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Liz Carlyle #4
Dead Line
Here is the fourth installment in Stella Rimington’s series of thrilling novels that have at their center MI5 officer Liz Carlyle.As plans get under way for a Middle East peace conference at the Gleneagles resort in Scotland, alarming information comes to MI5 from a high-ranking Syrian two individuals are mounting an operation to violently disrupt the conference and lay the blame on Syria. No one knows who they are, exactly what they’re planning or if they’re working independently or being controlled by an unseen foreign hand. But given the stature of the conference attendees—heads of state from the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran—no chances can be taken.Initially, the leads look promising, but as the conference deadline draws closer and the clues lead Liz to one seeming dead end after another, she begins to understand that the threat is far greater than she or anyone else has imagined. Her most reliable tool has always been her searingly keen intuition—about what makes people tick, what makes them explode, what makes them defy the most basic constructs of society—but will it be enough to avert a disaster that may forever erase the possibility of peace in the Middle East?Once again, Stella Rimington brings her experience as the first woman Director General of MI5 to bear in a powerfully suspenseful, intellectually and psychologically riveting tale about how the war on terrorism can suddenly—and continually—reshape our world.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2008
271 people are currently reading
831 people want to read
About the author
Stella Rimington
33 books518 followersDame Stella Rimington was a British author and Director General of MI5, a position she held from 1992 to 1996. She was the first female DG of MI5, and the first DG whose name was publicised on appointment. In 1993, Rimington became the first DG of MI5 to pose openly for cameras at the launch of a brochure outlining the organisation's activities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
November 18, 2018
I'd forgotten how Goodreads qualified Two Stars until I hovered my cursor over the ratings: It was Ok.
Ok. I can live with that. This was ok. A fun diversion in a stressful week. I recall feeling much more riveted by the first Liz Carlyle, read several years ago, but I haven't read the in-betweens. My rating would be higher if not for the disappointing denouement.
Ok. I can live with that. This was ok. A fun diversion in a stressful week. I recall feeling much more riveted by the first Liz Carlyle, read several years ago, but I haven't read the in-betweens. My rating would be higher if not for the disappointing denouement.
October 12, 2017
Dame Stella Rimington served as Director General of Britain's Security Service, MI5, from 1992 to 1996. Eight years later, in retirement, her first spy novel was published, launching the Liz Carlyle series. Dead Line (2008) is the fourth in the series, now nine strong.
Clearly, Rimington has intimate knowledge of MI5 and its sister agency, MI6. So it's no surprise that every entry in the Liz Carlyle series rings with authenticity. What is unexpected is Rimington's proficiency with plotting, characterization, and scene-setting. Like its three predecessors in the series, Dead Line is a pleasure to read.
In this suspenseful spy thriller, a high-level Middle Eastern peace conference is scheduled to take place in Scotland. The presidents of Israel, Syria, and the United States are all scheduled to attend. The conference is just weeks away when MI6 picks up a credible agent's report that a plan is afoot to sabotage the conference. Thirty-five-year-old MI5 officer Liz Carlyle is assigned to work with MI6 to determine whether the threat is real and, if so, find out who's behind it—and thwart it at all costs.
Together with her able young aide, Peggy Kinsolving, and senior MI6 officer Geoffrey Fane, Liz sets out on an investigation that intensifies as the deadline approaches. Other agencies become involved, including the CIA, Special Branch, Revenue and Customs, and Israel's Mossad. Suspense builds steadily as the story unfolds, and it's not until the very end that Liz—or the reader—understands what's really happening. The novel concludes on a high note, but loose ends remain to be wrapped up in future stories.
After four novels in the series, Liz Carlyle is coming into sharp focus. She is professional to a fault, highly intuitive, and capable of facing down even the most formidable sexist male. Liz is also secretly in love with her (married) boss, Charles Wetherby, and fearful that the man her aging mother has paired up with is a gold-digger. And she's frustrated that her job hasn't allowed her to date. In other words, exceptional though she is, Liz Carlyle is an entirely credible thirty-something Englishwoman.
Clearly, Rimington has intimate knowledge of MI5 and its sister agency, MI6. So it's no surprise that every entry in the Liz Carlyle series rings with authenticity. What is unexpected is Rimington's proficiency with plotting, characterization, and scene-setting. Like its three predecessors in the series, Dead Line is a pleasure to read.
