Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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Join the Yay for YA Discussion About YA Books Now  

Love Isn’t Always On Time

Spy Line by Len Deighton

April 12, 2025 by Jake Leave a Comment

Similar to a lot of series that have an overarching plot, Len Deighton keeps having to invent new ways to rework the chessboard. Does it always work plot-wise? I’m not sure. Do I enjoy reading it? Hell yeah I do. I’m not sure why I land with the Samson series so closely. I concede that Le Carré writes circles around Deighton in terms of espionage tales. And yet, I just love the characters Deighton creates; the ones who have come back to these tales time-and-time […]

Filed Under: Suspense Tagged With: Berlin, Bernard Samson, espionage, Germany, Hook Line Sinker Trilogy, Len Deighton, Spy Line, United Kingdom, West Germany

Jake's CBR17 Review No:14 · Genres: Suspense · Tags: Berlin, Bernard Samson, espionage, Germany, Hook Line Sinker Trilogy, Len Deighton, Spy Line, United Kingdom, West Germany ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Thanksgiving 2024 Leftovers

Remembrance Day by Henry Porter

Dead Lions by Mick Herron

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

Whisper Down the Lane by Clay McLeod Chapman

Killing Castro by Lawrence Block

Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins

Spy Hook by Len Deighton

London Rules by Mick Herron

Real Tigers by Mick Herron

November 27, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. Remembrance Day**** An interesting take on the English-vs-Irish spy novel and while the author telegraphs too many things, he knows how to keep a story moving. Barely clears the 4-star threshold but if I invest time to read something almost 500 pages long, it has to be at least “good” and this was. Dead Lions, Real Tigers, and London Rules**** I had originally meant to do a big long post on my love/grr relationship with Mick Herron’s Slough House […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Bernard Samson, Chicago, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dead Lions, Deadly Beloved, domestic surveillance, England, espionage, hard case crime, Henry Porter, historical fiction, horror, Ireland, Killing Castro, lawrence block, Len Deighton, London Rules, Max Allan Collins, MI-5, MI-6, mick herron, Ms Tree, mystery, Real Tigers, Religion, Remembrance Day, Russia, Ruth Ware, Satan Panic, Slough House, Slow Horses, Spy Hook, terrorism, The Troubles, thriller, Virginia, Whisper down the lane, Zero Days

Jake's CBR16 Review No:186 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Bernard Samson, Chicago, Clay McLeod Chapman, Dead Lions, Deadly Beloved, domestic surveillance, England, espionage, hard case crime, Henry Porter, historical fiction, horror, Ireland, Killing Castro, lawrence block, Len Deighton, London Rules, Max Allan Collins, MI-5, MI-6, mick herron, Ms Tree, mystery, Real Tigers, Religion, Remembrance Day, Russia, Ruth Ware, Satan Panic, Slough House, Slow Horses, Spy Hook, terrorism, The Troubles, thriller, Virginia, Whisper down the lane, Zero Days ·
· 0 Comments

The End and the Beginning

London Match by Len Deighton

October 14, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

I’m glad I slept on this review. I confess to some disappointment when I finished it…that was the resolution? That was the best Deighton could do after an excellent two-book buildup? I expected a massive conflict and was sort of let down. But then I thought about the final conversation in the book, which I won’t use to spoil the plot but basically talks about the stagnancy of the spy game. You’re never really winning, per se, and you almost don’t know what constitutes winning. Occasionally, you […]

Filed Under: Suspense Tagged With: Berlin, Bernard Samson, Cold War, England, espionage, Game Set Match Trilogy, Len Deighton, London, London Match, West Germany

Jake's CBR16 Review No:154 · Genres: Suspense · Tags: Berlin, Bernard Samson, Cold War, England, espionage, Game Set Match Trilogy, Len Deighton, London, London Match, West Germany ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Ohhh Mexico

Mexico Set by Len Deighton

September 14, 2024 by Jake Leave a Comment

I’m going to review this under the assumption that the reader has read the first book in Len Deighton’s Game, Set, Match trilogy. If you have not, I encourage you to do so (it’s very good!) and skip this review until you have. I liked this one almost as much as Berlin Game, perhaps even more! I love how Len Deighton writes books where he ratchets up the tension just by having people talk. It’s fun. His dialogue is great and it works well to building the story. […]

Filed Under: Suspense Tagged With: Bernard Samson, Cold War, England, espionage, Germany, Len Deighton, mexico, Mexico Set

Jake's CBR16 Review No:135 · Genres: Suspense · Tags: Bernard Samson, Cold War, England, espionage, Germany, Len Deighton, mexico, Mexico Set ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments


Recent Comments

  • Malin
    on CBR Diversion – YAY for YA – Genre Discussion
    In my book club, when we have pretty much come to the agreement that if the protagonists are still teenagers...
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    Interesting with Scholomance, I very much read it as the adult book for former YA magic school book readers
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