an answer.
Before his teens, the family moved back to Britain, where Ben received the offer of a place at boarding school. From university, Ben set his sights on the ancient trading routes of Asia. Nearly a decade later, Ben returned to the United States, settling down on a smallholding that prides itself on minimising its environmental impact and maintaining a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle.
Long winter nights gave pause for reflection and time to gather his thoughts. Ben’s experiences and the voices of the friends he made whilst vagabonding gave him the foundations upon which his books are based.
At the present time, Ben is working with a small team engaged in the transportation of household goods within the Black Sea basin and is rarely online; though messages left on his author page will, if not immediately, receive an answer.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 18, 2024
The second thought provoking episode: in keeping, the chapters are headed: place/time/day/date. And even more ingenious in its construction and I repeat my previous comment: ‘I doubt too many readers will figure it all out before they get to the final few chapters, which again leaves me in a position where I don’t want to say too much and give the game away.’
The last page of the first episode gives the reader a belief that Sam, who remains totally lovable, will be XYZing it, in episode two. It’s a garden path. In fact, episode two contains no end of paths the reader is invited to wander down.
Rebecca comes out from her shell. Sam phoned. It’s so obvious he would. He is caring and considerate of the feelings of others.
I can only think to describe this trilogy as a chess match and to win a chess match, you need to work carefully and purposefully to move your pieces into the ideal positions without giving away what you are about. Part one of the trilogy is a great story on its own; now, I view it as the opening of the game. Pieces are moved into place and we, the reader, have no idea of why these pieces are where they are: Rebecca, Edward, Geoff, Harry, Georgina, ALP, Philip Chaundler. For episode two to progress, within the realms of reality, these pieces must be put where they’ve been put before page one of episode two.
When playing chess, as I do, I’ve wished and wished for another queen to find her way onto the board: all powerful and able to move freely. With the pieces set, a gale blows and just like Mary Poppins, Martha Denton arrives. My Queen. She arrives unannounced and, whilst keeping a terrific sense of humour and the managerial skills of a highly successful entrepreneur, she contains the risks and gets the job done. I dream of being a Martha: she deserves an episode all of her own.
This is a story steeped in deceit, smoke, mirrors, the old-boy network and some serious girl-power.
And, on the final page, we are no nearer to an idea of what is afoot, so… episode three has to be gotten.
The last page of the first episode gives the reader a belief that Sam, who remains totally lovable, will be XYZing it, in episode two. It’s a garden path. In fact, episode two contains no end of paths the reader is invited to wander down.
Rebecca comes out from her shell. Sam phoned. It’s so obvious he would. He is caring and considerate of the feelings of others.
I can only think to describe this trilogy as a chess match and to win a chess match, you need to work carefully and purposefully to move your pieces into the ideal positions without giving away what you are about. Part one of the trilogy is a great story on its own; now, I view it as the opening of the game. Pieces are moved into place and we, the reader, have no idea of why these pieces are where they are: Rebecca, Edward, Geoff, Harry, Georgina, ALP, Philip Chaundler. For episode two to progress, within the realms of reality, these pieces must be put where they’ve been put before page one of episode two.
When playing chess, as I do, I’ve wished and wished for another queen to find her way onto the board: all powerful and able to move freely. With the pieces set, a gale blows and just like Mary Poppins, Martha Denton arrives. My Queen. She arrives unannounced and, whilst keeping a terrific sense of humour and the managerial skills of a highly successful entrepreneur, she contains the risks and gets the job done. I dream of being a Martha: she deserves an episode all of her own.
This is a story steeped in deceit, smoke, mirrors, the old-boy network and some serious girl-power.
And, on the final page, we are no nearer to an idea of what is afoot, so… episode three has to be gotten.
October 26, 2022
It's really exciting: I can't (I was told not to by Beth) say what happens and talk about the exciting bits; but ...
- Sam is hiding in the woods and he gets spotted by the people hunting him ... that is exciting
- Sam sneaks into Russia ... that is exciting
- Sam hides in a hut in the mountains ... that is exciting
There's lots of other exciting, but I'm not going to mention that. It's a fabulous story and there are grisly bits - people get killed.
There are several girls in this that play really important parts: then there's Martha - she is amazing. She worked for MI-6 and left under a cloud. This senior officer convinces her to come back and run this really important operation. She does. Reading about her and how she sets up and runs the operation is just, well, amazing. I read a few pages and then sat thinking, "Wow. Can there really be a woman who can think and act like her." I read on for a bit then stopped to think about her again. Beth says, "There was a woman in MI-6 who was a class-act and she thinks Martha is based on this woman."
This is from the book:
Will Burn said, more to himself than the room, “He’s a known.”
“What was that, Will?” Martha asked.
“He’s a known face, our package. We’ll recognise him when we see him.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I’ve taken human packages in before. Drop 'em off on the coastline. The usual stuff. We’re introduced to them in Blighty. Yeah, we’re not given their actual name, but we shake a hand, have a brew, share a few minutes. We’re told they want the package to meet the donkeys; build a bit of trust, familiarity. Told to be on our best behaviour.”
“Don’t want you sharing dirty jokes and twisting nipples, do we?” Martha said.
And there's a line Martha comes out with about the batmobile, which I thought was just brilliant.
At no point did I have any idea of what the end-goal was and what was going to happen next in the plan of things: it really is exciting.
I'll read it again when I get some time off work. I'm pretty tired come the end of my day and so I'm usually in bed when I read, which tends to shorten my reading time.
- Sam is hiding in the woods and he gets spotted by the people hunting him ... that is exciting
- Sam sneaks into Russia ... that is exciting
- Sam hides in a hut in the mountains ... that is exciting
There's lots of other exciting, but I'm not going to mention that. It's a fabulous story and there are grisly bits - people get killed.