In this suspenseful spy thriller, a high-level Middle Eastern peace conference is scheduled to take place in Scotland. The presidents of Israel, Syria, and the United States are all scheduled to attend. The conference is just weeks away when MI6 picks up a credible agent's report that a plan is afoot to sabotage the conference. Thirty-five-year-old MI5 officer Liz Carlyle is assigned to work with MI6 to determine whether the threat is real and, if so, find out who's behind it—and thwart it at all costs.
Together with her able young aide, Peggy Kinsolving, and senior MI6 officer Geoffrey Fane, Liz sets out on an investigation that intensifies as the deadline approaches. Other agencies become involved, including the CIA, Special Branch, Revenue and Customs, and Israel's Mossad. Suspense builds steadily as the story unfolds, and it's not until the very end that Liz—or the reader—understands what's really happening. The novel concludes on a high note, but loose ends remain to be wrapped up in future stories.
After four novels in the series, Liz Carlyle is coming into sharp focus. She is professional to a fault, highly intuitive, and capable of facing down even the most formidable sexist male. Liz is also secretly in love with her (married) boss, Charles Wetherby, and fearful that the man her aging mother has paired up with is a gold-digger. And she's frustrated that her job hasn't allowed her to date. In other words, exceptional though she is, Liz Carlyle is an entirely credible thirty-something Englishwoman.
June 21, 2015
I'll probably finish the series but can't whole heartedly recommend to other spy/thriller book lovers. The author's background gives her novels huge credibility but so far her story lines are coming up short.
Want to read
January 17, 2019Synopsis: a Middle East peace conference is starting in Scotland when MI5 hears that two individuals plan to disrupt it. Liz finds dead ends.
November 21, 2020
Only a couple of weeks back I wrote that I wouldn't read any more of the Liz Carlyle series but then I found I'd already downloaded the next one on to my Kindle. So there I was in lockdown and it seemed like an easy enough way to pass the time. Initially I thought I'd made a big mistake, as I had just re-read Warlight (Ondaatje) which was such a complex and nuanced book about espionage and its effects on spies and their families. This by contrast was a simple (simplistic?) story about a possible threat to a Middle East peace conference and MI5's efforts to prevent disaster. Eventually the ever more complicated plot did pull me in and I found the last third surprisingly gripping. Better than the last but still - not much more than an escapist read. Two and a half stars, rounded up for the ending.
March 3, 2026
Book Club Choice (Jan-26)
Undoubtedly with her professional credentials Stella Rimington knows what’s she’s talking about when it comes to the intelligence service. Spy thrillers can sometimes be over complicated but the plot here was easy enough to follow. I just didn’t really connect with the character of Liz Carlyle enough to rate it any higher than two stars.
Undoubtedly with her professional credentials Stella Rimington knows what’s she’s talking about when it comes to the intelligence service. Spy thrillers can sometimes be over complicated but the plot here was easy enough to follow. I just didn’t really connect with the character of Liz Carlyle enough to rate it any higher than two stars.
September 30, 2020
I would be interested to know to what extent Liz Carlyle, the appealing protagonist of Stella Rimington’s espionage novels, is based upon the author herself. Liz is pragmatic, resourceful and quick thinking, relying upon her own abilities rather than the high tech accessories that so often clutter spy novels.
On a related point, having been rereading the sequence, I also wonder how far the character of Zoe Reynolds, who featured so notably in the first three seasons of the television series Spooks is based upon Liz Carlyle. They share the same practical approach to the numerous challenges and operations thrown their way, and both display an occasional healthy cynicism, or even despair, about the value or rectitude of their role.
Dead Line represents the fourth outing for Liz Carlyle, and once again she finds herself feeling as wary of her MI6 and CIA counterparts as of the ‘official’ enemy. A major Middle East peace summit has been scheduled to be held at the luxury Scottish hotel complex of Gleneagles, but intelligence filters down to MI6 about a Syrian plot to disrupt it. Liz is assigned to investigate potential links to the plot in the UK, and to ensure that the peace talks can proceed safely.
