When a terrorist bomb goes off in a busy station and innocent civilians are killed tough questions are asked. For Jake Winter this is too close to home as the bomber was one of his agents. Juggling appearing at the enquiry with handling his latest recruit, Rashid, Jake is close to the edge. As Rashid lets Jake know that another attack is due Jake feels his life unravelling.
There are some really good ideas in this book but sometimes they get lost in the welter of well-meaning. Ideas about modern politics are pushed through less likely characters and it all becomes very confused towards the end with the plot turning in on itself. Searle can plot a decent story and has really modern ideas about the nature of spying but tighter editing would make his books sing more. ( )

A serious spy thriller about suicide bombers in Manchester and the spook in charge of a double agent. Full review here: http://annabookbel.net/spooks-v-terrorists ( )

A Fatal Game – When life is not a game

Nicolas Searle has once again written an excellent thriller and continues the good work that he began with the Good Liar. He is following in the well trodden footsteps of Le Carre and others, and he knows how to keep you hooked until the end.

Jake Winter has an asset in play, all he has to do is lead the team to the local railway station and see who the asset meets. All the police and the spooks are close and following and then boom, his asset detonates a bomb. Then the subsequent public inquiry he is under pressure, to tell the truth and not to avoid answering some of the questions. Some of the establishment would like someone to pin the blame on for the terrorist outrage.

While he has to attend the public inquiry, he also has another asset in play who is almost ready to reveal who the main person is behind the outrage at the railway station and who is intent on terrorising this northern town. He knows that his new operation with Rashid has to be a success, a recent returnee from the Middle East, he needs for this to turn out a success and everything else will be duly forgotten.

Jake is beginning to be disillusioned with the operations, disillusioned with the service and the lies. This not being helpful when you have people’s lives in your hands. The service is also worried about Jake and the operation, even more so the closer the operation is to the final ‘event’.

With so many questions of trust, do you trust your asset, do you trust yourself, do you trust everyone else around you? Jake is a character that many people could identify with, especially the self-doubt and the panic when under a serious amount of pressure from the boss.

A Fatal Game is a great story of our times that will keep you gripped from beginning to end. ( )