There are several girls in this that play really important parts: then there's Martha - she is amazing. She worked for MI-6 and left under a cloud. This senior officer convinces her to come back and run this really important operation. She does. Reading about her and how she sets up and runs the operation is just, well, amazing. I read a few pages and then sat thinking, "Wow. Can there really be a woman who can think and act like her." I read on for a bit then stopped to think about her again. Beth says, "There was a woman in MI-6 who was a class-act and she thinks Martha is based on this woman."
This is from the book:
Will Burn said, more to himself than the room, “He’s a known.”
“What was that, Will?” Martha asked.
“He’s a known face, our package. We’ll recognise him when we see him.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I’ve taken human packages in before. Drop 'em off on the coastline. The usual stuff. We’re introduced to them in Blighty. Yeah, we’re not given their actual name, but we shake a hand, have a brew, share a few minutes. We’re told they want the package to meet the donkeys; build a bit of trust, familiarity. Told to be on our best behaviour.”
“Don’t want you sharing dirty jokes and twisting nipples, do we?” Martha said.
And there's a line Martha comes out with about the batmobile, which I thought was just brilliant.
At no point did I have any idea of what the end-goal was and what was going to happen next in the plan of things: it really is exciting.
I'll read it again when I get some time off work. I'm pretty tired come the end of my day and so I'm usually in bed when I read, which tends to shorten my reading time.
February 27, 2021
Title – A Chosen Path
Author – Ben Carlyle
Genre – Thriller
Word Count - 111,527
Rating – Five stars out of five
No.9 - 2021
Posted 2/27/2021
My Impressions: An intriguing story of conflict between British intelligence, the Russian Mafia, and a fifth column organization deep within Russia since the Bolshevik revolution.
A Chosen Path is a continuation of The Roads Chosen and is the second book in a series.
Main Characters:
Sam Mitchell – world traveler, spy
Rebecca Liscombe – Sam’s girlfriend and member of an extremely wealthy family.
Edward Liscombe – Rebecca’s wealthy father with deep ties to the British Government.
Andrew Levenson-Phillips - Director-Support Services in the intelligence wing of the British government.
In The Roads Chosen, Sam Mitchel spent six years walking the Silk Roads of Asia. He uncovered Russian Mafia corruption and set out to expose the deeply rooted ex-members of the Russian KGB secret service who retained powerful positions in the criminal world. To punish Sam, the criminals assassinated his parents.
Book two, A Chosen Path covers Sam’s quest to avenge his parents’ deaths and bring the people who ordered it to justice. Not to arrest and conviction, but to justice.
The fifth column purveyors of justice he contacts prove their power by safely escorting Sam and his entourage into Russia and then back out.
The primary driving purpose of the underground group is to salvage broken and damaged citizens, often military conscripts, and escort them to safety.
Along the way the story reveals a wonderful and intriguing host of characters working together to the detriment of the ex-KGB criminal leaders.
The editing and sentence structure are professional grade.
Character Development is detailed for the main characters and many support characters.
Details and research carry the story and create a vivid image.
The plot is complex and involves many support characters.
The writing style involves the reader in deeply emotional dialog and actions.
I highly recommend this exciting tale of conflict but pay close attention or you’ll miss the subtle clues hidden along the way.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Ben Carlyle
Genre – Thriller
Word Count - 111,527
Rating – Five stars out of five
No.9 - 2021
Posted 2/27/2021
My Impressions: An intriguing story of conflict between British intelligence, the Russian Mafia, and a fifth column organization deep within Russia since the Bolshevik revolution.
A Chosen Path is a continuation of The Roads Chosen and is the second book in a series.
Main Characters:
Sam Mitchell – world traveler, spy
Rebecca Liscombe – Sam’s girlfriend and member of an extremely wealthy family.
Edward Liscombe – Rebecca’s wealthy father with deep ties to the British Government.
Andrew Levenson-Phillips - Director-Support Services in the intelligence wing of the British government.
In The Roads Chosen, Sam Mitchel spent six years walking the Silk Roads of Asia. He uncovered Russian Mafia corruption and set out to expose the deeply rooted ex-members of the Russian KGB secret service who retained powerful positions in the criminal world. To punish Sam, the criminals assassinated his parents.
Book two, A Chosen Path covers Sam’s quest to avenge his parents’ deaths and bring the people who ordered it to justice. Not to arrest and conviction, but to justice.
The fifth column purveyors of justice he contacts prove their power by safely escorting Sam and his entourage into Russia and then back out.
The primary driving purpose of the underground group is to salvage broken and damaged citizens, often military conscripts, and escort them to safety.
Along the way the story reveals a wonderful and intriguing host of characters working together to the detriment of the ex-KGB criminal leaders.
The editing and sentence structure are professional grade.
Character Development is detailed for the main characters and many support characters.
Details and research carry the story and create a vivid image.
The plot is complex and involves many support characters.
The writing style involves the reader in deeply emotional dialog and actions.
I highly recommend this exciting tale of conflict but pay close attention or you’ll miss the subtle clues hidden along the way.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
November 25, 2024
I thought it brilliant when so many people play their part in such an immense and intriguing international scheme.
Rebecca said, "Eight months this plan had been in the making. The players were ready. The stage set. They were about to raise the curtain. Yes, Sam would be the star of the show. But not as some lone ranger, maverick, revenge seeker. Their goals would be impossible to achieve, ludicrous to even contemplate, without the help of a cast of players."
I'm a girl wanting to see girls play important roles and here they do. Like other readers, I'm in awe of Martha.
Full of suspense and thrills. I loved this.