One of the great qualities of Liz Carlyle as a character is her humanity. She isn’t perfect, and occasionally makes mistakes. She is also as susceptible to mistaken first impressions as anyone else, and finds herself having to reconsider various assumptions she has made about her family and personal life. Where Rimington shows her deftness as a writer is in balancing Liz’s personal hinterland with the requirements of the plot, and never allowing the former to overshadow or dwarf the latter.
This is not an edge of the seat thriller – that is not the sort of book that Stella Rimington is aiming for. It is, however, a well-crafted, well written and entertaining story, that captures (and then retains) the reader’s attention right from the start.
On a related point, having been rereading the sequence, I also wonder how far the character of Zoe Reynolds, who featured so notably in the first three seasons of the television series Spooks is based upon Liz Carlyle. They share the same practical approach to the numerous challenges and operations thrown their way, and both display an occasional healthy cynicism, or even despair, about the value or rectitude of their role.
Dead Line represents the fourth outing for Liz Carlyle, and once again she finds herself feeling as wary of her MI6 and CIA counterparts as of the ‘official’ enemy. A major Middle East peace summit has been scheduled to be held at the luxury Scottish hotel complex of Gleneagles, but intelligence filters down to MI6 about a Syrian plot to disrupt it. Liz is assigned to investigate potential links to the plot in the UK, and to ensure that the peace talks can proceed safely.
One of the great qualities of Liz Carlyle as a character is her humanity. She isn’t perfect, and occasionally makes mistakes. She is also as susceptible to mistaken first impressions as anyone else, and finds herself having to reconsider various assumptions she has made about her family and personal life. Where Rimington shows her deftness as a writer is in balancing Liz’s personal hinterland with the requirements of the plot, and never allowing the former to overshadow or dwarf the latter.
This is not an edge of the seat thriller – that is not the sort of book that Stella Rimington is aiming for. It is, however, a well-crafted, well written and entertaining story, that captures (and then retains) the reader’s attention right from the start.
December 13, 2016
'Dead Line', the 4th in Stella Rimington's Liz Carlyle series, is a tricky one. The British secret service is made aware of the potential for the disruption of an international conference in Scotland, and from there it becomes a sometimes tedious search for the who, what, when, where, and why.
As with her prior novels, Ms. Rimington provides great descriptions of tradecraft and the inner workings of both the security services and the political atmosphere surrounding them. What I most enjoy about the series, though, is the lead character. Liz isn't a killing machine or a bloodless analytical robot, but is rather a hyper-competent agent with a conscience and other very human qualities and needs. The author has done fine work in developing this character and, with the announcement at the very end of the book, we can look forward to what I can assume to be new entanglements on her social side.
The writing is crisp but the book doesn't move as quickly as I expected. That's probably on me- security investigations mixed with diplomacy and international competition between services don't move fast, and Ms. Rimington obviously knows what's involved there. Two problems I had with 'Dead Line': the dialogue of one of the American CIA officers didn't ring very true. He was an ex-Ivy league Anglophile who spoke as if he were British. The other issue was with the conclusion- at the risk of being a spoiler, I didn't think the level of cunning and precision of the perpetrator would have resulted in the dependence on the final group of involved characters and the complicated type of attack that was carried out.
So, this was definitely a worthwhile read by an author who has spun a fine series out of her experience as the head of Britain's MI5.
As with her prior novels, Ms. Rimington provides great descriptions of tradecraft and the inner workings of both the security services and the political atmosphere surrounding them. What I most enjoy about the series, though, is the lead character. Liz isn't a killing machine or a bloodless analytical robot, but is rather a hyper-competent agent with a conscience and other very human qualities and needs. The author has done fine work in developing this character and, with the announcement at the very end of the book, we can look forward to what I can assume to be new entanglements on her social side.
The writing is crisp but the book doesn't move as quickly as I expected. That's probably on me- security investigations mixed with diplomacy and international competition between services don't move fast, and Ms. Rimington obviously knows what's involved there. Two problems I had with 'Dead Line': the dialogue of one of the American CIA officers didn't ring very true. He was an ex-Ivy league Anglophile who spoke as if he were British. The other issue was with the conclusion- at the risk of being a spoiler, I didn't think the level of cunning and precision of the perpetrator would have resulted in the dependence on the final group of involved characters and the complicated type of attack that was carried out.
So, this was definitely a worthwhile read by an author who has spun a fine series out of her experience as the head of Britain's MI5.
