Dead Ground: A Novel

by Gerald Seymour

Spy fiction its A mission of revenge, a haunting love story, and a chilling tale -- in the definitive novel of the end of the Cold War. Celebrated for his "palm-sweating tension" (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times) and "rare insight" (Cleveland Plain Dealer), Gerald Seymour has scored bull's-eye after bull's-eye with readers and critics. Now, crackling with suspense and finely realized characters, Dead Ground floodlights an East German Stasi as chilling at the collapse of the Communist world as it was throughout its reign of terror. One frozen night, Tracy Barnes witnesses the killing of her lover by the secret police. Years later, when the Wall has crumbled and old enemies have become new friends, Tracy encounters the murderer and plans to make him pay. But in a country still at war with itself, Tracy finds that she is being played as a pawn in a far bigger game of revenge that reaches all the way to Moscow. In Dead Ground, exposing some uncomfortable truths behind one of recent history's most important political transitions, Gerald Seymour shows himself to be a truly unique talent.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Espionage

368 pages, Hardcover

Published June 10, 1999

About the author

Gerald Seymour (born 25 November 1941 in Guildford, Surrey) is a British writer.

The son of two literary figures, he was educated at Kelly College at Tavistock in Devon and took a BA Hons degree in Modern History at University College London. Initially a journalist, he joined ITN in 1963, covering such topics as the Great Train Robbery, Vietnam, Ireland, the Munich Olympics massacre, Germany's Red Army, Italy's Red Brigades and Palestinian militant groups. His first book, Harry's Game, was published in 1975, and Seymour then became a full-time novelist, living in the West Country. In 1999, he featured in the Oscar-winning television film, One Day in September, which portrayed the Munich Olympics massacre.
Television adaptations have been made of his books Harry's Game, The Glory Boys, The Contract, Red Fox, Field Of Blood, A Line In The Sand and The Waiting Time.

Reviews

[Jan Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by the author. This is a spy novel. Don’t get into it very much. Might try the author again.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atypical of Seymour's style-much takes place in the minds of the watchers and waiters, the pursuers and pursued. Suspenseful, with an interesting treatise of post-Wall Germany, with the demise of the Stasi and aftermath of their repressive and paranoic control of the citizenry.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

En titled "The Waiting Game" in Australia.

[Bert Mcferrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am becoming a fan of Gerald Seymour. His stories are believable and very exciting to read.