Rebecca said, "Eight months this plan had been in the making. The players were ready. The stage set. They were about to raise the curtain. Yes, Sam would be the star of the show. But not as some lone ranger, maverick, revenge seeker. Their goals would be impossible to achieve, ludicrous to even contemplate, without the help of a cast of players."
I'm a girl wanting to see girls play important roles and here they do. Like other readers, I'm in awe of Martha.
Full of suspense and thrills. I loved this.
September 30, 2024
I'm re-writing my review. I was kept awake by this last night: I like my sleep. Having decided where it was that I'd come up short, I've, hopefully, put things right...
Sam, the interloper, Mitchell, makes a phone call: no, not the phone call from the upper reaches of the creek, without a paddle. From that phone call, he was given a paddle and found dry land, after which he phones Rebecca, suicidal, Liscombe. She was hell-bent on killing herself because, as far as she was concerned, her man had left her on account of how she had behaved. As I said, he has a heart, so explains why he left (it’s all his fault, she did nothing wrong). Too few of those sort around nowadays. Another tick in the box for the blue-eyed boy and he’s not that scrawny any longer. With the paddle came three squares a day.
Once Mitchell is home and shacked up with the girl, under her father’s roof by the way - I don’t diverge for any other reason than it needs saying now, “if I ever was to consider an older man, Mr Liscombe would be top of my list.” Getting back on track - once snuggled up with the girl, the story goes off in a direction I did not expect. Mitchell puts his feet up - he does deserve the rest, it is well earned - and a bunch of characters come to the fore. Having got my head around this unexpected turn, I did understand why. The author is intent on keeping it real. Some bad people have crossed a line. Some good people are intent on holding them to account. The reasoning for this stance is justified and, I would guess folk within the intelligence services are ex-military, related to members of the military or have close relations with members of the military, so I see why some members of the intelligence community might put themselves up. It would become a little far-fetched should the boy, when he has no experience of such matters, grasp the reins and head off into the sunset, wishing to bring those that have done him a wrong to justice.
I think this is a romance: although I’m certain many will disagree. The girl put heart on her sleeve and as a result of immaturity on both sides and, as the boy readily admits, more his diffidence, they part company. The girl, for many reasons, not just the boy, family dynamics play as much a part, runs for cover. I’ve no real idea of the pressures put on young females of the elite class (debutantes) today but her circumstances are juxtaposed with a young debutante that many believe was forced into a marriage with a prince, because, first, she was from the right stock and, second, she was still a virgin. The boy left for what he saw as good reason: justifying his decision as it was best for her future, family ties and well-being. Whilst under the stars, the boy accepts his failures and is determined to repair things once he’s back. He’s back.
The girl’s no dope and having got her soul-mate back, and a renewed belief in her father, she comes out from her shell. I’m not going to explain this that well but, there’s a coming of age, finding her inner self, dynamic here. She was never a scaredy-cat, misconceptions carried from her youth into adulthood shaped her outlook. Rising to the challenges the boy's action in Kazakhstan has put before her family, she does her bit to help with the immediate.
The immediate is a quite incredible ploy set in motion across international borders with the aim of snaring some very bad people. If you draw it out as one of those spider diagrams, you’ll see how devious and daring it is: I tried doing it inside my head but gave up. There’s a whole raft of interesting characters to meet: as a girl, I could not do anything other than admire Martha (see is a retired intelligence officer) and dishes some great one-liners. As this goes on, you get dragged more and more into the world of the spooks. It’s all good. It all makes sense. It had to happen for this to come off in the way it does.
I’m not for anyone-minute belittling the theme: the plot is woven around what is a human tragedy: human weakness. Yet, there is far more to this. Why go to the lengths he has (the author) if he simply wants to highlight what are terrible wrongdoings? The story, once more, is left hanging open, promising there is more to come. What, I’m not too sure of, at present.
Sam, the interloper, Mitchell, makes a phone call: no, not the phone call from the upper reaches of the creek, without a paddle. From that phone call, he was given a paddle and found dry land, after which he phones Rebecca, suicidal, Liscombe. She was hell-bent on killing herself because, as far as she was concerned, her man had left her on account of how she had behaved. As I said, he has a heart, so explains why he left (it’s all his fault, she did nothing wrong). Too few of those sort around nowadays. Another tick in the box for the blue-eyed boy and he’s not that scrawny any longer. With the paddle came three squares a day.
Once Mitchell is home and shacked up with the girl, under her father’s roof by the way - I don’t diverge for any other reason than it needs saying now, “if I ever was to consider an older man, Mr Liscombe would be top of my list.” Getting back on track - once snuggled up with the girl, the story goes off in a direction I did not expect. Mitchell puts his feet up - he does deserve the rest, it is well earned - and a bunch of characters come to the fore. Having got my head around this unexpected turn, I did understand why. The author is intent on keeping it real. Some bad people have crossed a line. Some good people are intent on holding them to account. The reasoning for this stance is justified and, I would guess folk within the intelligence services are ex-military, related to members of the military or have close relations with members of the military, so I see why some members of the intelligence community might put themselves up. It would become a little far-fetched should the boy, when he has no experience of such matters, grasp the reins and head off into the sunset, wishing to bring those that have done him a wrong to justice.
I think this is a romance: although I’m certain many will disagree. The girl put heart on her sleeve and as a result of immaturity on both sides and, as the boy readily admits, more his diffidence, they part company. The girl, for many reasons, not just the boy, family dynamics play as much a part, runs for cover. I’ve no real idea of the pressures put on young females of the elite class (debutantes) today but her circumstances are juxtaposed with a young debutante that many believe was forced into a marriage with a prince, because, first, she was from the right stock and, second, she was still a virgin. The boy left for what he saw as good reason: justifying his decision as it was best for her future, family ties and well-being. Whilst under the stars, the boy accepts his failures and is determined to repair things once he’s back. He’s back.