April 5, 2015
Dead Line is the fourth Stella Rimington novel centred on MI5 intelligence officer Liz Carlyle. However it can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. I was somewhat disappointed by Rimington's last novel, Illegal Action, but with Dead Line she's back on form. This is a fast and enjoyable read.
The story centres on a plot to disrupt an upcoming Middle Eastern peace conference to be held at Gleneagles. It's an immediately intriguing storyline that quickly becomes complex, with many disparate threads and red herrings. Rimington juggles them all masterfully and keeps ratcheting up the tension.
A good thriller is made even better by Stella Rimington's first hand experience in the Secret Service, which gives the book a highly authentic feel. When she writes about an agent arranging a clandestine meeting with a contact, how MI5 conduct a surveillance operation or even the relationships between MI5, MI6 and the CIA, you know this is as close to reality as a novel is going to get. Indeed, these are some of the most fascinating parts of the book.
In the second half, Rimington's limitations as a writer become more evident. While her characters are well thought through, she has no ear for dialogue in casual conversations. (On the other hand, Carlyle does a beautiful job of very rationally putting a harassed and chauvinistic constable in his place, which made me see why Rimington was so successful in her own career). The ending is anti-climatic, with the villain being apprehended almost as an after-thought. It seems that Rimington is more interested in the process of investigation than the hands-on business of saving the day.
The story centres on a plot to disrupt an upcoming Middle Eastern peace conference to be held at Gleneagles. It's an immediately intriguing storyline that quickly becomes complex, with many disparate threads and red herrings. Rimington juggles them all masterfully and keeps ratcheting up the tension.
A good thriller is made even better by Stella Rimington's first hand experience in the Secret Service, which gives the book a highly authentic feel. When she writes about an agent arranging a clandestine meeting with a contact, how MI5 conduct a surveillance operation or even the relationships between MI5, MI6 and the CIA, you know this is as close to reality as a novel is going to get. Indeed, these are some of the most fascinating parts of the book.
In the second half, Rimington's limitations as a writer become more evident. While her characters are well thought through, she has no ear for dialogue in casual conversations. (On the other hand, Carlyle does a beautiful job of very rationally putting a harassed and chauvinistic constable in his place, which made me see why Rimington was so successful in her own career). The ending is anti-climatic, with the villain being apprehended almost as an after-thought. It seems that Rimington is more interested in the process of investigation than the hands-on business of saving the day.
Read
June 17, 2014I did not like this book at all. No stars at all.
It was too slow moving, the chapters felt stilted and the back ground painted by the author for each scene felt false and unreal. The characters didn't feel right either. Peggy who was supposed to be a whiz with computers was more concerned with cooking a meal at the time of big pressure leading up to the conference. The background given to some of the other characters also felt "made up" and not natural. The plot was way too slow and all the chapters sounded "cut off". The book did not flow freely nor did it feel joined up.
The narrator(I had the audio version)did not help either. She read the book as if it was a 1950's women's cook and housekeeping book. There was no suspense and no thrill in the book at all.
I was bored to tears at times and craved a current thriller with a bit of testosterone tossed in.
The author managed to have all men in the book sound like women in men's clothing. And I am not saying drag. I mean as if the men in the book were thinking with women's brains. Total testosterone deficiency. No manly men at all in the whole book.
I have given this book no stars at all. I was going to give it one star, but I removed that because a dog got killed. So there's my message. Authors - write your books in ways other than killing dogs when you can't think of anything better. This book would have been better if the author had thought of a way to save the dog.
It was too slow moving, the chapters felt stilted and the back ground painted by the author for each scene felt false and unreal. The characters didn't feel right either. Peggy who was supposed to be a whiz with computers was more concerned with cooking a meal at the time of big pressure leading up to the conference. The background given to some of the other characters also felt "made up" and not natural. The plot was way too slow and all the chapters sounded "cut off". The book did not flow freely nor did it feel joined up.
The narrator(I had the audio version)did not help either. She read the book as if it was a 1950's women's cook and housekeeping book. There was no suspense and no thrill in the book at all.
I was bored to tears at times and craved a current thriller with a bit of testosterone tossed in.
The author managed to have all men in the book sound like women in men's clothing. And I am not saying drag. I mean as if the men in the book were thinking with women's brains. Total testosterone deficiency. No manly men at all in the whole book.