The girl’s no dope and having got her soul-mate back, and a renewed belief in her father, she comes out from her shell. I’m not going to explain this that well but, there’s a coming of age, finding her inner self, dynamic here. She was never a scaredy-cat, misconceptions carried from her youth into adulthood shaped her outlook. Rising to the challenges the boy's action in Kazakhstan has put before her family, she does her bit to help with the immediate.
The immediate is a quite incredible ploy set in motion across international borders with the aim of snaring some very bad people. If you draw it out as one of those spider diagrams, you’ll see how devious and daring it is: I tried doing it inside my head but gave up. There’s a whole raft of interesting characters to meet: as a girl, I could not do anything other than admire Martha (see is a retired intelligence officer) and dishes some great one-liners. As this goes on, you get dragged more and more into the world of the spooks. It’s all good. It all makes sense. It had to happen for this to come off in the way it does.
I’m not for anyone-minute belittling the theme: the plot is woven around what is a human tragedy: human weakness. Yet, there is far more to this. Why go to the lengths he has (the author) if he simply wants to highlight what are terrible wrongdoings? The story, once more, is left hanging open, promising there is more to come. What, I’m not too sure of, at present.
April 6, 2022
This is by far the best spy novel I’ve read - and I did read more than my fair share back in my oil & gas days; the camps were littered with airport-bought-novels: buy it, read it, chuck it in the box.
There’s trickery afoot from the opening pages and it ramps up and up as the story unfolds. Chapter 1, is steeped in trickery: I find by the end of the chapter; and gives a glimpse at the life of young Russian army conscripts; I found it difficult to turn those pages, thinking of what was about to happen to the poor, young lad: we are fortunately spared an unhappy ending for the boy. Part of me wants to find out more on that subject, I imagine there will be academic reference texts available, but I don’t know that my stomach wants to cope with it. The news from Ukraine hints at these conscripts being not-so-well-looked-after and I do wonder at how much life has improved for them in recent years. It is striking that a novel can urge you to think about the life of others in the world around you.
Carlyle, the master of cunning or should I say, “Master Carlyle of the Cunning”, poses questions for his reader in ‘The Roads Chosen’:
Can there be such an underground network?
Can a group of clandestine operators have survived for that many years?
In this, ‘Trickery-Part 2’, we are given a few clues as to how.
Who is the spy?
Is it the intelligence officer in MI-6? (Operation Mincemeat is a great example of how the intelligence services used ‘a boat [submarine] load’ of trickery to deceive the enemy).
Is it the source, the traitor, who steals the information (intelligence) that finds its way to the officer in MI-6. (The Billion Dollar Spy highlights how Adolf Tolkachev used shed loads of trickery to aid in his theft of a treasure trove of secrets).
I accept that trickery and deceit is part and parcel of the intelligence world, and in this you cannot avoid being exposed to a deluge of trickery and deceit.
Want to know how you walk 300K (in cash) into a foreign country under the noses of the state security services? Read this. I’m convinced that this is how things get done. If you are going to do stuff, big stuff, you need lots of cash and filling your suitcase with it raises suspicions. You can of course fill the boot of your car with it and drive it in, but if you get stopped and searched …… well, what happens to your cunning plan then?
I am not going to spoil this for others, but …. you are tempted to believe, given no reason not to believe, want to believe, a course of events are about to unfold and yet …….
I can best describe this story as a breathtaking and scary theme park ride, where you are taken up to a point then twisted around, turned upside down and spun about until you do not know what will happen next.
My advice: get yourself an armchair, drag it close to a fire, find a bottle of wine and put a do-not-disturb sign on the door.
There’s trickery afoot from the opening pages and it ramps up and up as the story unfolds. Chapter 1, is steeped in trickery: I find by the end of the chapter; and gives a glimpse at the life of young Russian army conscripts; I found it difficult to turn those pages, thinking of what was about to happen to the poor, young lad: we are fortunately spared an unhappy ending for the boy. Part of me wants to find out more on that subject, I imagine there will be academic reference texts available, but I don’t know that my stomach wants to cope with it. The news from Ukraine hints at these conscripts being not-so-well-looked-after and I do wonder at how much life has improved for them in recent years. It is striking that a novel can urge you to think about the life of others in the world around you.
Carlyle, the master of cunning or should I say, “Master Carlyle of the Cunning”, poses questions for his reader in ‘The Roads Chosen’:
Can there be such an underground network?
Can a group of clandestine operators have survived for that many years?
In this, ‘Trickery-Part 2’, we are given a few clues as to how.
Who is the spy?
Is it the intelligence officer in MI-6? (Operation Mincemeat is a great example of how the intelligence services used ‘a boat [submarine] load’ of trickery to deceive the enemy).
Is it the source, the traitor, who steals the information (intelligence) that finds its way to the officer in MI-6. (The Billion Dollar Spy highlights how Adolf Tolkachev used shed loads of trickery to aid in his theft of a treasure trove of secrets).
I accept that trickery and deceit is part and parcel of the intelligence world, and in this you cannot avoid being exposed to a deluge of trickery and deceit.
Want to know how you walk 300K (in cash) into a foreign country under the noses of the state security services? Read this. I’m convinced that this is how things get done. If you are going to do stuff, big stuff, you need lots of cash and filling your suitcase with it raises suspicions. You can of course fill the boot of your car with it and drive it in, but if you get stopped and searched …… well, what happens to your cunning plan then?
I am not going to spoil this for others, but …. you are tempted to believe, given no reason not to believe, want to believe, a course of events are about to unfold and yet …….
I can best describe this story as a breathtaking and scary theme park ride, where you are taken up to a point then twisted around, turned upside down and spun about until you do not know what will happen next.