I have given this book no stars at all. I was going to give it one star, but I removed that because a dog got killed. So there's my message. Authors - write your books in ways other than killing dogs when you can't think of anything better. This book would have been better if the author had thought of a way to save the dog.
February 23, 2013
I was drawn to this book by the blurb, it sounded like the basis for an exciting spy thriller. Sadly, whilst this book has the elements of an exciting spy thriller, it is far from such.
The narrative it at times rather dry and the plot isn't unique in terms of the method of getting to the climax, it's merely a rehash of the methods of a hundred other spy movies & books implemented in a way that makes you feel drowsy.
It's set in Britain so predictably there is no gun play, but there's also not much in the way of actual spying either just some dull scenes of meeting on a cliff top, a car toppling over a cliff and a bland description of someone being hit by a car. Clichéd British phrases such as 'jolly dangerous time' also didn't aid the narrative.
If I were to describe this book in two words: resoundingly average, in one word: dull.
The narrative it at times rather dry and the plot isn't unique in terms of the method of getting to the climax, it's merely a rehash of the methods of a hundred other spy movies & books implemented in a way that makes you feel drowsy.
It's set in Britain so predictably there is no gun play, but there's also not much in the way of actual spying either just some dull scenes of meeting on a cliff top, a car toppling over a cliff and a bland description of someone being hit by a car. Clichéd British phrases such as 'jolly dangerous time' also didn't aid the narrative.
If I were to describe this book in two words: resoundingly average, in one word: dull.
November 23, 2022
3.5 stars for a great espionage thriller which was even more convincing in its lack of fluff. On the eve of a historic Middle Eastern peace conference in the UK, a tip comes that two Brits with ties to Syria are being targeted for murder to disrupt the talks. Liz Carlisle and her team must untangle a web of intrigue and dis-intelligence to stop the attacks and discover the true threat to the conference in time.
August 15, 2010
Clever, well paced counter espionage tale. The book is not particularly suspenseful, but it has strong, interesting characters. The plot is effectiely driven by procedure.
September 6, 2015
Brief Chapters - not enough space to do serious character development - doesn't really gather momentum - no desire to read any more of the series
July 16, 2025
Ett hot mot en planerad fredskonferens i Skottland landar på Liz bord. Hennes medarbetare Peggy Kinsolving spelar en lika stor roll i att ta reda på vem som är bakom hotet, likaså den amerikanska CIA-agenten Miles Brookhaven. Hon får även draghjälp av Geoffrey Fane från M16, samtidigt som hennes chef Charles Wetherby tar ledigt för att vara med sin dödssjuka fru Joanne.
Boken har många intressanta passager, men berättelsen får aldrig upp farten och de ögonblick som kunde ha blivit spännande eller gripande faller platta. Mest irriterande är ändå det faktum att Liz insatser prisas till höger och vänster, samtidigt som hon beskrivs som vacker och flera män faller för henne. Hennes kolleger verkar tycka att hon är felfri, intelligent och förtjusande. Detta trots att hon har karaktärsdrag som är allt annat än tilltalande. Det intryck man får är att hon är självupptagen, lättretad och osäker. Hon behandlar Peggy som en springflicka som hon dessutom är avundsjuk på pga hennes pojkvän och unga ålder. Då Peggy blir anfallen får hon inga sympatier och inte heller något tack för sin insats, incidenten glöms totalt bort. Däremot är det mycket daltande med Liz då hon blir överkörd och alla oroar sig över hennes hälsa. Det är i och för sig positivt att Liz beskrivs med alla sina brister, hon visar såväl irritation som känslokyla, oginhet och avundsjuka, men det är förbryllande hur mycket pris och beundran hon får av sina kolleger och hur hennes insatser ständigt beskrivs med överord. De hon samarbetar med är däremot ofta allt annat än omtyckta och det förekommer många spänningar, misstänksamhet och interna dragkamper.
Intrigen och upplägget har potential, men persongalleriet består av alldeles för många osympatiska typer för att det ska engagera. Peggy är det enda undantaget, hon förefaller vara både smart, humoristisk, empatisk och blygsam.
Den här boken kunde helt enkelt ha blivit så mycket bättre. Personligen har jag börjat tröttna på Liz - hur hennes karriär och kärleksliv utvecklas känns fullständigt egalt. Däremot hoppas jag att Peggy får betydligt mera utrymme i nästa bok.
Boken har många intressanta passager, men berättelsen får aldrig upp farten och de ögonblick som kunde ha blivit spännande eller gripande faller platta. Mest irriterande är ändå det faktum att Liz insatser prisas till höger och vänster, samtidigt som hon beskrivs som vacker och flera män faller för henne. Hennes kolleger verkar tycka att hon är felfri, intelligent och förtjusande. Detta trots att hon har karaktärsdrag som är allt annat än tilltalande. Det intryck man får är att hon är självupptagen, lättretad och osäker. Hon behandlar Peggy som en springflicka som hon dessutom är avundsjuk på pga hennes pojkvän och unga ålder. Då Peggy blir anfallen får hon inga sympatier och inte heller något tack för sin insats, incidenten glöms totalt bort. Däremot är det mycket daltande med Liz då hon blir överkörd och alla oroar sig över hennes hälsa. Det är i och för sig positivt att Liz beskrivs med alla sina brister, hon visar såväl irritation som känslokyla, oginhet och avundsjuka, men det är förbryllande hur mycket pris och beundran hon får av sina kolleger och hur hennes insatser ständigt beskrivs med överord. De hon samarbetar med är däremot ofta allt annat än omtyckta och det förekommer många spänningar, misstänksamhet och interna dragkamper.
Intrigen och upplägget har potential, men persongalleriet består av alldeles för många osympatiska typer för att det ska engagera. Peggy är det enda undantaget, hon förefaller vara både smart, humoristisk, empatisk och blygsam.
Den här boken kunde helt enkelt ha blivit så mycket bättre. Personligen har jag börjat tröttna på Liz - hur hennes karriär och kärleksliv utvecklas känns fullständigt egalt. Däremot hoppas jag att Peggy får betydligt mera utrymme i nästa bok.
July 23, 2018
This book covers new ground, for Stella Rimington, visiting Cyprus, Lebanon and Gleneagles in Scotland and dealing with Mossad and Syrian intelligence as well as the huge operation that is an international security conference. It has a whole new form of plot with a huge cast of characters. At the same time, it holds fast to the concept of detailed investigative work and the importance of recognising anomalies and acting upon them, which most ordinary people don't do. There were red herrings and clues and, at one point, I thought smugly that the reader knew more than the agents except it turned out that we didn't - we didn't know any less but we didn't know more.
All that is good and I enjoyed the more domestic scenes with family and friends although some of the relationships are not as innocent as they seem. However, I found it hard to keep track and to maintain the interest in the book when I read it in normal home mode - a chapter or two at night. So, I think these are books best kept for a long journey or holiday reading.
I'm taking a break from this series now.
All that is good and I enjoyed the more domestic scenes with family and friends although some of the relationships are not as innocent as they seem. However, I found it hard to keep track and to maintain the interest in the book when I read it in normal home mode - a chapter or two at night. So, I think these are books best kept for a long journey or holiday reading.
I'm taking a break from this series now.
December 31, 2019
Solid Espionage Yarn
I read/listened to this book via a combination of Kindle and Audible. I had read quite a few of the Liz Carlyle series and so I knew what to expect from Ms Rimington. The storyline is good, believable and it races along at a fair lick .. thus far a solid five stars. Where I was disappointed was with the narration on the Audible track; descriptive passages were great but for conversation the narrator slowed right down and dropped her voice so far that at one point I actually checked my player to ascertain that it was playing back at the right speed!! 'We..must..check..the..perimeter..of..the..grounds', all in basso profundo
for a female character does strip the action of its moment so to speak. Notwithstanding I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the Kindle, I enjoyed the facility of jumping backwards and forwards between Kindle and Audible and I usually enjoy the Audible narration (especially when I am walking the family dog) but this one had me chuckling in the middle of an assassination attempt which probably wasn't the desired effect!