My advice: get yourself an armchair, drag it close to a fire, find a bottle of wine and put a do-not-disturb sign on the door.
May 10, 2021
Again, I’m impressed. The story moves forward at a pace. We go from Russia to London to Baku to Russia to London; the stage is set and the players are hand-picked.
I agree with John, you need to read The Roads Chosen before you embark upon this: I think that is fair. This is too much of a story to tell in one book. I’ll not talk about what happens in the first book: I don’t want to give the game away. It keeps you guessing. It stopped me sleeping.
The last we knew Sam was on a flight from Russia via Japan to Thailand; while in London, Rebecca, wearing mountain boots and dressed for the hills, was arguing with her father; she was determined to be off and save her man.
So, when we meet Rebecca in book 2, she’s dressed in her outdoor attire, boots an’ all, and about to depart.
It is so clever: an awful lot has happened; and Rebecca’s father, Edward, who I did not like too much in the first book, is adorable.
Now, “the boys and girls with mud-on-their-boots,” - that is a great saying - it’s in the book - most are in London: arguing, debating, deciding and moving the pieces on the board - it left me breathless.
And, I would marry ALP tomorrow; he among others decide a wrong has been done and he will do what is necessary.
Martha, my hero, sets up camp in Azerbaijan and pulls off a feast of trickery behind the smoke and mirrors.
I’m sad that we see so little of Boris and his family: I took them to my heart. We do, however, meet others, new to the story, who are as easy to warm to.
This is cut from a different cloth: it breaks with what I know of thriller writing. There is not one, do-it-all, shake ‘em, break ‘em, hang ‘em, hero. This is about a group of people, dotted around the world; yes, some happen to be in the right place at the right time, others are moved on the board.
John, in his review, suggests we get a look at what intelligence officers actually get up to.
We also get a glimpse of how the underground network operates and how they go about rescuing abused military conscripts: that which gripped me in the first book. If that which the author lets us see does happen then I’m in awe of these people.
As I said in my review of The Roads Chosen: “If these deserters are dead – where are the bodies? If they are not - where can they be? They’ve not gone home, because according to the Internet that is the first place the authorities go and they go year-in-year-out.”
Many of those that are listed as deserting, did not - they were taken (I am
sure of it). They are mostly illiterate; and they ain’t in an army camp 20 mile down the road from their Mum’s place. They’re penniless. They have no civilian clothes. ‘Dedovshchina in the Post-Soviet Military’, tells all. Yes, many end up in the ghettos, yet thousands don’t.
The author set out, I’m convinced, to bring the abuse of these young soldiers to light. Academic papers are read by the academics. Okay, I read ‘Dedovshchina in the Post-Soviet Military’, but it was this story that prompted that.
This is, as was the first instalment, a complex and captivating plot. It is hung off the dirty dealings of Russia’s organised crime lords; yet, it is so much more. It’s heart-warming to think that there might be people who will do what is needed, when it is needed.
If you read this Mr Carlyle: I am a fan. When do we get the next instalment?
I agree with John, you need to read The Roads Chosen before you embark upon this: I think that is fair. This is too much of a story to tell in one book. I’ll not talk about what happens in the first book: I don’t want to give the game away. It keeps you guessing. It stopped me sleeping.
The last we knew Sam was on a flight from Russia via Japan to Thailand; while in London, Rebecca, wearing mountain boots and dressed for the hills, was arguing with her father; she was determined to be off and save her man.
So, when we meet Rebecca in book 2, she’s dressed in her outdoor attire, boots an’ all, and about to depart.
It is so clever: an awful lot has happened; and Rebecca’s father, Edward, who I did not like too much in the first book, is adorable.
Now, “the boys and girls with mud-on-their-boots,” - that is a great saying - it’s in the book - most are in London: arguing, debating, deciding and moving the pieces on the board - it left me breathless.
And, I would marry ALP tomorrow; he among others decide a wrong has been done and he will do what is necessary.
Martha, my hero, sets up camp in Azerbaijan and pulls off a feast of trickery behind the smoke and mirrors.
I’m sad that we see so little of Boris and his family: I took them to my heart. We do, however, meet others, new to the story, who are as easy to warm to.
This is cut from a different cloth: it breaks with what I know of thriller writing. There is not one, do-it-all, shake ‘em, break ‘em, hang ‘em, hero. This is about a group of people, dotted around the world; yes, some happen to be in the right place at the right time, others are moved on the board.
John, in his review, suggests we get a look at what intelligence officers actually get up to.
We also get a glimpse of how the underground network operates and how they go about rescuing abused military conscripts: that which gripped me in the first book. If that which the author lets us see does happen then I’m in awe of these people.
As I said in my review of The Roads Chosen: “If these deserters are dead – where are the bodies? If they are not - where can they be? They’ve not gone home, because according to the Internet that is the first place the authorities go and they go year-in-year-out.”
Many of those that are listed as deserting, did not - they were taken (I am
sure of it). They are mostly illiterate; and they ain’t in an army camp 20 mile down the road from their Mum’s place. They’re penniless. They have no civilian clothes. ‘Dedovshchina in the Post-Soviet Military’, tells all. Yes, many end up in the ghettos, yet thousands don’t.
The author set out, I’m convinced, to bring the abuse of these young soldiers to light. Academic papers are read by the academics. Okay, I read ‘Dedovshchina in the Post-Soviet Military’, but it was this story that prompted that.
This is, as was the first instalment, a complex and captivating plot. It is hung off the dirty dealings of Russia’s organised crime lords; yet, it is so much more. It’s heart-warming to think that there might be people who will do what is needed, when it is needed.
If you read this Mr Carlyle: I am a fan. When do we get the next instalment?