I read/listened to this book via a combination of Kindle and Audible. I had read quite a few of the Liz Carlyle series and so I knew what to expect from Ms Rimington. The storyline is good, believable and it races along at a fair lick .. thus far a solid five stars. Where I was disappointed was with the narration on the Audible track; descriptive passages were great but for conversation the narrator slowed right down and dropped her voice so far that at one point I actually checked my player to ascertain that it was playing back at the right speed!! 'We..must..check..the..perimeter..of..the..grounds', all in basso profundo
for a female character does strip the action of its moment so to speak. Notwithstanding I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the Kindle, I enjoyed the facility of jumping backwards and forwards between Kindle and Audible and I usually enjoy the Audible narration (especially when I am walking the family dog) but this one had me chuckling in the middle of an assassination attempt which probably wasn't the desired effect!
June 27, 2021
I. want to be Liz Carlyle.
She's smart, calm, collected, in charge. Also attractive and the apple of almost every man's eye. I can't think of any eligible (or ineligible) man in these stories who doesn't want to date Liz, marry her, spend time with her, or somehow have her to himself.
Seriously.
But okay. I can deal with that. She also takes a few bumps along the way. The plots are right out of the MI5 playbook and we know that is true because of SR's background as head of same. In this one an international peace conference is threatened by unknown forces and Liz has to figure out who is doing it and why. It's enthralling to see how so many strands make up the story line and how so many many people help lead to the correct answer. Oh yes, I forgot. Liz is also a consensus builder and delegator.
So I guess I want to be Liz and work for her too. I will settle for reading the next book.
She's smart, calm, collected, in charge. Also attractive and the apple of almost every man's eye. I can't think of any eligible (or ineligible) man in these stories who doesn't want to date Liz, marry her, spend time with her, or somehow have her to himself.
Seriously.
But okay. I can deal with that. She also takes a few bumps along the way. The plots are right out of the MI5 playbook and we know that is true because of SR's background as head of same. In this one an international peace conference is threatened by unknown forces and Liz has to figure out who is doing it and why. It's enthralling to see how so many strands make up the story line and how so many many people help lead to the correct answer. Oh yes, I forgot. Liz is also a consensus builder and delegator.
So I guess I want to be Liz and work for her too. I will settle for reading the next book.
December 17, 2019
Twists, plot and counter plot! Interesting, and enjoyable. A little more character development in this book, but why did we have to wait until book 4 before it happened. Still.....not a huge amount about Liz, and even less about her colleagues. I guess the point of the books is that they are about the plot and so that is developed and obviously from first hand experience, they are well thought out.......but I fear that Dame Stella is only as good as her experience as an operative within the shadows she inhabited for many years and that actual character development from a writer’s point of view is not her forte.
Definitely worth the read but I just feel that there is still a tiny bit missing here.
Definitely worth the read but I just feel that there is still a tiny bit missing here.
April 14, 2020
I enjoyed this book but can’t say that it was much of a page-turner for me. The storyline was interesting and there was a little more character development than in previous books, but still the reader only has a superficial understanding of Liz and the other main players. I guess I’m looking for a little more ‘life’ in the characters and more detail and tension in the plot and less a feeling of reading a report.
As in previous books, it also troubles me when the otherwise smart and experienced agents make seemingly dumb choices/mistakes. These seem to be used as ways to move the plot along quicker, but kind of kill the believability for me.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading this series or not; definitely taking a break. Time for some David Baldacci!
As in previous books, it also troubles me when the otherwise smart and experienced agents make seemingly dumb choices/mistakes. These seem to be used as ways to move the plot along quicker, but kind of kill the believability for me.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue reading this series or not; definitely taking a break. Time for some David Baldacci!
March 28, 2022
Well, I enjoyed it. Easy to read, although the writing was a little stilted but to be expected as Stella Rimington was a civil servant, but clear and never confusing and saving me having to re-read parts to understand their significance - or not. This is not a shooty bangs James Bond spy book more a straightforward John Le Carre, as you never knew who to trust. I suspect that this story is close to how MI5/6 operate and it felt right to me. Yes success depended on luck and mistakes but I'd be surprised if that wasn't the most realistic part. The only thing that slightly worried me was that those in MI5 were a little bit too nice and human but after all they were on the side of the righteous!
October 8, 2017
Stella Rimington brings a very authentic touch to her Liz Carlyle series of thrillers and Dead Line is no exception. There is more than a touch of Lynda La Plante to the styling of protagonist. Tightly written, the investigative process is well detailed as Carlyle battles both her, as yet, unknown adversary and the prejudices of the world she inhabits as the plot surges towards the conclusion. Rimington's denouement's are perhaps not the most climactic but the ride along the way is most satisfying. Some characters are slightly glossed over as keeping the plot pulsing is a higher priority than personal detail. Overall, a very good read.