June 1, 2022
First, I now know why MI-6 and MI-5 are planted into the plot of, The Roads Chosen. He-He-He.
And, this is juicy: I read an article, a few years ago, about a woman recruited from university by the CIA. She is now one of their top analysts: she doesn't venture out into the field with a gun stuck under her armpit or race around trying to catch the baddies: she sits behind a desk and scrutinises stuff: intelligence from sources or agents in the field - documents, videos, reports, assessments. It is said, she is a workaholic, sleeps little, lives in CIA HQ, Langley and never leaves: sleeps there, eats there. It is thought (I am told) that the character in the film Zero Dark Thirty is based on this woman and the character in the TV series Homeland is again based on this woman. I've no idea.
In the book Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy there is a woman researcher/analyst: Connie Sachs. In this book there is a woman researcher/analyst - yes we get a bit more of a back story on Vicky Spencer (do not, if you value your life address her as Victoria). Isn't that a little coincidental? Is there, or was there, a woman working as a researcher/analyst for MI-6 with a mind that was able to suck up and store intelligence better than a Dyson?
And, Vicky is not the only woman in this plot that stands out from the crowd: fantastic, and about time. Well done Mr Carlyle. Why is it that for so long women play no real part in these plots or are written in as gun-toting assassins (with a man as their handler). There is a woman written into this by the name of Martha Denton: the CEO (Senior Intelligence Officer) of an operation that needs a shrewd, time served, brain. It is wonderful to read and so well played out. And, this is also juicy: there is, or was, a woman (I am told) who worked as a field officer for MI-6; highly effective, extremely intelligent and very well thought of within the ranks. I've no idea; but, the thought of it is ... FAB.
The plot - it is complex and there is as much tension in the scenes played out in London as the events in the field; by the time the fishing trawler returns to Baku, so many 'Red Herrings' have been laid at your feet, you won't know what is going to happen next.
I did not guess at how this plot would unravel, but once it had, I thought, "Of course, that is exactly how you would play the cards if you had the deck to choose from.
I was torn over what to write: the last thing I want to do is give the game away - it is such a gripping story.
And, this is juicy: I read an article, a few years ago, about a woman recruited from university by the CIA. She is now one of their top analysts: she doesn't venture out into the field with a gun stuck under her armpit or race around trying to catch the baddies: she sits behind a desk and scrutinises stuff: intelligence from sources or agents in the field - documents, videos, reports, assessments. It is said, she is a workaholic, sleeps little, lives in CIA HQ, Langley and never leaves: sleeps there, eats there. It is thought (I am told) that the character in the film Zero Dark Thirty is based on this woman and the character in the TV series Homeland is again based on this woman. I've no idea.
In the book Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy there is a woman researcher/analyst: Connie Sachs. In this book there is a woman researcher/analyst - yes we get a bit more of a back story on Vicky Spencer (do not, if you value your life address her as Victoria). Isn't that a little coincidental? Is there, or was there, a woman working as a researcher/analyst for MI-6 with a mind that was able to suck up and store intelligence better than a Dyson?
And, Vicky is not the only woman in this plot that stands out from the crowd: fantastic, and about time. Well done Mr Carlyle. Why is it that for so long women play no real part in these plots or are written in as gun-toting assassins (with a man as their handler). There is a woman written into this by the name of Martha Denton: the CEO (Senior Intelligence Officer) of an operation that needs a shrewd, time served, brain. It is wonderful to read and so well played out. And, this is also juicy: there is, or was, a woman (I am told) who worked as a field officer for MI-6; highly effective, extremely intelligent and very well thought of within the ranks. I've no idea; but, the thought of it is ... FAB.
The plot - it is complex and there is as much tension in the scenes played out in London as the events in the field; by the time the fishing trawler returns to Baku, so many 'Red Herrings' have been laid at your feet, you won't know what is going to happen next.
I did not guess at how this plot would unravel, but once it had, I thought, "Of course, that is exactly how you would play the cards if you had the deck to choose from.
I was torn over what to write: the last thing I want to do is give the game away - it is such a gripping story.
May 5, 2021
This is an exceptional plot.
The ending of the first book, dictates that another is to follow. What follows ends in much the same way: the third in the series, I’m sure, is on the way.
You’ll not get a handle on the central characters without first reading (The Roads Chosen). This book opens at the same place the ‘The Roads Chosen’ closes; and some may say that is a little unfair. All I can say is this is the most riveting fiction I have ever read. This is easily in the same league as John le Carré.
I doubt you’ll guess where the plot is taking you. I couldn’t. And also, I couldn’t put the book down.
I’m an avid reader of ‘intelligence community’ and ‘political intrigue’ stuff; and gave up on most of the fiction surrounding that genre some time back: most of it I see as not how that world works. This is way above that category and smacks of how - in the real world - the pieces can be moved on the board.
How the main protagonist gets hooked into the world of British Intelligence is in the first book and I’ll not spoil that.
This, the sequel, takes you into a world of real intrigue; and as the blurb for the book says, ‘It smacks of procedural authenticity.’
A character in this plot is ‘wealthy’ and owns a large estate in Sussex. British Intelligence has throughout its time attracted those (a small percentage - I will accept) who are ‘of means’.
I’ll point you to Malcolm Edward Durant Cumming, you’ll find reference to him in ‘Spy Catcher’: from a wealthy family and owned a large estate in Sussex.
There is a good-deal of well-researched history in this. I am tempted to suggest, ‘the author has some connection with the workings of the intelligence world’.
You’ll not find a ‘super-hero’ character here. You will find a multitude of characters all playing their part; the chess pieces, moved forward,
backward, to the side: feints, bluffs, snares and deceits. How, I do believe, the real-world of intelligence gathering and clandestine ops works.
You will find an incredibly clever plot and richly drawn boys and girls, with ‘mud-on-their-boots’.
I await the third instalment.
The ending of the first book, dictates that another is to follow. What follows ends in much the same way: the third in the series, I’m sure, is on the way.
You’ll not get a handle on the central characters without first reading (The Roads Chosen). This book opens at the same place the ‘The Roads Chosen’ closes; and some may say that is a little unfair. All I can say is this is the most riveting fiction I have ever read. This is easily in the same league as John le Carré.
I doubt you’ll guess where the plot is taking you. I couldn’t. And also, I couldn’t put the book down.
I’m an avid reader of ‘intelligence community’ and ‘political intrigue’ stuff; and gave up on most of the fiction surrounding that genre some time back: most of it I see as not how that world works. This is way above that category and smacks of how - in the real world - the pieces can be moved on the board.
How the main protagonist gets hooked into the world of British Intelligence is in the first book and I’ll not spoil that.
This, the sequel, takes you into a world of real intrigue; and as the blurb for the book says, ‘It smacks of procedural authenticity.’
A character in this plot is ‘wealthy’ and owns a large estate in Sussex. British Intelligence has throughout its time attracted those (a small percentage - I will accept) who are ‘of means’.
I’ll point you to Malcolm Edward Durant Cumming, you’ll find reference to him in ‘Spy Catcher’: from a wealthy family and owned a large estate in Sussex.
There is a good-deal of well-researched history in this. I am tempted to suggest, ‘the author has some connection with the workings of the intelligence world’.
You’ll not find a ‘super-hero’ character here. You will find a multitude of characters all playing their part; the chess pieces, moved forward,
backward, to the side: feints, bluffs, snares and deceits. How, I do believe, the real-world of intelligence gathering and clandestine ops works.
You will find an incredibly clever plot and richly drawn boys and girls, with ‘mud-on-their-boots’.
I await the third instalment.
January 27, 2025
Aha! A story about spies and how they go about their business; and why the spies popped their heads up now and then in the first book. The debates and dealing of the spies kept me once more enthralled. It all makes sense to me. What I liked more than anything is the characters introduced. They are so solid and all with colourful backstories. It's so much more than a spy story. It's about real people in the real world.
December 29, 2024
I’m surprised the author has left the main thread of the first book (The Roads Chosen) to simmer: I can only suppose he feels the tree is planted and should be kept watered to allow the roots to take. Boris, who for me, claimed centre stage in #1, failed to appear and was barely spoken of.
Everything included in #1 is there for a reason and so I can only assume there is good reasoning behind why #2 heads in a different direction.
We learn more, which is an enjoyment, of the clandestine network and how they operate: for me that was not essential as I have accepted having bought into the concept put forth in #1 that this organisation exists:
Mary said, ‘Where are the bodies?’
I said, ‘Do the maths.’ I also repeated what others have said, ‘Write about what you know.’ I’m convinced the author wrote about what he knew in #1. I have no idea of how the intelligence services work: in #2, we are allowed to see how the author suggests they operate. It all reads as believable. At present, I wonder why we are given such detail and also why it was so necessary to ‘put to death’ the characters he has.
Book #1 being fiction, but for me, it’s real life fictionalised because the author was not able to identify the real faces and locations, I do feel a little deflated by the level of fiction with this, #2.
It’s still a cracking read, and I enjoyed it immensely: the ending tells me, the characters that take the stage in book #2 will be present in book #3. They are great characters: Martha is wonderful. I miss Boris and hope he returns in book #3.
Everything included in #1 is there for a reason and so I can only assume there is good reasoning behind why #2 heads in a different direction.
We learn more, which is an enjoyment, of the clandestine network and how they operate: for me that was not essential as I have accepted having bought into the concept put forth in #1 that this organisation exists:
Mary said, ‘Where are the bodies?’
I said, ‘Do the maths.’ I also repeated what others have said, ‘Write about what you know.’ I’m convinced the author wrote about what he knew in #1. I have no idea of how the intelligence services work: in #2, we are allowed to see how the author suggests they operate. It all reads as believable. At present, I wonder why we are given such detail and also why it was so necessary to ‘put to death’ the characters he has.
Book #1 being fiction, but for me, it’s real life fictionalised because the author was not able to identify the real faces and locations, I do feel a little deflated by the level of fiction with this, #2.
It’s still a cracking read, and I enjoyed it immensely: the ending tells me, the characters that take the stage in book #2 will be present in book #3. They are great characters: Martha is wonderful. I miss Boris and hope he returns in book #3.
November 30, 2024
Several other readers have said much the same, I also cannot dodge the fact. My current crush, (at present, I don’t have or want a real one, a fictional one is just my cup of tea) Sam was for most of book #1 leading the story and once rescued handed the reigns over: something the current crop of thriller/fiction writers shy from.
If you are wandering the forests of a foreign land whilst being hunted down by an entire army and half the country’s police force, suffer injuries needing more than a band-aid, are rescued by folk that know far more than you’ll likely ever know about the subject of hiding from the authorities, I doubt you’d be warranted in taking charge of the dilemma you’ve got yourself in. As Sam does, and why he can be swooned over, you’d probably sit quietly and be nothing but thankful of still being alive: a storyline I can believe in.
With book #2, Sam remains, to a degree, humble, thankful and acquiescent. There’s a plan being mulled over, a huge plan, and one bunch of planners are being less than totally honest with the other. I’ve just mentioned how Sam remains thankful: if it wasn’t for the bunch, he’d be dead. I will at this point refer you to Poppy’s view on things: part of the reason she likey-likey Sam is because he is genuinely thankful to those who have helped him. And, the plan I mentioned involves a great deal of people who all know far more than Sam about what has to happen, how it has to happen and why: a storyline I can believe in.