July 25, 2020
I really enjoyed re-reading this. I think this fourth one in the Liz Carlyle series is probably the best after the promising first book At Risk.
This novel is set against a Middle East conference with the potential for a much needed breakthrough due to be held at Gleneagles in Scotland. However getting the conference off the ground hindered by a rogue Mossad agent meant more complications that normal.
I always enjoy the fascinating peep into the world of MI5 and MI6 as well as Liz's ongoing ups and downs of a personal life. There were enough twists and turns to keep the story moving along and a satisfying conclusion.
This novel is set against a Middle East conference with the potential for a much needed breakthrough due to be held at Gleneagles in Scotland. However getting the conference off the ground hindered by a rogue Mossad agent meant more complications that normal.
I always enjoy the fascinating peep into the world of MI5 and MI6 as well as Liz's ongoing ups and downs of a personal life. There were enough twists and turns to keep the story moving along and a satisfying conclusion.
July 3, 2019
I must read more SR. Her plots are excellent and are as highly realistic and plausible as befits the former head of MI5, the structure of the service and it's interrelation with politics, the police etc is done well. Unfortunately she is not that great a writer so the characters are a bit wooden and you don't therefore feel much attachment to them.
This applies to many English spy books (or English books in general perhaps): they often have American characters who are put in there to widen the readership to an American audience and also to make the Brits look good.
This applies to many English spy books (or English books in general perhaps): they often have American characters who are put in there to widen the readership to an American audience and also to make the Brits look good.
August 2, 2025
Liz like a dog after a bone.
Liz Carlyle has a gut instinct when thins don't feel right. The ever observant Liz spots a couple of things thst disturb her. This sets her off on the trail of a "secret" agent who intends to kill his targets. What follows is a great tale of Liz's senses coming to the for. Well written, as you would expect from thd former head of MI5, the tale moves around the UK and the Middle East, all of the time Liz trying to track the assailant. Good story, well written
Liz Carlyle has a gut instinct when thins don't feel right. The ever observant Liz spots a couple of things thst disturb her. This sets her off on the trail of a "secret" agent who intends to kill his targets. What follows is a great tale of Liz's senses coming to the for. Well written, as you would expect from thd former head of MI5, the tale moves around the UK and the Middle East, all of the time Liz trying to track the assailant. Good story, well written
May 5, 2017
Tuesday Fullarton Book Club 3/5
Mixed opinions from the group. As the forth book in the series some characters were established and some readers felt it was difficult to catch up. The rest of us thought it was a well constructed novel, keeping you guessing until the end and then there was another twist! Easy read, authentic and unpretentious, impressive the author had first hand knowledge of the subject matter.
Mixed opinions from the group. As the forth book in the series some characters were established and some readers felt it was difficult to catch up. The rest of us thought it was a well constructed novel, keeping you guessing until the end and then there was another twist! Easy read, authentic and unpretentious, impressive the author had first hand knowledge of the subject matter.
March 8, 2020
Wow! I’ve never read any of Stella Rimington’s books before but I’ll certainly seek out others now. This was terrific. The characters are clearly drawn, the plot is credible, and Ms Rimington’s years as head of MI5 certainly show in her knowledge of how “the biz” works. I was literally hanging on every word as the climax approached, and I wasn’t disappointed. Even though she tells you who the baddie is well before the end, I was rapt you see how it would all work out.
August 26, 2025
A fast-moving espionage book with numerous characters, twists and turns, and issues of trust. The foiling of the plot unfolded a bit too quickly for me, almost as if this section had been written as a screenplay rather than a novel. Summing up a book is always difficult, and here Rimington allows her characters to basically recap the arc of the book, which was to me longer than necessary and not forward-looking. Still an entertaining read.
October 1, 2018
I admire Stella Rimington's writing style - pragmatic, no nonsense as I hope an actual agent's style would be.
Having said that, there are a few wistful glances by Liz at potential partners, and the end of the book opens up a romantic possibility in her future. I must check the name of book number 5...
Having said that, there are a few wistful glances by Liz at potential partners, and the end of the book opens up a romantic possibility in her future. I must check the name of book number 5...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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