The plan when it does role out is quite fantastic and I failed to figure the ultimate goal. When it came, I thought, “Of course. It’s the obvious thing to do.” And, it does of course lead neatly on to book #3.
Some great characters appear in book #2, and others from book #1 show more of themselves. Martha is nothing more than solid gold. Harry deserves a book of his own, because I could definitely fall for him. Georgina is the luckiest girl in the world and Rebecca comes out from her shell.
Book #2 is not about Sam. In his review, Iain said, ‘It takes courage to break from the accepted format for this genre and the author has kept book #2 rooted in reality. The subject matter deserves as much.’
I’m nothing more than a spectator having heaps of fun chirping with the girls about Sam and other heart throbs. I’m not insensitive. I understand the gravity of the social issues the author has built his story on and having read Iain's review, I accept these books are an attempt to highlight concerns for the ordinary people in some parts of Eastern-Europe.
This is a great read, based upon an impressive scheme that when played out is steeped in double-dealing, deceit and carries huge risks.
It should be a film.
If you are wandering the forests of a foreign land whilst being hunted down by an entire army and half the country’s police force, suffer injuries needing more than a band-aid, are rescued by folk that know far more than you’ll likely ever know about the subject of hiding from the authorities, I doubt you’d be warranted in taking charge of the dilemma you’ve got yourself in. As Sam does, and why he can be swooned over, you’d probably sit quietly and be nothing but thankful of still being alive: a storyline I can believe in.
With book #2, Sam remains, to a degree, humble, thankful and acquiescent. There’s a plan being mulled over, a huge plan, and one bunch of planners are being less than totally honest with the other. I’ve just mentioned how Sam remains thankful: if it wasn’t for the bunch, he’d be dead. I will at this point refer you to Poppy’s view on things: part of the reason she likey-likey Sam is because he is genuinely thankful to those who have helped him. And, the plan I mentioned involves a great deal of people who all know far more than Sam about what has to happen, how it has to happen and why: a storyline I can believe in.
The plan when it does role out is quite fantastic and I failed to figure the ultimate goal. When it came, I thought, “Of course. It’s the obvious thing to do.” And, it does of course lead neatly on to book #3.
Some great characters appear in book #2, and others from book #1 show more of themselves. Martha is nothing more than solid gold. Harry deserves a book of his own, because I could definitely fall for him. Georgina is the luckiest girl in the world and Rebecca comes out from her shell.
Book #2 is not about Sam. In his review, Iain said, ‘It takes courage to break from the accepted format for this genre and the author has kept book #2 rooted in reality. The subject matter deserves as much.’
I’m nothing more than a spectator having heaps of fun chirping with the girls about Sam and other heart throbs. I’m not insensitive. I understand the gravity of the social issues the author has built his story on and having read Iain's review, I accept these books are an attempt to highlight concerns for the ordinary people in some parts of Eastern-Europe.
This is a great read, based upon an impressive scheme that when played out is steeped in double-dealing, deceit and carries huge risks.
It should be a film.
August 23, 2023
Having read The Roads Chosen, I expected this book to be somewhat similar. While there are some similarities, there are a number of very significant differences. One of the most important of these is the incorporation (in this book) of a fairly broad cast of characters (operatives or ex operatives) from the British Secret Services and the application of their time-honored planning and operational methods. All of this was an eye opener and helped me to better understand the complexity of these kinds of operations, the number of people involved and the quantity of resources required to bring them to fruition. This element added authenticity to the novel and appeard to be based on actual real-life practices. Very interesting stuff. At the same time, it seemed to consume a large part of the book and in my opinion, added relatively little dramatic tension.
Another difference is the role of Sam Mitchell, the protagonist in The Roads Chosen. In The Chosen Path, Sam Mitchell becomes more or less an auxiliary character and eventually a decoy. He takes part in the operations that are planned and executed either by British ex secret service operators or by members of the Russian fifth column organization but he's generally not in control of these events and is rarely even a decision maker. As a result of this role shift, I was less invested in Sam's character this time around and this, I think, may have contributed to my sense that there was a diminished level of tension in the novel.
In summary, I found the novel slow but interesting for most of the first 200 pages. The pace picked up after that and stayed at a moderate level until the end. I liked the introduction of elements of the official British secret services and the fact that the book zeroed in on a number of internal problems impacting the Russian Army i.e. criminal activities, bullying of recruits, desertion and fifth columnists. For me the level of dramatic tension in this novel was less than in The Roads Chosen. The book didn't evolve into what I would call a true "thriller" or for that matter, a "page-turner". That said, I still found it an interesting, complex and engaging novel, one well worth reading.
Another difference is the role of Sam Mitchell, the protagonist in The Roads Chosen. In The Chosen Path, Sam Mitchell becomes more or less an auxiliary character and eventually a decoy. He takes part in the operations that are planned and executed either by British ex secret service operators or by members of the Russian fifth column organization but he's generally not in control of these events and is rarely even a decision maker. As a result of this role shift, I was less invested in Sam's character this time around and this, I think, may have contributed to my sense that there was a diminished level of tension in the novel.
In summary, I found the novel slow but interesting for most of the first 200 pages. The pace picked up after that and stayed at a moderate level until the end. I liked the introduction of elements of the official British secret services and the fact that the book zeroed in on a number of internal problems impacting the Russian Army i.e. criminal activities, bullying of recruits, desertion and fifth columnists. For me the level of dramatic tension in this novel was less than in The Roads Chosen. The book didn't evolve into what I would call a true "thriller" or for that matter, a "page-turner". That said, I still found it an interesting, complex and engaging novel, one well worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews